The Fabulous Fourteen - 14 Super Foods

SuperFoods Rx is based on a very simple concept: Some foods are better than others for your health. We can all guess that an apple is better for you than a potato chip. But what about choosing between a couple of pretzels and a few walnuts? Did you know that eating a handful of nuts a few times a week can reduce your risk of getting a heart attack by at least 15% and perhaps as much as 51%? Even if you smoke, are overweight and never exercise. That’s how powerful certain foods are.

SuperFoods Rx presents the 14-known nutritional powerhouse foods that can help you extend your health span -- the extent of time that you have to be healthy, vigorous and vital -- as well as, perhaps, your life span. These are foods that have proved to help prevent and, in some cases, reverse the well-known scourges of aging, including cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, hypertension, certain cancers, and even dementia.

Many super foods may already be part of your diet, as most people already routinely enjoy broccoli, oranges and even spinach. Blueberries could possibly be everyone’s favorite super food, but most people only eat them as a treat when they’re in season. When you learn about the awesome power of this berry, and some other berries, to promote health I’m sure that, like me, you’ll try to eat berries every day. Other super foods, like pumpkin and turkey, only make occasional appearances in the average diet; you’ll soon see that they should be eaten more frequently. Some other super foods may be brand-new to you, like soy or perhaps yogurt, and I’ll show you how to enjoy them if you think you don’t like them.

Walnuts are the surprising super food. Surprising, because most people think nuts belong in the “avoid” category due to their fatty content. But the power of nuts is almost stunning. I try never to go a day without eating some nuts and seeds. Some super foods are less of a surprise; perhaps you’ve read about wild salmon recently. Wild salmon has so many health benefits that it seems foolish not to eat it regularly.

Learn more super foods and their benefits. Some super foods are so easy to incorporate into your diet that you’ll be able to begin your overall improvement in the time it takes to boil water for a cup of tea. Others will take a little more planning. Some super foods, such as pumpkin (or one of its sidekicks, like orange bell pepper), should be eaten a few times a week, while others, like yogurt, should be eaten more frequently, even if in small amounts. A couple of super foods cover a category -- for example, beans, which you may rarely think about -- but when you realize the power of humble pea or garbanzo to improve your health, you’ll make a point of eating them frequently. And when you discover the power of tomatoes, even in the form of ketchup or sauce, you’ll find yourself choosing pizza before other fast foods.

You may be surprised to learn from super-food shopping tips that dramatic improvement in your nutrition can be a simple matter of learning to read a label. For example, most of us eat bread every day and we serve it to our families. Unfortunately, many of us think that we’re eating whole-grain bread and would be surprised to learn that we’re not. Did you know that by checking the nutrition label on a loaf of bread and making sure it has at least 3 grams of fiber.