The Most Important Foods to Eat to Improve Your Life

I was recently asked to give a talk on nutrition to a group of retired professionals and in an e-mail correspondence with the group leader I said I wanted to talk about the importance of being a “locavore” and she complimented me on my enthusiasm and the said;
"They might like to know about the 10 Superfoods that in 10 days will help you.... live longer, lose weight, increase mental alertness, fight disease, and improve sex life!!! HA!!! HA!!! HA!!!!"
Hmmm…I laughed and forgot about it. Then an epiphany…well of course there ARE foods that help you live longer, lose weight, improve your short term memory and general brain function, boost your immune system and fight disease! And if you are that healthy and looking that good, why wouldn’t your sex life improve!?!
The chemicals involved in these processes come from phytonutrients which is just the scientific term for plant nutrients that spark the body processes that fight, or reduce the risk for some diseases, especially cardiovascular disorders, diabetes and even cancer.
Let me just say right now that I’m starting a bit of a food revolution because all of these healthy foods that are chock full of healing, healthy nutrients are carbohydrates. Our nervous systems run on carbs—that of course includes our brain. As adults only 10% of our calories should come from protein and we are Way over that in this country consuming about 30% of our calories from animal proteins alone! and that is more than even growing children should be getting which is about 25%.
Fruits are all carbs and fiber. Vegetables are carbs and some protein and some, like avocadoes, have healthy fats.
Animal proteins have no phytonutrients (remember phyto means plant) but lots of artery clogging fats. But this is not about being a vegetarian but IS about how to get foods that IMPROVE your health onto your plates and into your body.
Here we go…
Phytonutrients are broken down into things like carotenoids, flavenoids Catechins, lutein. Protease inhibitors and anthisynons. Too many icky names. Lets just talk about the foods, spices and beverages that can give us these marvelous nutrients.
The easiest thing to do is go to the farmer’s markets or food cooperatives and buy all the veggies that are bright red, orange and yellow. Green veggies are also full of these colors but the chlorophyll is masking the yellow to red colors. That having been said a red pepper is more nutritious than a green one but dark green spinach is as healthy as it gets—you don’t want yellow (or god forbid red) spinach!
Carotenoids are present in red, yellow, green and orange fruits and vegetables and are full of antioxidants that boost the immune system, limit the effects of aging, and reduce plaque accumulation as well as your risk of developing cancer.
Citrus fruits, vegetables, apples, onions, red grapes and tea keep your collagen healthy (collagen builds skin cells, cartilage and ligaments), suppress malignant changes, protect eyes and nerves from inflammation & diabetic damage and improve allergy symptoms.
With late onset diabetes taking on epidemic proportions in this country it is important to note that reducing well actually eliminating animal proteins and animal by-products and eating a vegan diet has been shown to reverse diabetes. The flavonoids in citrus fruits, vegetables, apples, onions, red grapes and tea protect against the neuropathies and other damage caused to the heart and other organs by uncontrolled diabetes.
Berries—all of them red, black and blue as well as purple and red grapes contain antioxidants that improve short-term memory and increase the metabolic burning rate of stored fat.
Finally green and black tea as well as apples Assist in weight loss and activate fat burning genes in abdominal fat cells (a Tufts University study showed a 77% increase in abdominal fat loss and doubled overall weight loss)
And now back to what was to have been the focus of the talk—those dark leafy greens that are so in season and beautiful right now. They provide calcium as well as 100s of the phytonutrients I have been talking about. But what do we need to properly absorb that calcium into our bones? Vitamin D and magnesium.
Our bodies produce vitamin D if we get out in the sun but here in the great and often overcast Northeast we may need supplements or foods fortified with Vitamin D like orange juice and cereals.
What about the magnesium? Well because our industrial farming practices have so depleted our soils, we really need to buy organically grown produce to get that magnesium. It is abundant in all vegetables grown in good soil and especially in the greens. And don’t forget about the bountiful dandelion—save money and improve your health by eating these beauties from April to the first snowfall!
So get out and visit your local farms, farmers markets and food cooperatives and plant your own gardens even if it is just a few pots on your patio with greens, peppers, a few herbs and tomatoes.
So to review:
How do we live longer?
Eat colorful citrus fruits, vegetables, apples, onions, red grapes and tea
Lose weight?
Drink green and black tea, apples, grapes and berries
Increase mental alertness?
Red and purple grapes and all kinds of berries
Fight disease and boost our immune system?
Eat more colorful fruits and vegetables and whole grains
Improve our sex life? All of the above!
The most important and basic things you can do to be healthy:
!. Eat more colorful, organic fruits and vegetables and whole grains.
2.Buy locally grown, seasonal produce that is grown/raised in a sustainable fashion (organic).
3. When fresh is not available buy frozen.
4. When using canned foods get them from companies that use cans that fo not conatain BPA

Jamie Risedorph @ http://jamiesnutritionnuggets.blogspot.com/