Top 20 healthiest foods

(Part 2)

Are you eating healthy? Do your daily meals include many of the foods in our list? To recap, here’s our previous list from number 20 down to 11: 20) nuts, 19) coconuts including virgin coconut oil, 18) tea, 17) soy products, 16) wheat, 15) sweet potatoes, 14) oats, 13) ginger, 12) beans, and 11) ampalaya.

Drawn from dozens of published studies and books, let’s continue our countdown for the healthiest local foods.

10. Water. Our bodies are composed mostly of water. Brain contains 85% water, blood contains 83% water, lean muscle has 75% and bone has 22% water. So how come most people don’t drink enough water? Lack of water intake can cause kidney stones, infections, migraine, constipation, and heatstroke. During hot weather, drink up to 12 glasses a day and at least eight glasses during colder months. Adequate water also prevents premature aging and wrinkles.

Mineral water is rich in calcium, magnesium, and sodium. Distilled water has no sodium, which is ideal for those with high blood pressure and stone formers. Make sure your water is safe and clean.

9. Apples. In any survey for the healthiest fruit, apples are on top of the list. Mayo Clinic ranks apples as one of the world’s healthiest fruits. Apples are an excellent source of pectin, which is a soluble fiber that can lower blood cholesterol and sugar levels. Pectin also binds with heavy metals like lead and mercury, and helps the body eliminate these pollutants. Fresh apples are also good sources of vitamin C, an antioxidant that protects your body cells from damage.

Apples can help prevent constipation, arthritis, gout, gastroenteritis, and diarrhea. Apples are excellent diet foods. There are only 47 calories in an apple. Even the smell of an apple has a calming effect. Apple pie, apple juice, fresh apples are all great! They may really keep the doctor away.

8. Garlic. Millenniums ago, Roman doctors planted garlic upon arriving in a new country. Roman soldiers also placed garlic between their toes to treat fungal infection. By 1858, Louis Pasteur proved that garlic has antibacterial effects.

The good: The substance that makes garlic smell bad is precisely what makes it so good. The odor comes from sulfur-based compounds known as allyl sulfides. Scientists agree that allyl sulfides and other phytochemicals in garlic may help protect the heart and improve circulation. Although not as potent as prescription drugs, two or three cloves of garlic can help reduce cholesterol levels and can make the blood less sticky. It also has antibacterial and antifungal properties. To release garlic’s potent compounds, you need to mash or mince it.

The bad: Cooking garlic at high heat for a long time may destroy its beneficial effects. However, raw garlic can irritate the lining of sensitive stomachs. Patients with gastritis and ulcer are advised to take caution.

7. Milk and milk products. The late Dr. Saturnino Ador-Dionisio describes milk as the perfect and complete food — carbohydrates, proteins, and fats all in one. Milk is teeming with calcium, protein, vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B12, vitamin A, and zinc. It’s perfect for growing kids and desirable for preventing osteoporosis in menopausal women. One study detected fewer cancers among those drinking low-fat milk. One problem with milk is its high fat content, so choose low-fat or skimmed milk.

Yogurt is made from fermented milk and contains beneficial bacteria for the gut. Those taking antibiotics are advised to take yoghurt, to replace the healthy bacteria destroyed by the antibiotic. Cheese is another magnificent milk product. It’s high in zinc, which is vital for normal sexual function in guys.

6. Bananas. Banana is nature’s wonder fruit and the perfect fast food. Why is this fruit so healthy? Because it’s rich in potassium, vitamin B6, and folic acid. Have you seen Roger Federer eat a banana between games? The high potassium content prevents cramps and gives ready energy with its easily digestible starch. Its potassium content is also perfect for patients on water pills (diuretics), those with heart disease and high blood pressure.

A medium-sized banana has 95 calories, more than an apple but less than a mango. Bananas are also the perfect antacid, coating the stomach and preventing stomach ulcers. The high vitamin B6 also helps women suffering from premenstrual syndrome.

In The Healthy Food Directory by Michael Van Straten, the author ranks bananas near the top because bananas help alleviate 14 medical conditions including diarrhea, fatigue, heartburn, insomnia, nausea, menstrual problems, kidney problems, fluid retention, and circulatory problems. The doctor-recommended BRAT diet for patients with diarrhea stands for banana, rice, apple, and tea.

