Healthy Food Tips - GOOD food

Best foods in the world - Healthy food tips:

Hippocrates, considered the father of medicine, said hundreds of years before Christ: “Let your medicine be your food, and your food be your medicine”. In other words, a good diet is fundamental for obtaining and maintaining health and for treating any and all existing illnesses.

According to the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA), functional foods are those that produce metabolic or physiological effects through the action of a nutrient or non-nutrient on growth, development, maintenance and other normal functions of the human body. The food or ingredient that claims functional properties, in addition to acting on basic nutritional functions, will trigger beneficial health effects and must also be safe for consumption without medical supervision.

Below is a list of functional foods, with some of their main indications for health (not all of them, of course, or the text would be endless). Consuming them in good quantity and on a regular basis, preferably under competent nutritional or medical guidance, will certainly help you feel better, achieve and maintain health, and treat signs, symptoms and disorders. They are in alphabetical order and not in order of greater or lesser relevance:

Avocado or avocado

✅ Pineapple

✅ Saffron - Rich in curcumin, saffron is one of the most studied anticancer agents today, with promising results in anti-tumor use. It is also an excellent anti-inflammatory and a good adjuvant in the treatment of rheumatic diseases.

✅ Açaí

Water

✅ Garlic (and Onion) - Natural antibiotics and immunostimulants, they also help with blood circulation. Of these, onions in particular are rich in inulin, which serves as food for the good bacteria in the gut.

✅ Oats - Good source of fiber and protein.

✅ Olive oil (Extra virgin is best) - Rich in Omega-9, known as one of the “good fats”, it helps to increase good cholesterol, reduce triglycerides, contribute to weight loss, improve intestinal function, among other benefits. (In fact, the classification of “good fats” and “good cholesterol” is more complex than it seems).

✅ Bananas - They are energetic, good sources of fiber and many nutrients.

✅ Sweet potato

✅ Berries (Blueberries, Strawberries, etc)

✅ Cinnamon - Excellent thermogenic, it helps prevent and treat diabetes and also acts as an intestinal antiparasitic.

✅ Chestnuts - Sources of Omegas, known as good fats.

✅ Carrot

Green tea

✅ Chia (Oats are a good option, a little “poorer” in nutrients, but cheaper).

✅ Dark chocolate (with 70% of cocoa or more).

✅ Coconut (pulp, water and oil).

✅ Mushrooms (Shitake, Shimeji, Paris, etc.) - Quality sources of fiber and energy, as well as many nutrients.

✅ Fennel - It helps with intestinal function, relieves gas problems and contributes to more energy, as well as being a natural tranquillizer and antioxidant.

✅ Fibers - The general importance of fiber has already been covered in the chapter on diet.

Grains and seeds in general (amaranth, quinoa, chia) - These are very promising foods, rich in many essential nutrients, especially proteins, vitamins, minerals and complex carbohydrates. They include oats, leaves, fruit, legumes, vegetables (usually the peels and pomace are rich in nutrients), palm hearts and sprouts. They are essential for detoxifying the body and for good intestinal function, as well as helping to reduce calories from meals.

✅ Dark green leaves (watercress, broccoli, kale, spinach, mustard greens, arugula, etc.) - The so-called cruciferous plants (cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and cabbage) have been studied extensively, with promising results, in support of cancer prevention and treatment.

✅ Citrus fruits - They are sources of fiber and vitamin C. Some also contain thermogenic substances, which stimulate the consumption of fat to generate heat.

✅ Gelatine - Rich in collagen (we recommend avoiding colorants and other chemical additives as much as possible).

✅ Ginger - Thermogenic, immunostimulating, energizing and rich in fiber.

✅ Sesame - Very rich in sesamin, which has thermogenic properties.

✅ Lemon

✅ Linseed - One of nature's best sources of Omega-3, it is also a source of fiber, good fats and substances with a pro-hormonal effect.

✅ Apple:

Helps with successful diets and improves immunity. Helps regulate the nervous system and prevent mental fatigue. Due to its quercetin content, it contributes to inhibiting the multiplication of cancer cells and to brain health, being useful in the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. In the latter case, it improves the patient's mood and behavior, helping to protect the brain from oxidative stress. In the latter case, it improves the patient's mood and behavior, helping to protect the brain from oxidative stress.

Helps heart health by reducing damage caused by LDL, and benefits bone and muscle health. Rich in flavonoids, present in certain fruits, vegetables, teas, wines, nuts, seeds and roots, and in fiber, which alleviates respiratory symptoms such as chronic productive cough.

Also rich in pectin, it improves immunity and nourishes good intestinal bacteria. Pregnant women who eat apples are less likely to develop asthma. Frequent consumption reduces blood pressure, abdominal circumference and the chances of developing metabolic syndrome and diabetes.

✅ Honey (watch out for the glycemic index!)

✅ Omega-3 - As well as being a good fat, essential for good brain function, Omega-3 makes up the membrane of all the body's cells and acts as a natural anti-inflammatory. It is widely studied for its potential anti-tumor benefits. It is found in linseed, fish oil, nuts, avocado and cold-water fish (such as salmon, tuna, sardines and cod).

✅ Eggs

Fish - They are rich in well-digestible proteins, especially salmon and other oily fish, which are rich in Omega-3, another good fat that is essential for the body and brain.

✅ Quinoa and amaranth - Rich in quality proteins, slow-release carbohydrates and minerals.

✅ Pumpkin seeds

✅ Oil seeds (walnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, cashew nuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, etc.)

✅ Spices (such as saffron, oregano, rosemary, cinnamon, fennel, etc.)

✅ Grapes (also concentrated whole juices from them) and wines (mainly red) - Rich in resveratrol, a substance widely studied for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, longevity-promoting and potential anti-tumor properties.

Good food tips for pregnant women: eggs, sweet potatoes, nuts, beans/lentils, lean meats, orange juice, yogurt, oats, dark green leaves and salmon.

They can help a lot, although they are better characterized as “supplements”:

• Royal jelly
• Probiotics
• Chlorella
• Propolis (especially green propolis)
• Kefir

Beneficial basic substitutions/modifications:

• Reduce carbohydrates in the diet in general and consume more proteins, fats and fiber, along with good lifestyle habits.
• Swap English potatoes for cassava.
• Swap white rice for brown rice.
• Avoid repeating a single food for too long (excesses), as this can lead to intolerances and even allergies (visit my website and read more about this).
• Soya only has benefits if it is eaten naturally fermented; in other forms, it can even interfere with hormonal balance.
• Always prefer organic food: you don't need any more chemical additives in your life.
• Avoid margarine - if even ants don't eat it, is it good for you?
• Avoid vegetable oils (except coconut oil), such as soybean, canola, corn, sunflower, etc.
• A squeezed lemon.
• Green juice daily.
• Gluten and milk can be harmful to most people.
• Replace as much of your daily salt as possible with Himalayan Pink Salt or at least Potassium Salt - don't restrict salt excessively from your diet or you could suffer from the effects of hyponatremia.
• Beware of “hidden sugar”: not every source of sugar is sweet. Breads, cakes, pasta, cookies, pies, potatoes, white rice and fruit (when consumed in juices, especially sweetened and without the fiber naturally present) are all sources of sugar. Sugar, outside of the context of pre- and post-workout exercise, has many harmful effects on health, especially as it is very pro-inflammatory.

Want tips on how to eat better? Check out our post full of valuable information on how to improve your health.