We picked out one dozen super-healing foods with wondrously nutritious profiles to add them to your daily diet of wholesome and healthy eating. From fighting off cancerous cells to lowering cholesterol levels, protecting the heart and watching your weight, these superfoods can help you achieve all your health goals, and so much more.
Here, take a look:
1. Kale
Kale is amazingly healthy and it is brimming with countless nutrients, potent antioxidant profiles, and powerful anti-inflammatory properties. All you need is one cup of cooked kale to brim your body with a whopping 1328% of your daily dosage requirement of vitamin K, 192% of your daily dosage requirement of vitamin A and nearly 89% of your daily dosage requirement of vitamin C. Moreover, kale is also a handsomely generous source of iron and calcium.
It belongs from the plant family of cruciferous veggies, such as cabbage and broccoli, and it is brimming with extraordinarily high levels of sulforaphane, a potent cancer-fighting compound that protects the body against several cancers, primarily breast, gastric, skin and prostate cancers. It also aids in enhancing the functioning of detoxification enzymes, along with shielding the body against the attacks of free radicals.
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The indoles present within kale also provide preventive care against the attacks of several types of cancers, primarily colon, breast and cervical cancers. Vitamin K plays a detrimental role in eliminating blood clotting, strengthening the bone structure by locking calcium within the bones and shielding the heart against ailments and strokes. Kale has a great antioxidant density as opposed to spinach, and it works wonders at protective the body against all kinds of free-radical damage. Kale has an astounding density of beta-carotene, highest amongst all the other cruciferous vegetables. It contains far greater quantities of lutein and zeaxanthin than broccoli, and Chinese herbalists and medical experts use kale to treat lung congestion.
How should you eat it?
Kale is an amazingly healthy food and you must eat it as much as you can. Make it a constant fixture in your daily diet, and be sure to pick out fresh organic varieties from your nearest farmer’s market or grocery stores. This delicious cruciferous veggie is available throughout the year, except a few months in summer, which you can spend enjoying other leafy greens and cruciferous veggies.
You can devour it raw, make deliciously crispy kale chips, steam it and add it to your salads, or sauté it with herbs and toss it into a vegetable stew or a hot bowl of soup. It’s a good idea to tenderize kale leaves with cooking, and you can also add them to your vegetable juices and smoothies.
2. Cherries
Cherries are loaded with heaps of nutrients, and for centuries, their healing properties have been regarded as the best natural remedy for countless ailments. They contain very few calories and a powerhouse of essential nutrients. Several studies have linked the consumption of cherries with the prevention of cancer, and reduced levels of inflammation throughout the body.
Recent research reveals that cherries contain two incredibly powerful natural compounds, ellagic acid, and quercetin, which prevent and eliminate the growth of cancerous tumors, along with killing cancerous cells without inflicting any damage on the healthy cells. Cherries are also praised for their immensely powerful antibacterial and antiviral profiles.
Cherries are brimming with another immensely powerful naturally-occurring compound, anthocyanin, which has been scientifically proven to reduce the levels of uric acid in the bloodstream, which happens to be one of the most common causes of gout. Moreover, there is ample evidence to state that anthocyanins also work to reduce the risk factors for colon cancer.
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Chinese herbalists and medical practitioners use cherries as a natural remedy to heal anemia, gout, rheumatism, and arthritis.
How should you eat them?
Be sure to devour at least one generous serving of cherries every day when they are in season. And you can always stock up frozen bags of cherries in your freezer to devour them when they are no longer available in the market.
Don’t worry about rancidity, because cherries are capable of retaining their entire nutritional values, and you can devour these frozen cherries in smoothies, juices, oatmeal, and yogurt.
3. Onions
We all discard onions because they are notorious for giving us a bad breath, but that’s definitely not enough to shun aside all their countless nutritional benefits. Research reveals that onions are brimming with powerful enzymes that aid the body in fighting against the symptoms and spread of cancer.
