World’s Healthiest Foods

Everyone wants to be happy, healthy and beautiful. Nevertheless, thousands and thousands of people in the US and the rest of the world spend most of their food budget on foods that make them sick, depressed and fat. For example, an average American household spends most of the food budget on refined grains followed by sugar and candies. Such sugar bombs are followed by red meat and convenience foods. But how about healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables? The truth is that Americans spend just about 6% of their food budget on such beneficial foods. That is why the fact that more than 60% of Americans are obese or have some excess weight is not surprising at all.

There are three main reasons why it happens so. First of all, most of us are not educated about which foods are truly healthy. Secondly, a lack of knowledge about healthy eating does not allow us to make good food choices. Thirdly, most Americans believe that healthy eating is very expensive and that is why they do not even try to eat healthier.

This article is aimed to dispell myths about indecently expensive healthy eating and to provide some information about the healthiest food choices. We want to believe that learning about world’s healthiest foods will help you to make better food choices without a need to break the bank. It is aimed to show you that many beneficial foods are quite economical. Below, you will find the list of the top 10 healthiest foods in the world.

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Nevertheless, keep in mind that in reality, there are so many healthy foods, that it will be hard to put all of them in one article. So while making your healthy food choices, remember that fruits and vegetables, most seeds and nuts, as well as most of the unprocessed foods, are considered to be healthy. It means that you can always plan your meals around what is in season or what is on sale. 

One more advice is to spend most of your budget on whole foods and try to avoid processed ones. It will help you to support your body and to improve your health. So now let us see what are the 10 healthiest foods in the world.

Top 10 Healthiest Foods

1. Avocado

Avocadoes are not just fruits, they are superfruits as they contain nearly no sugar (fructose). Instead, they contain a lot of healthy monosaturated fats. Adding avocados to your salads allows increasing healthy fat and calorie intake without raising proteins and carbohydrates. Healthy fats are very important to health, so you can eat an avocado every day without feeling guilty for eating fatty food.

What is more, avocados are rich in potassium, so they are also good for balancing your potassium-to-sodium ratio. If you need more reasons to include avocados in your daily meals, note that such superfruits store about 20 essential elements such as fiber, vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid.

Avocadoes can be used in salads, as dressings and as a healthier alternative to butter. It is worth to mention that in comparison to many other fruits and vegetables, it is not necessary to look for organic options which usually cost more because avocado’s thick skin protects the fruit from pesticides. There are actually no downsides associated with eating avocados and that is why there are no reasons not to include them in your daily meals.

2. Garlic

Saying that garlic is healthy is like saying nothing at all. It is rich in such health-bemeficial vitamins and minerals as vitamin B6 and vitamin C, manganese, calcium, phosphorus, and selenium. All these elements are good for your thyroid and bones, but garlic’s main therapeutic effect, as well as its distinctive smell, comes from allicin. This sulfur-containing compound helps the body to fight free radicals and that is why garlic has a reputation of one of the most effective anti-aging foods. What is more, garlic effectively fights drug-resistant bacteria. But that is not all.

Garlic is also known as a source of such elements as oligosaccharides, arginine-rich proteins, selenium, and flavonoids. All these compounds make garlic a superfood to fight diseases. To be exact, there was a research that showed garlic’s effects for more than 160 different diseases.

Garlic helps to reduce inflammation and diseases associated with it. It helps to boost the immune system, improves cardiovascular heath and circulation, and is effective against some cancer cells, including brain, lung, breast, gastric, and pancreatic. It should not be ignored that garlic also protects you from vampires. Just kidding, but who knows…

3. Mushrooms

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Mushrooms have a lot to offer in terms of health benefits. Eating mushrooms means providing our bodies with such important nutrients as fiber,  B vitamins, vitamin C, and calcium. But the thing that makes mushrooms stand out from other foods is ergothioneine – antioxidant known as “master antioxidant.” And it is not just ergothioneine: polyphenols and selenium are also stored in mushrooms. You can add such superfood to your daily meals to boost your immune system. The thing s that immunosupportive agents stored in mushrooms are so strong that can prevent and even treat some forms of cancer.

