Top 5 Affordable Foods To Invest In Your Health
$2.4 trillion. That is the amount spent on health care treatment according to the American Psychological Association
As a nutrition educator, my goal is to teach people about the power of foods. To me, a tomato is not just a tomato. Tomatoes contain Lycopene, it's that red pigment that you see in watermelon and bell peppers, grapefruit, and purple cabbage. These plant foods are high in antioxidants and can prevent and even slow down the progression of the common cancers we see today such as breast and prostate.
Mental health and stress reduction is another topic I like to discuss with my clients because it is just as important as nutrition. You can be eating all the right foods but if you are constantly in a state of stress and anxiety your body will not properly absorb and digest those foods. Your food and mood go hand in hand and you will never achieve your health goals if you don’t put these two into balance.
Now more than ever we should be eating as healthy as we can and we should be making our mental health a priority. You don’t always needs to start with a fancy diet or detox. It’s always a good idea to just start with incorporating a few of these healthy foods into your diet and lifestyle and you will almost instantly feel lighter, less stressed, and your belly will be happy. It will be an easy transition to living a well rounded healthy lifestyle.
Whether you’re looking to lose the quarantine 15, maintain a healthy weight, and slim waist, or looking to live a longer, healthier, and happier life, these are the top foods I recommend that will give you a lifetime of results.
1. Apples
An apple a day really does keep the doctor away. Apples contain quercetin, phytochemicals that can only be found in plant foods. Quercetin can increase the amount of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine in the brain, working much like a natural anti-depressant.
2. Kale
Kale is loaded with fiber, antioxidants, calcium, vitamins, and it also contains quercetin. Eating kale regularly can prevent diabetes, heart disease, and even some cancers. Kale is also loaded with calcium and can help with bone health. Being high in fiber it can even help with digestion and keep you more regular.
Also, who doesn’t want healthy skin and hair? Kale contains heaps of beta-carotene, vitamins A and C, the vitamins that are necessary for the growth and maintenance of all body tissues, including the skin and hair.
Just one cup of cooked kale provides at least 20% of a person’s daily need for vitamin A and over 23% of the daily requirement for vitamin C.
3. Berries
Boost your health with berries. This little variety of gems are not only good for your heart but they are packed with fiber, a nutrient important for a healthy digestive system, and they are loaded with antioxidants.
Berries contain polyphenols, which can increase levels of nitric oxide, a molecule that produces a number of heart-healthy effects. One is helping to relax blood vessels, which eventually results in lowered blood pressure. When you maintain a healthy blood pressure level you are essentially taking care of your body and mind.
Incorporating just 1/4 cup of berries a day can make a difference in your future healthy self.
4. Green tea
There are many ways you can drink green tea today but whether you like an iced matcha latte or a simple hot green tea, the health benefits are great.
Dr. Kristi Funk who is a world-renowned breast cancer surgeon who has devoted her life to saving the lives of others and bringing hope to patients by teaching them the benefits of a plant-based diet. According to Dr. Funk, She calls tea “liquid gold” and recommends three cups a day (which has the same caffeine content as one cup of coffee).
Here’s a wild stat: Drinking that much tea a day can reduce breast cancer by as much as 50 percent, according to a 2001 study
5. Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Common advice on nutrition and depression is to increase the consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, generally through fatty fish. While the anti-inflammatory effects of omega-3 fatty acids are valid, evidence supports that a diet free of fish and all animal products is optimal for mood improvement.
Even though fish contain healthy EPA and DHA fats, they also contain unhealthy fats. Dietary EPA and DHA intake failed to compensate for the harmful effects of arachidonic acid, cholesterol, and saturated fat.
Since a well-planned vegan diet contains alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which the body is able to convert into EPA and DHA, there is no need to consume it from animal sources.
Plant sources of ALA include walnuts, flax seeds, chia seeds, and leafy green vegetables.
$2.4 trillion. That is the amount spent on health care treatment according to the American Psychological Association.
$187.8 billion. The cost of mental health and substance abuse disorders.
$231.1 billion. Cardiovascular diseases.
$224.5 billion. Diabetes, urogenital, blood, and endocrine disorders.
$101.3 billion. Neurological diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease.
Eating and living a healthy lifestyle is not expensive, treatment after not having proper nutrition is what’s expensive.
Health is wealth, take care.
