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9 Whole Foods To Fix What Ails You

We may not like it, but we all know that the best health prescription is NOT a double cheeseburger with fries, washed down with a chocolate shake. Or a Meat Lover's Supreme pizza with extra cheese and half a dozen glasses of coke. Truth: our cells need high-quality nourishment if they're going to stay healthy, so here are nine whole foods to give you energy, vitality and explosive health. It isn't just about how long we live, but how much we enjoy our time while we're here.

1. Fruits: when it comes to fruit, focus on eating a wide variety of colors. Fruits are loaded with antioxidants, those miraculous little goodies that fight cancer, aging and almost every ailment that tortures the human body. Free radicals are the culprits that cause so much misery for the human race and without teaching a chemistry lesson, know that their deadliest foes are the wonderful free radicals in fruit. Berries are especially powerful so eat all you want of blueberries, cherries, blackberries and cranberries. Your immune system and waistline will thank you!

2. Allium foods: these are the spicy foods that most of us love, like onions, garlic, leeks (a mild onion) and the popular green onions. Their benefits are numerous: they fight against cancer, lower blood pressure, prevent blood clots and lower cholesterol and thus reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke. They are most powerful when eaten raw, so mince a bit of garlic or onion and put it in your salad or on a sandwich. If you don't like the garlic odor, chew a stew of parsley, which is a powerhouse, itself.

3. Peppers: these colorful veggies come in a multitude of colors and are used in countless recipes - including my special favorite, the chipotle. Their strength varies, too, of course. Some, like the familiar green pepper are sweet and milk, while others require a fire extinguisher so that your mouth doesn't have blisters! All pepper contain "capsaicin" which acts as n anti-inflammatory, a pain reliever, lowers cancer risk and heart disease.

4. Beans: vegetarians know that beans (kidney, navy, lentils, chickpeas, Northern) are powerhouses of low-fat, high fiber protein. Lentils don't need soaking before cooking, but most other family members do, or you can boil them for a few minutes and then let them sit for an hour before cooking. Soaking will also help relieve any gas problem. Beans are plant protein so it contains very little fat, carbs and calories. If constipation is every a problem for you, beans are your answer because of their high fiber content.

5. Yogurt: some yogurts contain friendly bacteria to help promote a healthy digestive system and it's also loaded with calcium, Vitamin B, and protein. Let's be clear, though, that plain yogurt is healthy whereas all the yogurts loaded with calories and flavors are not ... like a "lime cheesecake" I saw recently. Delicious, absolutely, but a nutrition disaster because of all the sugar. If you choose plain yogurt you can add all kinds of goodies at home, and use a healthy sweetener like stevia.

6. Salmon: all fish are loaded with protein and help to build muscle, but salmon is especially rich in omega-3 fatty acids which reduce the risk of heart disease and other conditions like atherosclerosis. It's important to eat wild salmon, not farmed salmon, due to the toxins in fish that are raised inland.

7. Oatmeal: this centuries-old cereal grain is very filling so you won't want to eat again for quite some time. Your blood sugar won't be all over the map and your cholesterol will be lower with a steady supply of oatmeal. It's important to know that the instant kind, loaded with fake fruit or brown sugar, isn't the powerhouse that whole oats are. The longer it takes to cook your oatmeal, the greater your nutritional reward.

8. Flax seed: if you're interested in getting Omega-3 in your diet, you might want to consider flax seeds. Yes, salmon is great, but it's expensive and flax seeds are cheap. When eating fish, there is a danger of eating fish that have consumed mercury, among other horrid things. The oil in flax seeds in plant-based and much safer - especially if you use organic seeds, which we strongly recommend. In addition, flax contains omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids this potent combination fights high cholesterol, heart disease and diabetes. You can add this seed to smoothies, yogurt, cereal and pancake mix or a zillion other foods and not even notice you're eating them. Two caveats:

* Grind your seed yourself, rather than buying already-ground flax. The oil will get rancid and you won't get the benefits. I bought a coffee grinder for less than $10 and that's what I use.
* Secondly, this delicate oil is at least somewhat destroyed by heat so it's preferable to use them in uncooked foods.

9. Nuts and seeds: yes, nuts are high in fat so they're also high in calories. They help to lower cholesterol and, obviously, reduce your chances of strokes and heart attacks. Again, since they're loaded with oil, they're more potent when uncooked. I frequently eat yogurt with stevia, pecans and flaxseeds. Yum.

Any of these potent health-building whole foods will make you feel better and be more resistant to disease. Cool, huh?

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