Healthy Eating

A hectic lifestyle makes it easy to skip a meal or just grab less-than-nutritious food on the run. But a busy day doesn’t have to stand in the way of great health. Real food should always be your primary source of nutrients. Keep these 10 foods on hand at all times, and you'll be able to make a delicious meal or snack that will keep your energy up and your immune system strong.

Berries:

• They're high in vitamin and fiber content.
• They're an excellent source of antioxidants, compounds that protect our bodies from the stress of day to day living. The antioxidant anthocyanin has triple the stress-fighting power of vitamin C and is known to block cancer-causing damage as well as the effects of many age-related diseases.
• They give your memory a boost. The antioxidants in berries are believed to enhance brain function.
• Fresh berries are kind to the waistline; they are naturally high in water and low in calories. Dried berries also provide excellent nutrition, but since most of the water is missing, their calories are more concentrated and you’ll usually wind up eating more of them.

Citrus

• Citrus juice contains flavonoids, a phytonutrient that lowers the body's production of cholesterol, inhibits blood clot formation and boosts the bang of vitamin C.
• They’re also loaded with soluble fiber which lowers cholesterol, maintains healthy blood sugar levels, and helps you to manage your weight.
• That explosion of scent that erupts when you grate a citrus peel is produced by limonene, an oil found in the peel that might inhibit a variety of cancers.

Vegetables

• Orange and yellow-hued veggies like winter squash, carrots and sweet potatoes and leafy greens contain carotenoids, a pigment our body converts to vitamin A. Eating lots of these vegetables will help maintain healthy skin and hair, protect against prostate cancer, promote healthy vision and even provide protection from sunburn.
• Lycopene, the plant chemical responsible for the ruby red of tomatoes and watermelon, is believed to fight cancer and promote heart health.
• Green vegetables like broccoli and spinach are sky-high in potent anti-cancer compounds like sulforaphane and quercitin.
• Although garlic and onions may lack the vibrant colors of other vegetables, they contain diallyl sulfide and saponins, compounds that add distinctive flavors to our recipes and fight cancer and heart disease.

Whole Grains

• They’re delicious, inexpensive and packed with protein, B vitamins, minerals and fiber.
• Grains contain many of the same antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables.
• Research shows a diet high in whole grains may help prevent heart disease, some cancers, obesity and diabetes.

Salmon

• They reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.
• They minimize the symptoms of arthritis and inflammatory diseases.
• They contribute to healthy skin and hair.
• They may help with depression.

Don’t love fish? You can get your omega-3s from flaxseed, walnuts, almonds and grass-fed beef, although the oils are of a lesser nutritional quality than the those found in seafood.

Legumes

• Legumes are rich in folic acid, calcium, iron, potassium, zinc and antioxidants.
• Their high protein and complex carbohydrates provide steady energy that lasts for hours.
• They are especially high in soluble fiber, and a daily serving of cooked beans may lower blood cholesterol by as much as 18 percent, decreasing the risk of heart disease.
• Most legumes also contain protease inhibitors, compounds thought to suppress cancer cells and slow tumor growth.
• And then there are the prebiotics in beans, substances that aid in beneficial bacteria growth in the intestine.
• All legumes, and especially soy, are important in vegetarian diets for their high protein content.

Nuts and Seeds

• Almonds, pecans and pistachios are rich in protein.
• Walnuts contain omega-3 fatty acids.
• Toss sesame seeds in a meal for extra calcium and vitamin E.
• Sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds are particularly good sources of phytosterols, also known as plant sterols, which promote heart health.

Lean Proteins

• Protein is crucial for tissue repair, building and preserving muscle, and making important enzymes and hormones.
• Lean meats and dairy contribute valuable minerals like calcium, iron, selenium and zinc. These are not only essential for building bones, and forming and maintaining nerve function, but also for fighting cancer, forming blood cells and keeping immune systems robust.

Tea

• All true teas contain polyphenols, powerful antioxidants believed to protect against heart disease, certain cancers and stroke.
• The various levels of fermentation affect teas in different ways. Recent studies have shown drinking green tea might boost metabolism, oolong teas can lower blood sugar, and black teas can promote oral health.
• Tea contains half the caffeine of coffee.

Olive Oil

• Olive oil is an excellent source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats that may lower the bad cholesterol and raise the good cholesterol.
• It contains Vitamin E and antioxidants.
• It's an excellent replacement for unhealthy saturated fats like butter.