Moreover, several studies have proved that eating onions is directly associated with reducing the risk of developing several kinds of cancers, primarily Esophageal, stomach, and prostate cancers. It is also associated with reducing the risk of death due to the coronary heart disease.
Onions are brimming with sulfides, natural compounds that help regulate and reduce both, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It also contains a certain peptide that prevents bone damage and loss by preventing the loss of other bone minerals and calcium. What truly sets apart onions in terms of nutritional benefits is their incredibly extraordinary profile of antioxidants.
Onions are brimming with quercetin, a natural antihistamine that lowers and prevents the symptoms of hay fever and allergies, along with eliminating airway inflammation. They are also packed with incredibly high amounts of vitamin C, which also aids in eliminating and preventing the symptoms of fever, flu, and colds. Furthermore, onions boost powerful anti-inflammatory profiles that help eliminate all signs of pain and swelling that usually accompanies rheumatoid and osteoarthritis.
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How should you eat it?
You must make a habit of eating at least one or more onions every day. If you can’t seem to devour an entire onion, make it a regular part of your daily diet, and add little bits of it to every meal. There are countless onion varieties that are brimming with flavor and nutrients. You can pick out shallots and yellow onions to brim your body with potent antioxidants. You can always grill onions, bake them, fry them, or even steam them. But it is ideal to devour onions raw in order to reap heaps of nutrition.
Here’s an amazingly healthy tip for grilling meat, just add some onions and they will help lower down the carcinogens produced by the meat. Onions are always stored at room temperatures, however, if you can’t stand the teardrops that run down your face while chopping them, just refrigerate them for an hour and you won’t have to cry while cutting them.
4. Beans
Beans are truly miraculous superfoods in terms of their nutrient density and powerfully healthy profiles. Research reveals that beans not only lower and regulate our blood sugar and cholesterol levels, but they also enhance the production of insulin, provide protective care against cancers and enhance the health of our digestive system.
Beans are brimming with potent densities of protein, antioxidants, and fiber, and they also boast a spectacular variety of protective phytochemicals, which have been scientifically proven to shield our cells against the activity of cancerous cells. They work to shun and prevent the growth of tumors and cancerous cells.
A recent study examined the bean consumptions of countless women, and the results revealed that women who devour two generous portions of beans at least twice a week cut down their risk to develop breast cancer by 24%. Moreover, the consumption of beans has been directly associated with reducing the risk for several chronic ailments, such as diabetes type 2, hypertension, heart ailments, and several types of cancers, primarily breast and colon cancers.
Beans are brimming with impressively high profiles of antioxidants, which aid the body in fighting against oxidative damage. You must add these three bean varieties to your daily diet in order to brim up your body with heaps of antioxidants: red beans, pinto beans, and red kidney beans. Beans are also a remarkable source of energizing iron, protein, and dietary fiber. They are also packed with tryptophan, an amino acid that helps regulate your sleep cycle, appetite and elevates your mood to eliminate irritability and insomnia.
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Several beans are brimming with an essential energizing mineral, called folate, which works wonders at enhancing the health of the heart. Beans also provide the body heaps of magnesium, vitamin B1 and B2, potassium and vitamin K. If you pick out soybeans, they happen to be one of the richest sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
Chinese medicine practitioners and herbalists use several kinds of beans to treat various ailments, such as edema, hypertension, kidney stones, alcoholism, diarrhea, food poisoning, rheumatism, laryngitis and countless other ailments.
How should you eat them?
Be sure to brim up your diet with at least two servings of beans every week. You can enjoy mung and adzuki beans for easy digestion. And you must also try lima, kidney, garbanzo, pinto, black and navy beans in your salads, sandwiches, sauces, and dips.
5. Watercress
Watercress is one of the healthiest superfoods, and your best pick if you want to hoard up a powerful density of nutrients without devouring a single trace of calories. This nutrient-rich food is brimming with calcium, and twice more vitamin C than an orange, along with twice the amount of iron found in spinach.
