One of your most basic health principles is to eat real food. This
will radically reduce your exposure to the tens of thousands of chemicals added
to processed foods, most of which are not even on the label. Many are still
under the illusion that whole grains are good for you, but while this may have
held true for your grandparent's generation, it's not true today. The thing
that people tend to forget is that virtually all grain products you buy today
have gone through industrial processing.
Grains have
also been altered through time, and growing methods differ significantly from
even a generation or two ago. We also prepare grains differently these days.
Sprouted whole organic grains may be the lone exception to my recommendation to
avoid grains, but all those whole grain loaves of bread, whole grain pastas,
and whole grain cereals — they're actually processed foods, and are best
replaced.
You can read more about these issues in Authority
Nutrition's article,1 "Modern
Wheat – Old Diet Staple Turned into a Modern Health Nightmare." That said,
even among whole foods, some stand out as VIPs above others. Health.com recently published a list of 18 foods
packed with health-promoting compounds like antioxidants, vitamins, and
minerals known to play a role in longevity.
Healthy Fat Foods
Besides nuts, three other foods that
rate among the highest in terms of healthy fats include salmon, avocado, and
coconut oil.
·
Wild caught Alaskan salmon: Research suggests that eating oily fish once or twice a
week may increase your lifespan by more than two years, and reduce your risk of
dying from cardiovascular disease by 35 percent.
If you want to maximize health benefits from fish, avoid
farmed fish, particularly farmed salmon, and even more specifically genetically
engineered farmed salmon — especially if you're seeking to improve your omega-3
to omega-6 ratio.
Look for "Alaskan salmon," and "sockeye
salmon," as Alaskan sockeye is not allowed to be farmed. Canned varieties
are an inexpensive alternative to pricier salmon steaks.
·
Avocado:
Avocados, which are actually classified as a fruit, are rich in monounsaturated
fat that is easily burned for energy. They also provide close to 20 essential
health-boosting nutrients, including potassium, vitamin E, B-vitamins, and
folic acid.
Clinical research has revealed a number of health effects of
avocado consumption, linking it to reduced risk for cardiovascular disease and
diabetes, as well as appetite suppression and improved weight management. It
also enhances your body's absorption of other nutrients.
Researchers have found it can help optimize cholesterol
levels within as little as one week, and contains compounds that appear to
inhibit and destroy oral cancer cells, along with others that protect against
liver damage. Besides eating it "as is," you can increase your
avocado consumption by using it as a fat replacement in baking; add it to
soups, dessert whips, and countless other recipes.
·
Coconut oil: Half of the fat content in coconut oil is lauric acid that
your body converts into monolaurin, which has anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and
anti-protozoa properties. The medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil also
produce a whole host of health benefits, including stimulating your metabolism.
MCFAs are also immediately converted to energy — a function
usually served in the diet by simple carbohydrates — so like avocados, coconut
oil is an ideal replacement for unhealthy grain carbs. It can be added to
smoothies, or used in virtually any dish calling for butter or oil. When it
comes to cooking, coconut oil is ideal as it can tolerate high heat without
oxidizing.
For more healthy recommendations, keep reading the full
article.
However, keep in mind that based on your particular
physiology and health conditions, certain foods on the list such as the grains,
broccoli, cabbage or, for example, may not be healthy choices for YOU.
Consulting with one of our doctors to make sure you aren’t eating these
generally healthy foods that can cause allergic reactions or interfere with
hormone formation is the best bet to keeping your diet safe for you!
In Health,
Dr. Brad Niewierowski
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