The Most Nutritious Whole Foods

One often hears that you must eat healthy foods but have you ever wondered why or what they are? When we eat whole foods, we are getting food in its purest and natural state, fortified with all the beneficial nutrients, fiber, vitamins, and minerals sans any of the artificial preservatives, refinements or processing agents. If a parallel can be drawn it’s the simple difference between an apple and a can of apple juice! So what’s all the fuss about?

Well, whole foods are loaded with phytochemicals like flavonoids, carotenoids, and lycopene which act like antioxidants and protect cells against damage. The other benefit is that whole food is a lot cheaper and easier to find than its packaged variant.

Typically whole foods are confined to vegetables, fruits, and grains, below are some examples –

Raw carrots, cooked spinach, baked potato with skin, steamed broccoli , cooked green peas – loaded with Vitamin A, the compound retinol in it conserves and improves your eyesight as well as fights viral infections.

Raw sunflower seeds, Cooked yellow fin tuna/ black beans, cooked corn, oatmeal, sesame seeds, pineapple - bursting with Vitamin B1 also known as thiamine, it helps cells' enzyme systems convert oxygen into usable energy which sustains your energy, coordinates nerve and muscle activity, and keeps your heart healthy.

Raw sunflower seeds, Peanut butter, Roasted almonds, Olives, Papaya, Sweet potato chips – rich source of Vitamin E, prevents free radical damage, Alzheimer’s disease, prostate cancer

Chicken liver , Soybeans, Spinach, Tofu, Sesame seeds, Kidney beans, Lima beans, Beef tenderloin, Roast turkey – a great source of Iron, essential for oxygen transport, cell growth and immunity

Berries - low in calories, high in fiber, loaded with plant compounds that improve memory and help fight cancer.

Nuts – lowers the incidence of heart attack

Beans – a great source for high fiber content, believed to help live long

Raw milk – touted as one of the healthiest beverages

Wild salmon - omega-3 content and the presence of a powerful antioxidant called astaxathin

Cooked salmon, Raw sunflower seeds, Sesame seeds, Prickly pear , Cooked black beans, Roasted almonds, Cooked pinto beans, Cooked brown rice, Cooked scallops, Cooked summer squash – a rich form of  Magnesium, helps muscles and nerves to relax, strengthens bones and ensures healthy blood circulation

Broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, kale – the plant chemicals called indoles in them help reduce the risk of cancer.

Baked winter squash, Avocado, Pinto beans, Cooked lentils, Cooked beets, Fresh figs, Cooked brussels sprouts, Cantaloupe, Banana Tomato – abundant in Potassium, it balances electrolytes, keeps musces strong and lowers risk of high blood pressure

Apples - known to be a powerful anti-inflammatory and to have anti-cancer properties

Wild cooked oysters, cooed snapper, canned white tuna, in water, cooked halibut, Cooked shrimp, Roasted turkey breast, Broiled beef tenderloin, Grilled portobello mushrooms , Hard-boiled egg, Raw tofu – a generous dose of Selenium, it protect cells form radical damage, protect joints from inflammation

Pomegranate juice - slows the progression of certain cancers and improves sexual drive

Sesame seeds milk, Plain or vanilla soymilk , Low-fat yogurt , Cooked spinach, Part-skim mozzarella cheese, Nature's Path Optimum Slim cereal, Raw tofu, Cream cheese  - a good portion of your daily required Calcium nutrients come from these and it keeps your bones strong and healthy and heps blood clotting

Onions, garlic and shallots - its ability to lower the risk of heart disease is no secret.

The world's healthiest foods are whole foods, naturally fortified with all their rich and natural endowment of nutrients. They should not be processed nor should they contain synthetic, artificial or irradiated ingredients.