Moreover, watercress is also brimming with vitamin A, Vitamin K, and a spectacularly dense assortment of protective phytochemicals, and several antioxidant carotenoids. Research reveals that watercress is essential to prevent and eliminate the symptoms of macular degeneration and several types of cancers. It promotes the strength of the immune system, along with enhancing the health of our bone structure.
Furthermore, the iron derived from watercress aids the red blood cells in transporting oxygen to all the tissues present in our body, an essential process to keep the body energized. Watercress is packed with protective phytochemicals, which work to eliminate and prevent cancer in three unique ways. Firstly, they block all kinds of carcinogens, and then they shield all our healthy cells from being attacked by carcinogens. Lastly, phytochemicals also play an active role in killing cancerous cells.
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Watercress is also a popular natural remedy to cure a sore throat, urinary problems, jaundice, mumps and eliminating bad breath.
How should you eat it?
Considering how watercress is so dense with nutrients, it’s best if you eat it every single day. It is widely available in most regions, and it gets cultivated outdoors mainly during the seasons of spring and summer. You can always grow it up hydroponically in a greenhouse setting, or you can just pick up some from your local grocery store or check out your nearest farmer’s market for organic varieties.
It’s ideal to devour it raw, and if you hate lettuce or iceberg cabbage, you’ll find watercress a delightful replacement for your burgers, sandwiches, and salads. Feel free to add it to your pesto sauces, casserole meals, salads, soups, or just marinate it with herbs and enjoy it for a raw crunch. It holds wondrous hydrating and detoxifying properties, and you must enjoy it in smoothies and juices.
6. Broccoli
Broccoli is definitely one of the healthiest foods offered by nature, and all it takes is one cup of steamed broccoli to brim us up with over 200% of our daily dosage requirement of vitamin C, which far greater than the nutrient density found in oranges. It also provides 50% of our daily requirement of vitamin A, heaps of vitamin K, vitamin B, folate, sulfur, fiber, iron and countless other nutrients. With very few traces of calories, broccoli is packed with protective phytonutrients, and protein, nearly twice the amount of protein derived from a large-sized steak.
Research reveals that the phytochemicals found in broccoli aid the body in fighting cancer by detoxifying carcinogens and speeding up their exit from the body. They also prevent the formation of tumors that are caused by chemical carcinogens. There are countless studies that validate the claim that broccoli and its nutrient profile aids in the prevention of several cancers, such as gastrointestinal, Esophageal, and lung cancers. Chinese medication and herbalists use broccoli to treat severe cases of eye inflammation.
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How should you eat it?
It is ideal to add broccoli to your daily meals and eat as much as you can throughout the day. You can cook it, steam, fry or even grill as both cooked and raw broccoli will enrich your body with countless nutrients and a flavourful crisp. However, keep in mind that deep frying or cooking often lowers the anticancer properties found in broccoli so it’s better to eat them with very light steaming.
You can enjoy this nutrient-rich veggie throughout the year and be sure to buy it fresh. Frozen broccoli is not a bad substitute, but it’s best if you pick up your broccoli and all other veggies from an organic farmer’s market to avoid pesticide residue in your diet. Always steam or cook it light as it allows the release of maximum sulforaphane, a highly beneficial antioxidant found in broccoli.
7. Guavas
Guavas are a tiny tropical delight, which can be in a pear-like shape, rounded or oval shape. They can be slightly rare to find, depending on the region where you live, however, if they are common every day you must eat as many as you possibly can. Research reveals that guavas are brimming with potent antioxidant, lycopene, which has a mighty powerful cancer-fighting profile and the ability to enhance the immune system.
Guavas are the richest source of lycopene amongst all other fruits and veggies, and they are much healthier than tomatoes. You see, it’s harder for the body to process the lycopene obtained from raw tomatoes, and the entire processing cycle causes breakage in even the toughest of cell walls. But the unique cell structure of guavas does not require cooking to allow the absorption of antioxidants. Besides, guavas are far more nutritious than sodium-rich processed tomato sauces, chips and other products.
