An email in my inbox caught my eye earlier this morning; USA Men's Health pick of the 10 top foods to live a longer life. Below are my favourites out of the 10 and are foods that I think we are quite capable of incorporating into our daily diet. These superfoods truly do have super powers; they can fight diseases, lower cholesterol and blood sugar and boost your metabolism.
Almonds are the chosen nut, as around 28 grams (1 ounce) of almonds will supply your body with almost 9 grams of heart-healthy oleic acid. Peanuts, walnuts and cashews unfortunately do not stack up in this department. Almonds contain monounsaturated fat in the form of oleic acid, which is proven to improve memory (many studies on rats being feed oleic acid has confirmed this). Snacking on almonds also make you feel fuller for longer, as a quarter of the calories in almonds come from protein and fibre.
Capsicum. Who can go past these brightly coloured red, yellow, orange and green vegetables? These colours are not just for show; they are the result of concentrated carotenoids, organic pigments found in plants and vegetables which have a bucketload of benefits. These include a decreased risk of many types of cancer, increased immune function, protection against sun damage and a heightened communication between body cells. People who consume food containing carotenoids regularly also have a substantially lower mortality from several chronic illnesses. Fun fact - these carotenoids are what give carrots, grapefruit and tomatoes their vivid hues. The cousin of capsicum, chilli, is also loaded with carotenoids as well as vitamin C. Chilli has the added benefit of containing capsaicins, a type of natural chemical that boosts metabolism, battles headaches and reduces arthritis pain.
Eggs are not everyone's cup of tea and I can understand that. However, if you don't mind these little babies I'd read on. Eggs contain only 72 calories and are filled with 6.3 grams of protein and essential nutrients. Many surveys and studies have been conducted concerning eggs, with overwhelming results. A study that was published in the International Journal of Obesity revealed that people who swapped carbohydrates for eggs at breakfast lost weight 65% quicker than people who stuck to toast and cereal. Studies in Michigan demonstrated that frequent egg eaters had much vitamins and minerals in their diets than non or irregular egg eaters. Surveys of over 25,000 people found that egg eaters were half as likely to be lacking in vitamin B12, 35 % less likely to be insufficient in vitamin E and 24% less likely to be deficient in vitamin A. And here's some data to blow the common argument that the yolk of eggs contains too much cholesterol out of the water. Participants who ate four eggs a week had substantially lower cholesterol levels than people who ate fewer than one.
Avocados. They so often get portrayed as full of fat and therefore become a food to avoid. The truth is this; more than half of the calories in avocados come from one of the world's most healthiest fats, monounsaturates. These fats are different from saturated fats, as they contain one double-bonded carbon atom. I know that this slight difference seems minuscule, however this individuality at the molecular level results a much healthier food. Monounsaturated fats have been proven to lower the number of triglycerides (other types of fat) in your blood stream as well as improving your cholesterol profile, which in turn can potentially decrease the risk of stroke and heart disease. Concerned about weight gain from eating avocados? There is no proven link between monounsaturated fats and body fat, so go ahead and enjoy this creamy green fruit.
Grapefruit is a food that I wanted to include on my condensed list, as I did not know much about it before reading this article. To be honest I've only ever eaten a grapefruit on a few occasions, however North America seems to have been preaching its health benefits for years. Here's why; this fruit is packed with lycopene, a cancer-preventing antioxidant (also found in tomatoes). In a study of 100 obese participants conducted in California, those who consumed half a grapefruit with each meal lost an average of 1.63 kilograms (3.6 pounds) over 12 weeks, with some participants losing as much as 4.54 kilograms (10 pounds). In comparison, the study's control group lost only 0.23 kilograms (1/2 a pound). In addition, grapefruit can reduce insulin levels, which was proven by the participants' increased ability to metabolise sugar. If you cannot face eating a grapefruit by itself, try to incorporate it into a green juice or into a salad packed with many other ingredients.
To conclude; I hope I have left you with some facts to ponder and potentially a slightly altered / extended shopping list!
x Emily
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