Super foods

A report in the British Medical Journal suggested that eating certain foods every day could boost cardiovascular health and even increase life expectancy by up to 6 1/2 years!!

The items to note down on your shopping list so you’ve always a good supply are: vegetables, fruit, garlic, almonds, wine (yay), fish (x2/wk) and dark chocolate (yay yay). :D. Yum list

Vegetables: peppers contain carotenoid beta-cryptoxanthin, which can help cut the risk of a precursor disease to rheumatoid arthritis. Eat your greens!! broccoli for instance is high in bone-building calcium and folate which is essential for good artery health. Also for the ladies, boost breast health by eating a portion of greens (kale,cabbage,broccoli,sprouts) most days, as it seems to promote healthy breast tissue and helps rid the body of an oestrogen linked with breast cancer. Also the brain stays sharper and better memory, a research showed, on those who ate green leafy veg over those who didn’t. Herbs also have anti-oxidant properties. (makes you wanna start growing things 😀 ).

Fruit: black grapes, the colouring contains very potent antioxidants effective in maintaining youthful arteries. Red wine anyone ;). Eating dark purple or red berries boosts memory function. Blackcurrants and boysenberries are rich in the antioxidant flavonoid anthocynins and seem to fight cell and DNA damage, which can contribute to the development of Alzheimers and cancer. The nice thing about berries are they are gorgeous fresh frozen or freeze-dried. Snack-tastic. Tomatoes, contain lycopene which protects the heart and is good for blood pressure and recently also found good for combatting prostate cancer. So tomato ketchup is perfect on the table or salsa which has chilli is in it. Chilli’s contain capsaicin (that’s what gives chill is heat). It seems to kill liver &prostate cancer cells, studies suggest. Also protect against high blood pressure, blood clots and high cholesterol. Who knew? Not I…… till I investigated. So fascinating. Natures fabulous 😀

Nuts: did you know the walnut are renowned in Chinese medicine as the longevity fruit. Nuts contain cholesterol lowering properties. Good for your heart. Seeds are also potent, they are a great souce of protein and contain useful amts of minerals and fatty acids essential for joint and prostate health

Fish: dining on fish x2-4/week reduces the risk if heart disease by 14%, eaten just once a week, it can slow mental decline by 10% a year in older people, a study suggested.

Garlic: valuable for lowering blood pressure, reducing cholesterol, preventing blood clots and giving the immune system a powerful boost (plus it keeps the vampires away, unless that’s your thing ;D)

Last but not least…..

Chocolate: fine dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants, 70% or over is bitter but best. It does say to stick to moderate amounts….. But you know…. Haha

I thoroughly enjoyed discovering the properties of natures super foods. My sources are from the British Medical Journal, health books by www.dk.com and my mum-in-laws health magazines that she buys and passes onto me monthly. 😀

Thanks for reading. Soapgirl

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