Countless studies highlight that lycopene shields our healthy cells against the attacks of free radicals, which cause various types of damage throughout the body, for instance, nervous system ailments, joint degeneration, cancer and even blocked arteries. Several researchers have directly associated the consumption of lycopene with reduced risks of prostate cancer.
A recent study examined the diets of men suffering from prostate tumors, and the results revealed that those who consumed lycopene supplements and foods experienced remarkable improvements. For instance, they experienced a lower malignancy of the symptoms, and the tumors also got smaller.
Several other studies have revealed lycopene as the most essential nutrient that prevents the growth of breast cancer cells, and many others have also suggested that lycopene prevents and eliminates the symptoms of the coronary heart disease.
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Guavas also reduce the number of triglycerides, along with aiding the body in lowering and regulating blood pressure levels.
How should you eat it?
Make a habit of eating at least one-two guavas every day. Be sure to pick out fresh guavas from your nearest farmer’s market or your local grocery store. However, it is wise to steer clear of sweetened and processed guava juices and products, because they don’t contain half the nutrition found in a fresh guava.
You can find red fleshed guava varieties and white-flesh apple guavas, both of these are loaded with antioxidants, so feel free to devour whichever you come across.
8. Carrots
Carrots are brimming with powerful antioxidants called carotenoids. Research reveals that meals that have a potent density of carotenoids tend to reduce the risk of several cancers, such as larynx, bladder, esophagus, breast, cervix, colon and prostate.
Several studies have directly associated diets with low carotenoids as a risk factor leading to several cancers, chronic ailments, and heart diseases. Experts validate that all it takes is one carrot every day to cut down your risk of developing lung cancer by a whopping 50%. The carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin work to enhance the health of the eyes, along with shielding our body against cataracts and macular degeneration.
Carrots also play an essential role in lowering the risk of developing ovarian or kidney cancers. The nutrients found in carrots also work to prevent cardiovascular diseases, enhance the health of the colon, strengthen the immune system and improve the health of our eyes and ears.
Carrots are brimming with countless essential nutrients, primarily vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and fiber. They also contain an incredible dose of alpha-carotene, which aids the body in preventing the growth of tumors.
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How should you eat it?
Be sure to eat a generous serving of carrots every day, pair them with a healthy calorie-free dip and they make the best nutrition dense snacks with a tasty crunch. You can always cook them, or steam them as it helps in breaking down the complex fiber and making carrots and its nutrients easy to digest.
Be sure to pick out whole organic carrots that are fresh, firm and free of all pesticide residues, as they contain the densest nutrient profiles. Most people tend to eat pre-cut baby carrots, which are deprived of all their essential nutrients during the processing period. If you want to store them in the fridge, be sure to cut off the tops as they drain out all the moisture from the carrot roots.
9. Kiwifruit
This deliciously succulent fruit is brimming with incredible doses of vitamin C, nearly double the density obtained from oranges. And that’s not all, for kiwifruit also contains twice more fiber than apples and a great deal more potassium than bananas. Its versatile nutrient profile is also brimming, with vitamins, minerals and protective phytonutrients, all of which shield the body against several kinds of cancers, heart ailments and strokes, and respiratory ailments.
Research reveals that kiwifruit is a much better alternative for aspirin as it has a natural blood-thinning profile, and unlike aspirin, it does not cause any side effects. It not only promotes the health of the vascular system, but it also reduces the development of blood clots, along with lowering both, blood pressure levels and the levels of bad or LDL cholesterol.
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How should you eat it?
Make a habit of eating at least one-two kiwifruits every day during their season. You can shop Californian kiwifruit during the months from October until May, while New Zealand kiwifruit can be shopped between the months April till November.
When you cut the kiwifruit, its enzymes get triggered and become activated. This tenderizes the flesh, hence, it is always important to cut it at last and eat it quickly after cutting. Remember, the riper the fruit, the greater antioxidant density it will provide!
