Superfoods To The Rescue

By Che Mayo Guevara

Whether you include them in your main meals, snack on them or sip them, there are some foods that provide amazing health benefits. These are known as superfoods.

BLUEBERRIES 

Chock-full of vitamin C, potassium and antioxidants, blueberries are great for your heart and circulation, and they will help lower your risk for heart disease and cancer. Put some in your cereal or yogurt.

SOYBEANS 

Packed with protein, B vitamins, iron and calcium, soybeans are a nutritional powerhouse. Eat soy in the form of tofu, edamame and soy milk-and you'll decrease your risk for certain cancers, heart disease and kidney disease.

WALNUTS 

Walnuts have a lot of antioxidants and disease-fighting omega-3 fatty acids, which means that they lower heart disease risk and might help improve memory.

AVOCADOS 

Packed with potassium and vitamins A, E, B, and C, avocados are also rich in antioxidants. They are excellent for your heart and especially good for your skin. Add some slices to a turkey sandwich or make some guacamole.

DARK CHOCOLATE 

Eat chocolate with 60% or higher cocoa content-the darker it is, the better it is for you. Packed with polyphenols (a type of antioxidant), dark chocolate helps your heart, gives you energy, lowers blood pressure and may improve memory. Just remember that chocolate often has a high fat and sugar content and can be bad for your teeth.

Rainbow Eating

Eat Red (and Pink) 

• Strawberries, red grapes and raspberries are packed with anthocyanins-antioxidants that keep hearts healthy and protect cells. 

• Strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes and red peppers are great sources of vitamin C. 

• Red tomatoes, pink grapefruits and watermelons have lycopene, an antioxidant that may reduce your risk for cancer.

Eat Orange 

• Sweet potatoes, pumpkins, cantaloupe and carrots all contain beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A has been associated with a lower risk for lung cancer.

Eat Green 

• Leafy greens like spinach, broccoli and kale are great sources of folate, a B vitamin that protects your heart. Also try asparagus and kiwi fruits.

Eat Blue (and Purple) 

• Blueberries, blackberries and eggplant all contain antioxidants known as anthocyanins, which give them their rich colors and also help your brain stay healthy. Concord grapes are another food in this group.

FACT: Goji berries are cherry-like berries that have been used as medicine in Tibet for 2,000 years- are thought to boost your circulation, protect your liver, improve your vision and help you live longer.