5. Carrots. Carrots are extremely healthy and nutritious vegetables. Carrots’ deep orange color means they’re abundant in beta-carotene (one of the main sources of vitamin A), an antioxidant which helps your vision and immune system. Carrots also have ample amounts of other antioxidants like vitamins C and E. Some believe carrots can delay aging, protecting the skin from ultraviolet light and preventing wrinkles. In 20 published studies, more than half showed that carrots may reduce cancer risk, including lung cancer. It’s not definite yet but carrots may help.

Carrots are naturally fat-free and have very few calories, only 35 calories per half-cup serving. To get the maximum nutritional benefit, eat the carrots raw (peeled baby carrots), but cooked and canned carrots are also healthy. Take advantage of this inexpensive vegetable and include carrots in your salad, soup, or as a side dish with your main meal.

4. Citrus fruits like calamansi, suha (pomelo), dalandan. The overflowing amount of vitamin C in citrus fruits is the reason for its high ranking. Locally, we have calamansi, suha, and dalandan. However, oranges and lemons are splendid, too, but more costly. Vitamin C may alleviate inflammatory conditions like asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. It also protects the heart and boosts the immune system. That’s why it’s good for preventing colds. 

Citrus fruits contain a fair amount of folate and potassium. Folate lowers homocysteine levels in the body and may reduce heart disease. The potassium in citrus fruits helps to lower blood pressure, too.

All citrus fruits contain fiber, especially in the membranes separating the sections. For that reason, when you eat a fresh orange or grapefruit, it is always best to try to eat a bit of the white membrane around the juicy sections of the fruit.

3. Tomatoes. Time magazine lists tomato as one of its top fruits. Raw tomatoes and those with ketchup and sauces may reduce the risk for heart disease, prostate cancer, and other cancers of the digestive tract. Tomatoes are extremely high in antioxidants, especially carotenoids like beta-carotene and lycopene.

Lycopene is considered the most powerful antioxidant among the carotenoids, the compounds that turn fruits and vegetables orange-red. Lycopene works miracles by removing the evil free radicals from the body. Lycopene is readily released by cooking tomatoes and it’s most easily absorbed with a little oil added. So, does that make pizza a healthy food? Well, sort of.

Tomatoes are likewise a valuable source of vitamins C and E, and potassium, too. Canned tomatoes are fine as long as they don’t contain too much sodium, so choose the low-salt variety.

2. Oily fish. Backed by strong scientific evidence, oily fish like sardines, tuna, mackerel, and salmon are filled with healthy omega-3 fatty acids, a type of fat that makes your blood less likely to form clots. Oily fish are those fish which have oils throughout their bodies and in the belly cavity around the gut.

Omega-3s in oily fish may prevent sudden death, reduce triglyceride levels, lower blood pressure, and reduce the risk of stroke. Researchers suspect that omega-3s may block the production of inflammatory substances causing rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. Even more encouraging are studies that suggest that omega-3s may protect brain cells from Alzheimer’s disease.

To get the full health benefit, fresh oily fish is better than canned fish where omega-3 levels are reduced. For bangus lovers, our favorite milkfish has lesser amounts of omega-3s but still okay.

1. Dark green leafy vegetables. Universally recognized by doctors, dieticians, and nutritionists, vegetables are the world’s most natural foods. Vegetables contain vitamins, minerals, and thousands of other plant chemicals known to provide health benefits. Locally, we have cabbage, pechay, kangkong, camote tops (talbos), and spinach. Broccoli is healthy, too, but high-priced. Green leafy vegetables contain varying amounts of fiber, potassium, calcium, folate, iron, and vitamins A, B, and C.

Here are just a few of the diseases it can help: heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, bowel problems, irritable bowel syndrome, various cancers of the bowel (mouth, stomach and colon cancers), kidney stones, and many more. Eating vegetables can also fight obesity. Vegetables are excellent filler foods because they’re low in fat, low in calories, and high in fiber. As you can see from our list, steamed or sautéed vegetables with garlic, tomatoes, and onions are very healthy indeed.