10. Spinach
Anyone who’s watched Pop-eye the Sailor Man knows that spinach is essential to build up one’s strength, but how familiar are we with all its wondrous nutrient properties?
Research reveals that spinach is not only good for energizing the body and keeping us active but moreover, it is also essential for the optimal functioning of our brain. It shields our eye against all possible vision loss and sight-impairing diseases. And it also aids the body in eliminating and preventing the symptoms of several types of cancers, mainly prostate, breast and colon cancers.
Spinach also shields our heart against all kinds of damage, attacks, and strokes, along with reducing and regulating our blood pressure levels. Spinach is vital for the health of our bone structure, and its strong anti-inflammatory profile eliminates all signs of bloating from the body. Furthermore, spinach is also excellent for elevating the mood and reducing the symptoms of dementia.
Spinach is brimming with a power density of countless nutrients, such as Vitamins A, C, and K, calcium, folate, iron, and magnesium. Research reveals that spinach contains a carotenoid that holds the wondrous ability to not only eliminate prostate cancer cells but also prevent them from multiplying.
Several studies have highlighted that folate consumed through spinach enhances the health of the vascular system by reducing the levels of an amino acid, called homocysteine, which tends to increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes, cardiovascular dysfunction, and dementia every time its levels increase. Moreover, folate also plays a detrimental role in lowering the risk of contracting breast, colorectal and ovarian cancer, as it aids the body in preventing and blocking the uncontrollable growth of cancerous cells.
Another study revealed that spinach-derived beta-carotene and vitamin C shields the body against the signs of colon cancer, along with enhancing the health of the brain and eliminating all signs of inflammation.
Spinach is undoubtedly one of the richest sources of vitamin K, all you need is one cooked cup of spinach to load up 1,111% of your daily dosage requirement of this essential vitamin. It aids the body in strengthening our bone structure by allowing calcium to stay locked within our bones.
Spinach also packs up a generously rich density of lutein, an incredible nutrient that shields the body from age-induced macular degeneration, along with clearing up clogged arteries and walls by eliminating all traces of a cholesterol build-up, which also prevents the onset of a heart attack.
How should you eat it?
You must add up fresh spinach to all your meals, or at least one of your daily meals. You can buy it from anywhere regardless of your region, for this veggie is widely available throughout the year, and you can easily grow it in your own garden as well. Spinach is the most versatile green veggie, and you can devour it in countless delicious treats, you can steam it, grill it, fry it, sauté it or eat it raw if you like.
Spinach smoothies are a splendid trick to stay energized all day long, and the best part is, they also help fight obesity and lose those unwanted pounds protruding from the belly. Add in a couple bananas, berries, and coconut milk to enhance the taste.
11. Cabbage
Cabbage is undoubtedly the richest sources of Vitamin C and K, and all you need is one cup of cabbage to brim you up with a whopping 50% of vitamin C, 91% vitamin K, heaps of manganese, fiber, folate, vitamin B6 and countless other nutrients with no more than 33 calories. Most people think that oranges are the best source of vitamin C, well, cabbage provides 11% more vitamin C than oranges.
Cabbages are also brimming with a potent density of sulforaphane, an essential antioxidant that prevents and shields our body and DNA from the attacks of free radicals, along with enhancing the activity of enzymes that detoxify all carcinogens present within the body. Several studies have validated that this ability contributes to the power of cruciferous veggies to eliminate the risk of cancer better than any other food offered by nature.
Countless researchers have examined the effects of diets that are brimming with cruciferous veggies and revealed that they lead to reduced risks of several cancers, primarily lung, bladder, colon, ovarian and breast cancers. Cabbage also plays a detrimental role in strengthening our bone structure, eliminating signs of inflammation, enhancing our gastrointestinal health, and reducing allergic reactions.
