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The 5 Greatest Foods For Your Health
By Todd | September 27, 2007
At the Institute for Integrative Nutrition I was taught that there is no such thing as a good or bad food. My teachers explained that what makes some foods “evil” and others pristine has nothing to do with their individual morality and everything to do with how we use them.
After reading hundreds of books on food and attending dozens of lectures from some of the top minds in health and nutrition, I still hold this belief to be true.
However there are a few messages about food types that seem to be universal, even among differing branches of belief. In this article, I am providing what I believe to be the 5 healthiest foods for human health based on the theory of least resistance—meaning almost everyone who has written a book or considers himself/herself an expert in nutrition has no gripe with these foods:
1) SEA VEGETABLES, or “seaweed”
Quite frankly, sea vegetables are the most misunderstood and under-utilized food in Western culture! There are approximately 90 minerals identified in modern nutrition and ALL of them are represented in seaweed. Sea vegetables are higher in vitamins and minerals than every other food on the planet ounce for ounce; they contain 20-200% more minerals than land-based vegetables. Seaweed holds high levels of Vitamins C, D, K and B and has more Vitamin A than carrots.
Seaweed is also very rich in protein and strengthens the kidneys and nervous system. When eaten consistently, sea vegetables calm hyperactivity, reduce stress and are excellent for the thyroid gland. People complain about the taste and the general rule of thumb with seaweed is this: the worse it tastes for you, the more you need it. Dulse, Kelp and Nori are excellent types.
2) CACAO
Chocolate originates from a bean called “Cacao”, and is one of the most complex food substances on earth. According to Healing with Natural Foods author Paul Pitchford Cacao has over 300 chemically identifiable compounds. Energetics of Food author Eric Gagne claims raw chocolate has 700 naturally occurring chemicals and almost everyone agrees Cacao is one of the highest anti-oxidant foods on the planet (including the New York Times)!
This is beneficial because antioxidants fight “free radical cells” which cause inflammation and disease in our bodies. Cacao also contains 10x more magnesium and chromium than any other food in the world. Magnesium is the most important mineral for our health activating over 350 processes, according to Pitchford. So YES, chocolate is extremely healthy, just make sure to buy raw and organic chocolate from a health food store. An excellent way to integrate this food into your diet is by adding it to health shakes.
3) QUINOA
Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-WA) is an ancient whole grain, and has been consumed by people for more than 8,000 years. Quinoa has the highest nutritional profile of all grains. It contains high levels of dietary fiber and B Vitamins and has all 8 essential amino acids. Whole grains are some of the best sources for nutritional support, providing long-lasting energy (as a result of the body absorbing them slowly unlike simple carbs).
Quinoa is high in zinc, potassium, calcium and Vitamin E and is known to strengthen the kidney and heart!
4) KALE
It is well-known that leafy green vegetables are extremely nutritious and jam-packed with a wide array of vitamins. Energetically speaking, leafy greens contain a high concentration of chlorophyll, the “life-blood” of our planet…and Kale is the king of them! It’s never surprising to see studies on diet and disease that say “vegetables—especially green leafy vegetables—are associated with a lower risk of…” as they have a high concentration of Vitamins A, C and K, folate, potassium, magnesium, iron, lutein and phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are components of fruits or vegetables that may help to prevent disease, and perhaps even help to treat some disorders.
Kale goes a step further and is also an incredible source of calcium, folic acid, vitamin B6, manganese, and potassium. For a green, Kale is unusually high in fiber and in many ways is a true superfood, and certainly one of the most nutritious foods known to man!
5) BERRIES
According to raw food extraordinaire David Wolfe, berries are the most natural food for human consumption and a cleanser for the human body. We spend so much time thinking about what we put in our bodies we forget the importance of what comes out (David Wolfe calls himself the world’s biggest “gastronaut”…I love it)! Furthermore, berries are a wonderful source of Vitamins C, E, calcium and folic acid and are rich in phytochemicals.
Berries are also an excellent source of dietary fiber, which has been linked to lowered cholesterol levels. Some forms have even shown to have anti-cancer properties in laboratory settings The goji berry, the #1 food in Chinese medicine, is one of the highest anti-oxidant foods on the planet and well-worth looking into!
In conclusion, I am aware that the foods described in this article are not considered “main course” items in our society. However, learning more about these foods and integrating them into your diet can do absolute wonders for your health. Try them out, as they really are some of the most nutritious foods on the planet…
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Topics: Alternative and Holistic Healing, Nutrition, Health |
I eat berries every morning. Great article.
Posted by: Ian on September 27th, 2007 at 10:07 amNice one… I’m going to head to the health food store for some raw and organic chocolate
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Posted by: Peter on September 27th, 2007 at 10:09 amAnother great benefit of the seaweed family is the iodine content. You wouldn’t know it, but Americans don’t get nearly enough iodine. Our country’s solution to the iodine problem was to add it to salt since we don’t eat anything iodine rich. The problem is that iodized salt really only provides enough iodine for minimal health. We use iodine for creation and regulation of thyroid hormones T3 and T4, among other things.
Great post! I agree with all your food choices.
