Top 12 Healthiest Foods and Why

Top 12 Healthiest Foods and Why

Here are perhaps, the most nutritionally dense, bang-for-your-buck super foods nature has to offer. If you can aim to get these amazing foods into your diet on a weekly basis, you’ll be doing very self a favor.  There are many more powerful foods naturally available, but here are the 12 highlights!

1. Organic Pastured (not pasteurized) Eggs

Free range or pastured eggs are a relatively inexpensive and amazing source of high-quality nutrients that many people’s diet are deficient , especially high-quality protein and fat. Just one egg contains nine essential amino acids, the highest quality protein you can find, namely choline for your brain, nervous and cardiovascular systems and naturally occurring B12.

2. Kale

Kale is an inexpensive vegetable that can help ease lung congestion, and is beneficial to your stomach, liver, and immune system. It's an excellent source of multiple vitamins and other nutrients including: vitamin A, B, and C, calcium, and iron.

3. Wild Alaskan Salmon

In general, fish is the absolutely most recommended food for  outstanding nutritional benefits, including high levels of omega-3 with DHA and EPA, which most people are desperately lacking in their diets. Wild Alaskan Salmon is loaded with essential animal-based omega-3 fats (EPA and DHA), antioxidants and high quality protein.

4. Grass-Fed Organic Kefir

Kefir or made from grass-fed milk is an excellent way to boost your immunity and increase your daily energy. Kefir is a fermented food that is full of healthful bacteria (probiotics). In ancient times, food preservation was accomplished through fermentation, a process that adds a ton of beneficial micro-organisms to food. This makes them easier to digest, and increases the healthy flora in your gut. The importance of maintaining healthy balanced gut flora simply cannot be overstated. 

5. Avocado

Avocados are an excellent source of healthful fat. Most American diets are deficient in this fat. Avocados also provide quite a few very healthful nutrients including, fiber, potassium (twice the amount of a banana), Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid.

6. Organic Coconut Oil

Half of the fat content in coconut oil is lauric acid—a fat rarely found in nature—that could easily qualify as a "miracle" ingredient because of its unique health promoting properties. Your body converts lauric acid into monolaurin, which has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-protozoa properties.

Your body sends medium-chain fatty acids directly to your liver to use as energy. This makes coconut oil a powerful source of instant energy to your body, a function usually served in the diet by simple carbohydrates.  Additionally, research has demonstrated that, due to its metabolic effect, coconut oil also increases the activity of your thyroid. And you've probably heard that a sluggish thyroid is one reason why some people are unable to lose weight, no matter what they do…

Coconut oil is the ideal choice for all types of cooking. In fact, it's the only oil stable enough to resist mild heat-induced damage. So, whenever you need an oil to cook or bake with, use coconut oil instead of butter, olive oil, vegetable oil, margarine, or any other type of oil called for in recipes. 

7. Blueberries

Though all berries contain beneficial amounts of fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants, blueberries contain the most potent antioxidants. They’re also quite high in fiber and relatively low in calories.

8. Organic Grass-Fed Butter

Butter made from grass-fed milk can be a very healthy part of your diet. It's an excellent source of high quality nutrients, including vitamin A, copper, selenium, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and healthful fats that boost metabolism and are required for healthy brain and skin function.

9. Grass-fed Beef

A six-ounce portion of grass-fed beef contains between 2 and 6 times the Omega-3 fats of regular beef and averages about 100 fewer calories. Grass-fed beef is a great natural source of protein and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Grass-fed beef is raised in superior conditions to regular factory-farmed steer.

10. Macadamia Nuts

Most nuts and seeds are naturally very healthy (keep in mind that a peanut is not a nut). But macadamia nuts – particularly raw and organic – are among the healthiest, offering protein, fiber, and many other vitamins and minerals. They also offer the best ratio of omega-3 (good fat) to omega-6 (bad fat) ratio of any nut! Nuts, especially macadamia nuts are great for snacking on instead of other sugary, processed junk foods!

11. Broccoli

Broccoli is incredibly rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, yet low in calories. Top with grass-fed butter to enhance taste! Best, of course, if eaten raw.

12. Whey protein

Whey protein is a by-product of milk and cheese. Whey protein concentrate is an ideal choice as it's a rich source of amino acids. It's also the best food for maximizing your glutathione levels. Glutathione is your body's most powerful antioxidant and is "the master antioxidant." When shopping for a whey protein, focus on quality. A high-quality whey protein must be derived from grass-fed cows, cold pressed, free of hormones, chemical-free, free of artificial sweeteners and sugar.

Beware that many commercial whey protein powders are significantly damaged and nutritionally deficient due to over-processing and many of them contain heavy metals.

written by: Andrew Terman