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Cabbage juice has been scientifically proven as the best natural remedy to cure peptic ulcers as it contains a potently high glutamine profile. It also enhances the health of the cardiovascular system as it prevents the build-up of plaque within our blood vessels. Chinese herbalists and medical experts use cabbage to treat countless ailments, such as depression, common colds, constipation, coughs, irritability, mood swings and stomach ulcers. If you eat and use it as a poultice, cabbage helps in healing arthritis, bedsores, and varicose veins.
How should you eat it?
It is incredibly healthy to eat as much cabbage as you possibly can. A recent study revealed that women who devour at least four generous servings of cabbage every week cut down their risk for developing breast cancer by a whopping 72% as opposed to women who eat no more than one or no cabbage serving a week.
You can add sauerkraut to your daily diet, it contains all the nutrient profiles of cabbage, along with potently powerful probiotics that work wonders on enhancing the health of our digestive system. Be sure to use an entire cabbage, as the outer leaves, which we often discard, contain more calcium than the leaves inside.
Both, white and red cabbage varieties, are brimming with nutrients, however, red cabbage contains a much greater density of vitamin C and polyphenols, which shield our cells against cancer and oxidative stress.
12. Dandelion
Dandelions are those sneaky little weeds we blame for ruining our gardens, unbeknownst of the fact they have been used for their healing properties for hundreds of years in countless medicinal cultures throughout the world. All it takes is one cup of raw dandelion greens to brim us up with an astounding 535% of our daily dosage requirement of vitamin K and nearly 112% of our daily dosage requirement of vitamin A.
Dandelion greens are brimming with countless nutrients, such as potassium, vitamin C, iron, calcium, and fiber. It is one of the richest plant-based sources of vitamin A and the greatest source of beta-carotene amongst all the cruciferous and green veggies.
For centuries, this pesky weed herb has been used to heal kidney disorders and liver ailments such as jaundice, kidney stones, and cirrhosis. It has been scientifically proven as a remarkable natural remedy to treat hepatitis, especially hepatitis C, liver detoxification, and anemia. It is an incredibly healthy pick to enhance the functioning of the liver, and since poor liver functioning leads to several diseases, dandelion consumptions prevent indigestion, hepatitis, depression, and irritability.
Dandelion is a natural diuretic, and it works wonders at increases the output of urine, enhancing the strength of the digestive system, and flushing out all the damaging toxins and excessive salts from the kidneys. Several studies have linked the potassium content found in dandelion with the prevention of potassium-loss within the body, and it has been proven a much better alternative to pharmaceutical diuretics.
Research reveals that dandelion enhances the health of the digestive system by providing the body a subtle laxative effect, which improves the production of bile. Dandelion is rich in a natural soluble fiber, called inulin, which strengthens the digestion process by feeding the probiotic bacteria found in the intestines. Dandelion consumption has also been linked with an increase in the absorption of calcium, along with regulating and lowering blood sugar levels, which makes it highly essential to treat and prevent diabetes.
Dandelion roots and leaves are an excellent natural remedy to heal indigestion and heartburn symptoms. It also contains pectin, which works wonders at naturally relieving the symptoms of constipation, and thanks to its powerful vitamin C profile, dandelion also works to lower and regulate cholesterol levels. Several studies have validated the claim that dandelion is a remarkable remedy to eliminate the symptoms of water retention, edema and bloating, along with lowering and regulating high blood pressure levels.
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How should you eat it?
You should eat as much dandelion as you can, based on your personal eating preferences and the availability of this weed in your region. In most areas, dandelion greens are a rarity and extremely hard to find. And most people don’t like their pungent taste, while many can’t help but love it. It has a hard to acquire flavor but mixed with countless herbs and spices, you can turn it into a delicious delight.
Make them a regular part of your daily diet if you like their taste and you can find them fresh every morning. You can sauté dandelion greens and add them to your salads, or you can use their roots to make delicious bowls of nutritious soups. The leaves always taste bitter if you eat them raw, so it is better to steam them or marinate them with herbs.
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