4. Spinach

Spinach is known for its anti-aging, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits to health. It includes a number of nutrients, such as vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin E, vitamin C, manganese, folate, magnesium, iron, copper, calcium, and potassium. Flavonoids such asmethylenedioxyflavonol glucuronides protect your body from free radicals and carotenoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin are known for eye health benefits.

If you need more reasons to add spinach to your diet, note that it is considered to be one of the most weight-friendly foods.

5. Tomatoes

Tomatoes are known for a long list of health benefits. They are literally packed with nurients, including vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E, and the B vitamins, lutein, zeaxanthin, potassium, manganese, and phosphorus. What is more, lycopene – a carotenoid antioxidant stored in tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables of pink and red color, is known as one of the most powerful antioxidants. It can significantly lower your risk of stroke and cancer, especially prostate cancer.

The tip to get more lycopene from tomatoes is to cook them. For example, you can make a tomato sauce to treat your body with antioxidants.

6. Onions

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It is hard to underestimate health benefits provided by onions. The thing is that eating onions means getting anti-allergic, anti-histaminic, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and antioxidant effects rolled in one food.

When it comes to disease prevention, antioxidant and anti-aging properties provided by polyphenols, onions beat such superfoods as garlic, leeks, tomatoes, carrots and red bell pepper. What is more, onion’s anti-cancer compounds can prevent the development of prostate cancer, breast cancer, ovarian and endometrial cancers, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, esophageal cancer and laryngeal cancer.

7. Salmon

Salmon, the same to other oily fishes such as mackerel, sardines, and herring, is a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids known for their benefits to the cardiovascular system, digestive, mental and even behavioral health. One of the greatest benefits associated with regular intakes of salmon is that it helps to prevent premature death. According to studies, eating salmon about twice a week can increase your lifespan for two years!

Salmon is also a source of one of the most powerful antioxidants – astaxanthin. The superpower of this antioxidant is its ability to quench multiple types of free radicals simultaneously. What is more, it provides health benefits to the heart, eyes, and brain and helps to relieve chronic pain.

It is worth to mention that when it comes to choosing a fish, avoid buying and eating farmed fishes. The thing is that along with health beneficial qualities, farmed salmon can also feed your body with some hazardous contaminants. That is why wild-caught Alaskan salmon is the best option.

8. Eggs

It is not a secret that eggs are rich in proteins needed by our bodies to support the immune system, to control hormones, to build and maintain muscles, as well as to repair tissues, whether it is skin, organs, and muscles. Proteins stored in eggs, known as complete proteins, provide maximum benefits because they contain all essential amino acids. Health benefits associated with eating eggs influence your eyes, brain, nerves and cardiovascular systems.

Nevertheless, not all eggs are equal. So if you are looking for eggs that provide the above-mentioned health benefits, choose those eggs that came from organically raised, free-range, pastured hens.

9. Coconut Oil

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Coconut oil is probably the healthiest oil you can add to your meals. It has more health benefits than olive oil, sunflower oil, and peanut oil together. It is beneficial for your thyroid and metabolism and, what is more, helps your body to destroy lipid-coated viruses such as HIV and herpes, influenza, measles and other. It is interesting to know that virgin coconut oil can even prevent and treat Alzheimer’s disease.

To enjoy such benefits, always choose organic coconut oil. Note, that you can also use it to take care of your skin, hair, and teeth.

10. Nuts

Nuts are probably the healthiest snack you can eat. According to researchers, nuts can help you to increase your life expectancy. What is more, they are considered to be one of the most loss-friendly foods. The truth about nuts is that they are actually high in fats, but these fats are healthy and needed by your body to function properly. So swapping you packed snacks for nuts is a good idea. Just avoid eating too much and focus on small amounts.