6 Powerful Health-Boosting Foods

As you may have heard, it’s recommended that you get your nutrients from whole foods rather than supplements. Eat a wide variety of delicious fresh foods in a rainbow of colors to get the maximum antioxidants and other disease-fighting nutrients. A few foods are true standouts, packing in exceptional amounts of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, including plant compounds called phytochemicals that can help to lower your risk of numerous ailments, including cancer and heart disease. Here are some top nutrient-packed foods to incorporate into your meal plans.


1.     Tomatoes: Studies show that eating tomato products may reduce prostate cancer risk, and the
US Food and Drug Administration now allows tomatoes and tomato-based products, like tomato sauce, to carry that health claim. The key ingredient: a powerful antioxidant called lycopene, also found in pink and red grapefruit and guava.

2.     Spinach and other dark leafy greens: Research shows that eating dark leafy greens, like spinach, kale and Swiss chard (which are technically cruciferous vegetables), may help maintain good health by reducing one’s risk of heart disease and stroke, some cancers and several other illnesses. Dark leafy greens are rich in beta-carotene, folate, and vitamins C, E, and K, which help protect against free radicals (unstable molecules that can damage cells). Regularly eating dark leafy greens may help to lower blood pressure and cholesterol and promote normal eyesight.

3.     Walnuts: Like all nuts, walnuts are a great source of protein, fiber and healthy fats. Unlike other nuts, however, walnuts are high in heart-healthy omega-3 oils, which have been shown to have antioxidant properties. Enjoy up to 15 walnuts a day as part of your nut/seed allotment. Other sources of omega-3s include flaxseed and, of course, oily fish, like salmon and sardines.

4.     Blueberries: Studies show that a number of compounds in blueberries, including pigment-producing anthocyanins, are powerful in helping prevent cancer. Anthocyanins may also protect against hypertension (high blood pressure). In addition, blueberries may help prevent cataracts and the short-term memory loss associated with aging. Other berries have antioxidants in smaller quantities.

5.     Pomegranates: These fruits are high in flavonoids, which are antioxidants also found in red wine and cocoa. Recent studies show that pomegranate juice may help protect against heart disease.

6.     Sweet potatoes: An outstanding source of carotenoids (including beta-carotene), as well as vitamin C, calcium and potassium, sweet potatoes can help reduce LDL cholesterol, lower high blood pressure, fight cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, and boost your resistance to colds and infections. Other good sources of beta-carotene are carrots and apricots.

Source:
http://www.southbeachdiet.com/sbd/publicsite/six-superfoods.aspx?xid=nl_TheSouthBeachDietTMNewsletter_20110324

Diets vs. Exercise: Which Is More Effective?

The mechanics of weight loss seem pretty simple: Burn more calories than you consume. So why are there so many contradicting theories and opinions on how to achieve weight loss? One specific area of confusion is which is more important for weight loss—diet or exercise.  Certainly using both leads to the greatest success, but does either diet or exercise have a greater impact than the other?

To help answer this question we can look to members of the National Weight Control Registry. This group consists of people who have lost significant weight and kept it off successfully for a minimum of one year. Of these successful individuals, 89% use a combination of diet and exercise, 10% have had success using diet alone, and 1% use exercise alone.  These numbers definitely demonstrate the importance of using both diet and exercise for weight-loss success.

Another statistic that helps shed some light on the question is that only about 5% of dieters are successful maintaining long-term weight loss. Most people experience “weight cycling,” regaining about one-third of the weight being within 1 year and the rest of the weight within 3–5 years.

Photo Credit: Lululemon Athletica

So diet alone may not be a long term solution. But what about exercise? Well, exercise might not be the end-all either. Consider how much easier it is to consume a meal at a restaurant (which averages 1,000–1,500 calories) than to run 10–15 miles (an average-size person burns 100 calories/mile). It is much less demanding, time-consuming, and tiresome to pay attention to what you are eating. However, exercise improves your fitness, increases your metabolism, increases energy, improves mood and helps to fight diabetes. So there are many benefits to exercise that definitely help in the weight-loss battle.

Also, it is important to remember when trying to fight the battle of the bulge that most people overestimate the amount of calories they are burning by about 30% and underestimates the amount of calories they are consuming by about 30%. So keeping track of your activity and your food intake is important and very helpful for weight-loss success.

The method for achieving weight loss is simple. The method is known as “energy balance.” Simply stated, you will lose weight when you burn more calories than you consume. The best way to do this is by combining a diet and exercise. In other words, to improve your health and lose weight, eat less and exercise more.
Do you have a personal experience with diet and exercise? Sound off below!
Sources:

• WebMd: http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/exercise-and-weight-loss-five-truths?page=3
• The National Weight Control Registry: www.nwcr.ws
• About.com: www.exercise.about.com/od/weightloss/a/shortcuts.htm
• Women’s Health Magazine: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/exercise-and-diet