The Super Ingredients
Good Fats
Good fats -- such as the monounsaturated ones found in avocados, olive oil, sesame seeds, and almonds -- may help your body absorb vitamins and disease-fighting phytochemicals and lower "bad" LDL cholesterol. They're also good for your heart. The polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids in oily fishes such as salmon and mackerel are anti-inflammatories and may protect you against cancer, heart disease, and stroke.
Colorful Produce
Red lycopene, in tomatoes and red bell peppers, reduces your risk for cardiovascular disease and some cancers. Same goes for orange beta-carotene (in carrots, mangoes, and sweet potatoes), which also protects against macular degeneration.
Bonus: Lutein and lycopene in both red and orange produce may diminish wrinkling. Powerful antioxidants in pomegranates may help lower cholesterol -- as may blueberries, which are such an antioxidant powerhouse that they may also protect against age-related vision loss, various cancers, and Alzheimer's. We know scientists who eat them every single day!
Anti-Inflammatories
The flavonoid quercetin, found in the skin of green and red apples, is a particularly strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory; ginger also has strong anti-inflammatory properties.
Healthy Whites
Chickpeas are a great source of folate, which protects against heart attacks by lowering blood homocysteine levels. Low-fat yogurt's active cultures may help with your immune response, and its calcium is good for your bones.
Surprising Greens
Beyond the leafy ones are asparagus, packed with heart-healthy folate, and green tea, whose flavonoids may reduce your risk of cancer, coronary artery disease, high LDL cholesterol, stroke, and hypertension.
Originally published in MORE magazine, May 2006.
