10 Best Health Foods You Generally Tend to Ignore!

Healthy SuperFoods

We all know the importance of eating healthy food, and yet when we are shopping for groceries, 8 times out of 10 our hand reaches out for some high-fat “junk” food that will satisfy our cravings, but do very little good to our body. Its funny how our emotional senses can tune out the wise voice coming from our conscience, and that’s why its very important to train your brain to make the right choice as much as possible. On the bright side, healthy foods do not always have to be boring foods, they lie all around you, you just have to identify them and find a recipe to cook them in a delicious way so both you and your body will look forward to it.

Nutritionist and author Jonny Bowden has created several lists of healthful foods people should be eating but are probably not, partly due to ignorance, and partly because some of these are very hard to find! But luckily for us, he has an updated health food list, with some favorite foods that are easy to find all year round. Here are the top 10 Best Health Foods that we often fail to include in our diet; so read the list, and remember to get them on your next trip to the grocery store!

Beetroot – Think of beetroot as red spinach; being a rich source of folate as well as natural red pigments, they are great in fighting cancers. They also purify blood, and due to the fiber content, keep you fuller for a longer time. Add them to your salads, or mix with carrots and oranges to make Beetroot Juice.

Cabbage– Loaded with nutrients like sulforaphane, a chemical said to boost cancer-fighting enzymes, and with all the nutrition-rich content of leafy greens, this is a great every-day food! Make an Indian-style Cabbage Curry, or use as a sidde salad, or as Asian thai rolls.

Cinnamon – Often neglected, Cinnamon helps control blood sugar and cholesterol level. Sprinkle it on your coffee or mix it with some oatmeal or pancake recipe.

Pomegranate juice – This is the best kind of juice, after cranberrry juice probably, that is loaded with anti-oxidants, and helps lower the blood pressure. So get a bottle of POM instead of some falvored juice next time!

Prunes – They are packed with antioxidants, and their hard fibrous skin helps keep your bowels clean. It also eases the digestion process, and fills you up easily. Add then to your salads, use them as a light snack, or blend with milk to form a Date/Pruen Shake.

Pumpkin seeds – The most nutritious part of the pumpkin are the seeds which are packed with magnesium; high levels of the mineral are associated with lower risk for early death. Roasted as a snack, or sprinkled on salad, they are great for preventing wrinkles and saggy skin.

Sardines – Often the most neglected, Dr. Bowden calls them the “health food in a can” They are high in omega-3’s, contain virtually no mercury and are loaded with calcium. They also contain iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper and manganese as well as a full complement of B vitamins. Choose sardines packed in olive or sardine oil. Eat plain, mixed with salad, or in spreads.

Turmeric– The “superstar of spices”,it may have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Mix with scrambled eggs or in any vegetable dish; all Indian recipes mostly use turmeric; it also makes your skin glow, as an added incentive!

Frozen Blueberries– Even though freezing can degrade some of the nutrients in fruits and vegetables, frozen blueberries are available year-round and don’t spoil; associated with better memory in animal studies.
Use them in pancakes or smoothies, or make some delicious blueberry desserts instead!

Canned pumpkin – A low-calorie vegetable that is high in fiber and immune-stimulating vitamin A, pumpkin is a food that fills you up on very few calories. Mix with a little butter, cinnamon and nutmeg, or try a Pumpkin Bisque for a delectable recipe!

Almost all foods have some nutrients that we do not know about. While a few are always on our radar, this is a list of foods we tend to ignore more often than not. So try getting a bunch of these on your next visit to the supermarket; after all, it’s never late to start indulging in Health Foods, right?!