Six Super food for Women
(2010-08-09 22:08:00)
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The foods you really need to stay healthy and strong!
Super Food # 1: Low-fat yogurt or any fermented dairy product --including kefir
Goal: 3 to 5 servings a week
What it does: contains healthy “probiotics” -- bacteria with the power to protect you in myriad ways. It may decrease the risk of breast cancer. It can reduce problems associated with irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory digestive tract disorders -- both conditions that impact women more than men. yogurt can help reduce the risk of stomach ulcers and vaginal infections.One cup of yogurt has about 448 mg of calcium which is needed for all women at every age.
Enjoy a cup of yogurt at breakfast, lunch, or snack to help meet the U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommendation for three servings of low fat dairy each day. Choose a low fat yogurt with live cultures -- like Lactobacillus acidophilus. Skip the fruit-on-the-bottom or other flavored varieties because of too much sugar.
Super Food # 2: Fatty fish -- like salmon, sardines, and mackerel Goal: 2 to 3 servings every week
What it does: The healthy factor in fish is omega-3 fatty acids (two types: DHA and EPA ). It protects us from threats including heart disease, stroke, hypertension, depression, joint pain, and a number of illnesses linked to inflammation, including lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. It may even offer some protection against Alzheimer’s disease.
While many foods -- such as walnuts, flaxseed oil, and some mayonnaise brands -- claim the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, only the DHA or EPA forms of omega-3 can be directly used by the body. What you get in foods like walnuts and flaxseed oil is an omega-3 acid known as ALA whcich is ertainly good for you but requires a process in the body to convert it to DHA. And that conversion process can be influenced by a variety of individual factors.
Super Food # 3: Beans
Goal: 3 to 4 servings every week
What it does: Low in fat, beans are a good source of protein and fiber and may have protective effects against heart disease and breast cancer. Beans may also stabilize female hormones. Beans are among one of the healthiest things a woman can eat. Doctors found a relationship between a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease and a higher intake of legumes. Well known legumes include peas, beans, lentils, and peanuts. Beans can help lower cholesterol and the nutrient isoflavone in beans can help the regulation of hormones and may aid with PMS, perimenopause, or menopause symptoms. Although soybeans have among the highest levels of isoflavones, other sources include red clover, kudzu, mung beans, alfalfa sprouts, black cohosh, and chickpeas. Beans also contain something called protease inhibitors, which may help protect against breast cancer. Last but not least, if you are in your reproductive years, beans can give you a steady supply of folic acid -- essential if you should become pregnant.
Super Food # 4: Tomatoes (or watermelon, red grapefruit, red navel oranges)
Goal: 3 to 5 servings each week
What it does: The powerhouse nutrient in all these fruits is lycopene (protective effects against prostate cancer). Research is starting to show that lycopene may protect against breast cancer. It’s also a powerful antioxidant that can fight heart disease. It may also help keep you looking younger longer by protecting against UV damage from the sun.
Super Food # 5: Vitamin D fortified low fat milk or orange juice Goal: At least 400 IUs of vitamin D daily
What it does: Essential to help the bones absorb calcium and helps reduce the risk of osteoporosis and may be vital in reducing the risk of diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and tumors of the breast, colon, and ovary. Indeed, recent studies suggest that vitamin D has the potential to prevent up to one–half of all breast, colon, and ovarian cancer in the United States. As a matter of fact, many women may be vitamin D deficient. A combination of staying out of the sun and using sunscreen has resulted in many women hitting a low level of Vitamin D.
Super Food # 6: Berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, cranberries)
Goal: 3 to 4 servings every week
What It Does: these fruits protect your body with powerful anti-cancer nutrients -- anthocyans, which play a role in cell repair. Anthocyans may decrease the risk of several cancers, including those in the breast and gastrointestinal tract. These berries are also high in vitamin C and folic acid, which is essential for all women in their childbearing years. And they offer powerful anti-oxidant protection, which not only protects the heart but also may protect against skin aging, from the inside out.