Food is important because it provides us with nutrients for energy and good health.

The right foods also boost happiness, increase mental functioning, helps maintain the appropriate body weight and prevent specific illnesses.

Foods contains many components that influence health. Fruits and vegetables contain many vitamins and minerals that are essential for the body’s systems to function properly. They also contain antioxidants, which reduce the risk of cancer. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains contain fiber, which provides additional protection from cancer as well as diabetes and heart disease. Dairy products provide calcium and other minerals, which increase bone strength and promote healthy teeth.

Everyday Health adds that proteins in foods are essential for tissue growth and repair. Without adequate protein, children do not grow properly, and adults grow weak from injuries. Protein is found in meats, beans, nuts and many other foods. Healthy fats from oils and nuts provide protection against dementia and promote healthy skin, hair and nails.

The body’s organs and systems start functioning poorly without adequate food intake. The heart weakens, which sometimes leads to an irregular heartbeat. The digestive system slows down. Bones become weak, and the brain has trouble thinking clearly, paying attention and regulating moods.

I wanted to share with you 9 foods that can help if you can add them into your daily diet.

 

1 – Apples are an excellent source of antioxidants, which combat free radicals. Free radicals are damaging substances generated in the body that cause undesirable changes and are involved in the aging process and some diseases.

An antioxidant found in apples (polyphenols) might extend lifespan.

2 – Almonds are rich in nutrients, including magnesium, vitamin E, iron, calcium, fiber. They may help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Almonds have more fiber than any other tree nut.

The fatty acid profile of almonds, which is made up of 91-94% unsaturated fatty acids, may partly explain why it helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels

3 – Broccoli is rich in fibre, calcium, potassium, folate and phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are compounds which reduce the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. Broccoli also contains vitamin C, as well as beta-carotene, an antioxidant.

A single 100 gram serving of broccoli can provide you with over 150 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C, which in large doses can potentially shorten the duration of the common cold.

4 – Blueberries are rich in fibre, antioxidants and phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are natural chemicals found in plants. Unlike minerals and vitamins that are also found in plant foods, phytonutrients are not essential for keeping us alive. However, they may help prevent disease and keep the body working properly.

Elderly people who eat plenty of blueberries (and strawberries) are less likely to suffer from cognitive decline, compared to other people of their age who do not. Regular blueberry consumption can  (high blood pressure)

 

5 – Oily fish Examples of oily fish include salmon, trout, mackerel, herring, sardines and anchovies. These types of fish have oil in their tissues and around the gut. Their lean fillets contain up to 30% oil, specifically, omega-3 fatty acids. These oils are known to provide benefits for the heart, as well as the nervous system.

Oily fish are also known to provide benefits for patients with inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis. Oily fish also contain vitamins A and D.

6 – Leafy green vegetables Studies have shown that a high intake of dark-leafy vegetables, such as spinach or cabbage may significantly lower a person’s risk of developing diabetes type 2.

Spinach, for example, is very rich in antioxidants, especially when uncooked, steamed or very lightly boiled. It is a good source of vitamins A, B6, C, E and K, as well as selenium, niacin, zinc, phosphorus, copper, folic acid, potassium, calcium, manganese, betaine, and iron.

7 – Sweet potatoes rich in dietary fiber, beta carotene, complex carbohydrates, vitamin C, vitamin B6, as well as carotene (the pink, yellow ones).

The Center for Science in the Public Interest, USA, compared the nutritional value of sweet potatoes to other vegetables.17 The sweet potato ranked number one, when vitamins A and C, iron, calcium, protein and complex carbohydrates were considered.

8 – Avocados many people avoid avocados because of its high fat content; they believe that avoiding all fats leads to better health and easier-to-control body weight – this is a myth. Approximately 75% of the calories in an avocado come from fat; mostly monosaturated fat.

Rich in B vitamins, as well as vitamin K and vitamin E, also have a very high fiber content of 25% soluble and 75% insoluble fiber. Studies have shown that regular avocado consumption lowers blood cholesterol levels.

9 – Oatmeal is meal made from rolled or ground oats. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, the term “porridge” or “porridge oats” are common terms for the breakfast cereal that is usually cooked.

Interest in oatmeal has increased considerably over the last twenty years because of its health benefits.

If you eat a bowl of oatmeal everyday your blood cholesterol levels, especially if they are too high, will drop, because of the cereal’s soluble fiber content. When Oats is rich in complex carbohydrates, as well as water-soluble fiber, which slow digestion down and stabilize levels of blood-glucose.

Oatmeal is very rich in B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, folate, and potassium.