Posted by: bluskygirl on September 27th, 2007 at 10:42 amVery interesting… I’m going to have to start looking into adding a couple of these into my diet, but I have one problem with couple of them. My bitter taste buds are super-sensitive, so anything that has bitter in it makes me gag.
I’ll have to put them in something else that has strong flavor, so I don’t taste them
Posted by: Jason on September 27th, 2007 at 2:26 pmChocalate and berries for desert anyone? Nice article Todd.
Posted by: Jack on September 27th, 2007 at 11:23 pmI’ve been drinking Goji Juice (made from Goji Berries in China) for over a year, and I must say it works.
Posted by: Dave on September 28th, 2007 at 1:48 amI have been adding Wakami to soups and stews for years… it is quite delicious and adds a great deal of flavor.
Posted by: Richard Wiesenthal on September 28th, 2007 at 5:15 amThanks for sharing this wonderful list of healthy foods. I always believe that it doesn’t matter how expensive or exotic a food is; it should be healthy to eat.
Posted by: Amrit Hallan - HowToPlaza on September 28th, 2007 at 6:26 amBlueberries are king of the berries,while pomegranate, in juice form-is the king in liquid form.I have no problem with the others,except for perhaps the exclusion of wild salmon!
Posted by: paul ostroff on September 28th, 2007 at 6:40 amWhat also happened to whey protein? The cabbage family feel neglected,as does oatmeal,and legumes.
Posted by: paul ostroff on September 28th, 2007 at 6:57 amThank you for all the wonderful comments…PAUL, if the list was “10 Greatest Foods…” than the cabbage family would have made it….but only had room for five in this one!
Posted by: Todd on September 28th, 2007 at 7:18 amI have to confess, I have never tried Quinoa and I cannot really explain why. I guess it is just not something you find everyday on the supermarket shelf.
Posted by: Douglas Woods on September 28th, 2007 at 7:37 amI love seaweed but I feel other people still think you’re a bit strange (or Japanese) if you eat it.
I adore berries and most fruits. I love snacking on fruit or nuts rather than cookies.
Kale is great, I’ve tried it several times but, sadly, it is not seen as often as it should be in the shops.
Thanks for the great article. I agree with another commenter that oats should be in the list somewhere.
A really useful list. Some of the foods you included are not so popular but this gives me new ideas how to make my menu richer by including them in it.
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Posted by: How to Maintain a Healthy Brain on October 15th, 2007 at 8:16 amWe grow & eat our own berries - organic, of course! Eating them raw is the proper thing to do & we do store them in our freezer for winter use.
Kale: so easy to grow! We prefer it raw - after a few frosts it only gets sweeter. A crunchy salad & sandwich ingredient!
Watch out: don’t consume any food, however wholesome, for months on end. Our genes didn’t evolve in a supermarket, so our bodies can’t cope with long term overdoses of whatever good or bad nutrition. Give your immune system a break!
For example:I’ve been using Indian ginseng for 5 years now: three weeks on, one week off; sometimes I take a short dandelion cure, or I have plenty of nettles, but only in spring - that’s one of the many proper ways to use the healthiest foods.
Posted by: Lieven on October 23rd, 2007 at 5:38 pmThanks for the useful comment Lieven, and yes, using these foods properly is a HUGE part to great nutrition!
Posted by: Todd on October 23rd, 2007 at 6:52 pmLoved your list. The book you mention, Energetics of Food is actually authored by Steve Gagne. Great book!
Posted by: Deborah on October 24th, 2007 at 12:59 pmAll 5 of these great foods can be eaten RAW. The seaweed blends into Energy Soup giving the salty taste we enjoy. Or you can use the Nori sheets to make raw sushi (preferably without the sea creatures!) Sprout the quinoa for a day and it is ready, the chocolate cacao nibs or powder blended with coconut oil & aguave nectar makes a wonderful chocolate sauce for on top of those fresh berries. Kale can be marinated with extra virgin olive oil, pressed garlic,thin onion rings, grated carrot, slivered red bell pepper & nama shoyu (an unpasturized soy sauce). Just toss the greens & veggies with the oil/sauce mix, it will break down as if it has been steamed. Yum!
Thanks Deborah, and GREAT points about Raw Food. I should really post an article about the benefits of raw food on WTC, or have someone like you write a guest article
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Posted by: Primary Foods: The Key to GREAT Nutrition on February 5th, 2008 at 8:51 amI grow my own veg and fruit organically,I think i may try growing quinoa to sprout the seeds later.
Posted by: Gael Bage on April 9th, 2008 at 8:40 amLoganberries, tayberries and cultivated blackberries are easy to grow and take up little space because they can be grown against a fence, only buy one plant of each because they are easy to propagate just layer the tip into soil and when it produces new roots cut it away from the parent plant. See how on my gardening website under the name Tussiemussie
http://www.growsonyou.com/Tussiemussie
David Wolfe became famous by posing himself as the author of another man’s book. He is extraordinary at posing himself as smeone he is not and taking the credit for someone elses work.
Posted by: sahan on April 16th, 2008 at 9:36 pmWonderful article. Here’s my challenge. I’m allergic to all berries. Any suggestions for foods that can be substituted for the berries. Would kiwi work?
Thanks
Posted by: Yvonne on June 2nd, 2008 at 12:24 pm