There is some truth to the old saying that you can't get too much of a good thing. At least if you're talking about nutrient-rich food... the kind of food your mother always encouraged to you to eat.
Women today have more on their plates than ever before. And I don't mean pork chops either. The sheer volume on the never-ending "to do" list puts a lot of stress into day-to-day life. There is always one more thing to do, one more chore to be completed and one more kid to be schlepped to a practice. The list is endless.
And for a lot of women, this is all done in between holding down a payroll job. How on earth do women cope?
One of the answers lies in food choices. Being sure to include vitally rich foods has never been more important. "The Top 10 Foods for Women" is a good starting place, but you need more food in your cart than that! Here is the next generation: "10 More Best Foods for Women to Keep You Healthier, Wealthier and Wiser."
10. Greens, Greens Good for the Heart (and Other Parts, Too!) Unless you live in the South, you may not be hip to greens; I'm talking collards, turnip greens and Swiss chard. These often beleaguered and overlooked veggies offer an amazing amount of magnesium, calcium and potassium. And let's not forget the cancer-fighting phytochemicals, too!
9. A Head of the Pack! Cabbage is an astonishing source of beta carotene and folate. Bok Choy, too, enjoys the same reputation. Who knew that choosing a simple cabbage could make such a difference nutrient-wise? Folate is an important nutrient for preventing birth defects, as well as possibly protecting the body from cancer and heart disease, too.
8. Bulgur is Better! Bulgur wheat is merely the whole form variety of wheat. Wheat eaten in this way helps prevent constipation, colon and breast cancers and reduces the risk of diabetes and heart disease. A flexible grain, it can be made into hot cereal or a delicious Tabbouleh.
7. Berry Interesting! Fiber filled and packed with vitamin C, berries can also help prevent cataracts and reduce the risk of infection because of their antioxidant properties. A half-cup of strawberries has 42 milligrams of vitamin C. That's more vitamin C then you will see in the same serving of grapefruit.
6. Guac This Way! Avocados, affectionately nicknamed alligator pears, have been ditched by dieters for a long time. The high fat content of one avocado may send shivers up a low-fat advocate's spine, but besides being an excellent source of folate and potassium, avocado's strength comes from its fat. The monounsaturated fats, particularly oleic acid found in avocados, can actually improve the fat levels in the body and help control diabetes. The fiber content is impressive too. One avocado has more fiber than a bran muffin!
5. Just Beet It! Those horrid-looking pickled beets found on salad bars have a definite place on everyone's plate. Beets are best when it comes to protecting against cancer and helping to build iron stores. They're big on folate, a B vitamin women don't get enough of. Folate protects against birth defects. Grated into a salad or a black bean burrito (so the kids won't see them) will help you stay neat with beets.
4. Go Bananas! One lovely banana can help reduce blood pressure and relieve heartburn. How appealing is that? The fact is we eat about 27 pounds of bananas a year on average and that's a good thing. You almost can't eat enough potassium-rich foods. And as far as tryptophan-rich foods go (a protein that converts to serotonin), bananas may help with depression and that certainly makes bananas one of the best of the bunch.
3. Tea Time! Skip the scones and you may be on to something. Both green tea and black tea contain flavonoids that have excellent antioxidant properties. Studies have shown that regular tea consumption up to three cups a day decreases the risk of heart disease and stroke. A bonus to dieters: other studies have also shown tea to block some of the effects of fats after a heavy meal.
2. Mushroom Cloud! Mushrooms contain two important B vitamins: niacin and riboflavin. Both of these nutrients help your body form the enzymes needed to help the body metabolize more efficiently. Shitake mushrooms, found in both dried and fresh form, are a little more exotic than plain white button mushrooms, but they are amazing immune-boosting fungi. One warning about mushrooms: in their raw state, they have toxins. Too many is definitely not a good thing. When mushrooms are cooked, however, the toxins are vanquished.
1. Hold the Onions! Hold them dear to your heart, that is. These potent lovelies have enough power to help raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels while lowering blood pressure. Feeling stuffy? Onions help relieve congestion and make breathing a little easier. Onion poultices were common treatment for colds in the old days. The very thing that makes your eyes water with onions (sulfur) have anti-inflammatory properties, too, making onions a natural healer as well.