The human body requires 90 essential nutrients to ensure optimum health and longevity, made up of:
60 minerals
16 vitamins
12 amino acids
2 essential fatty acids
The law of ‘conservation of mass’ states that “matter can neither be created nor destroyed.” Based on this law, we can deduce that the 90 essential nutrients must come from somewhere.
Yes, you guessed right...it comes from the food we eat and the water we drink.
Making the correct eating choices is therefore pertinent to our well being. Picking the best foods give the most amount of nutrients per mouthful, minimizing unnecessary empty calories which contribute to weight gain.
Here is a list of some of the most healthy nutrient dense foods on the planet.
Eggs:
Raises “good” cholesterol.
Contains fat-soluble vitamin A, D, E and K, which are vital nutrients for bone and immune health.
High source of complete protein (contains at least nine amino acids).
High in essential fatty acids.
Salmon:
Contains astaxanthin, found in the pink pigment of its meat, shown to be a powerful antioxidant which is beneficial for eye health.
High levels of DHA, which is a substrate of the Omega three fatty acids. Our brains are predominantly made of DHA.
High levels of EPA, another substrate of the Omega three fatty acids, which promotes an anti-inflammatory effect in the body.
High source of complete protein.
Rich in vitamins A, B6, B12 and niacin.
High in Selenium, a mineral associated with lower overall mortality according to (Rayman, 2012).
Kale:
Very high in antioxidants.
Contains more than double the vitamin C found in oranges per 100g.
Rich in Vitamin A, and K1.
High in Manganese, Copper, and magnesium.
Coconut:
Contains medium chain fats, a good energy source for the brain. It is for this reason that doctors prescribe it to Alzheimer's patients.
Contains Lauric acid which helps the body fight infections (Enig, 2010).
Contains high amounts of the minerals: Iron, Phosphorus, potassium, copper manganese, zinc, and selenium.
Cocoa:
Contains polyphenols, which are antioxidants similar to those found in fruits and vegetables. There has recently been much research done on their potential disease-fighting ability (Wollgast and
Anklam, 2000) as cited in (Araujo et al., 2016).May help delay the onset of dementia.
Fights depression, as it contains tryptophan, which is converted to serotonin in the body, making us happier!
Rich in minerals: magnesium, potassium, iron and zinc.
Contains 1/3 of the caffeine content found in instant coffee, making it an excellent candidate for your morning brew.
Liver:
Liver meat is a rich source of natural vitamin A, a superior source than the supplemental form, (Razaitis, 2005).
Gives the body all the raw materials needed for the removal of toxins through vitamins A, D, E, and K.
B12 and folic acid, as well as the minerals: copper and iron.
Contains large amounts of vitamin B12. Deficiency in this vitamin has become widespread and is directly related to Anaemia.
Mineral water:
Most bioavailable source of minerals and trace elements.
Our bottled and tap water may not contain all the benefits it should. For more details on this subject read The Hard Truth about water.
Bibliography:
http://imsear.hellis.org/handle/123456789/48566.
Nutritiondata.self.com. (2016). Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened Nutrition Facts & Calories. [online] Available at: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/sweets/5471/2
Nutritiondata.self.com. (2016). Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened Nutrition Facts &Calories. [online] Available at: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/sweets/5471/2
Enig, M. (2010). Health and nutritional benefits from coconut oil and its advantages over competing oils. Indian Coconut Journal, [online] pp.9-15. Available at: http://richarddagan.com/satfat/English-Article-MaryEnig-1.pdf
Nutritiondata.self.com. (n.d.). Fish, salmon, Atlantic, farmed, cooked, dry heat Nutrition Facts & Calories. [online] Available at: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/finfish-and-shellfish-products/4259/2
Horrocks, L. and Yeo, Y. (1999). HEALTH BENEFITS OF DOCOSAHEXAENOIC ACID (DHA). Pharmacological Research, 40(3), pp.211-225.
Nutritiondata.self.com. (n.d.). Kale, raw Nutrition Facts & Calories. [online] Available at: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2461/2
Kidd, P. (2016). Astaxanthin, Cell Membrane Nutrient with Diverse Clinical Benefits and Anti-Aging Potential. Alternative Medicine Review, [online] 16(4), pp.355-364. Available at: http://purepolarshrimp.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Kidd-Astaxanthin-Cell-Membrane-Nutrient-with-Diverse-Clinical-Benefits-and-Atni-Aging-Potential.pdf
Kresser, C. (2008). Liver: nature’s most potent superfood. [online] Chris Kresser. Available at: http://chriskresser.com/natures-most-potent-superfood/
Mercola, D. (2015). Four Important Fat-Soluble Vitamins. [online] Mercola.com. Available at: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/04/20/important-fat-soluble-vitamins.aspx
Nutritiondata.self.com. (n.d.). Oranges, raw, all commercial varieties Nutrition Facts & amp; Calories. [online] Available at: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1966/2
Rayman, M. (2012). Selenium and human health. The Lancet, 379(9822), pp.1256-1268.
Razaitis, L. (2005). The Liver Files - Weston A Price. [online] Weston A Price. Available at: http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/the-liver-files/
WILLIAMS, P. (2007). Nutritional composition of red meat. Nutrition & Dietetics, 64(s4 The Role of), pp.S113-S119.
*All pictures were created by @exercisinghealth
what's your opinion about eggs? nowadays especially if you work out eggs are considered a quite controversial matter. Some thing that you wheat is the only one needed and that the yolk may harm your health others the opposite and others that you are ok with both yolk and wheat
I have a mild allergy to wheat. The lectin proteins trigger my asthma, so the removal of flour products has improved my health drastically.
Even though eggs are a 'superfood' the ones that are not 'free-range' and pumped full of hormones, I worry about.
The food system is screwed up. Nothing is 'real' anymore. Your best bet is to try an elimination diet. You do this by eliminating certain foods from your diet for 30 days, then re-intruding them one at a time. You judge how you feel during the re-introduction period, to determine what foods suite your body.
The 30 day period is meant to re-sensitize your body to the eliminated food, so that you get accurate feedback once it is brought back into the diet. When I used this protocol with wheat, I immediately felt the harmful effects after bringing it back into my diet.
Trial and error is key, as everyone is different. Do science on yourself. Play with one variable at a time so that you don't get interference and misinterpret anything
i didn't know about the elimination diet and i wanted to start a diet after all that food i ate at Christmas. I will try that. The foods you eliminate are specific or it's adjustable to what you wanna check out?
If you are a keen reader, pick up ‘Wired to Eat’- Robb Wolf. The author is an amazing researcher and thinker in the realm of nutrition. The book will Fulfill all your needs.
i will check it out!
If you read the book, let me know what you think...
The dude also has an amazing podcast.
My opinion is that the yolk is the most nutritious part. If you are trying to lose weight, choline in egg yolks helps to metabolize fat. Plus, they are a bargain food almost everywhere. I am not a body builder or anything, but I don't think eggs are the problem for most people. In fact, I've relied upon short "egg fasts" to help reset my appetite when it gets off track. I know eggs don't agree with everybody, but if they work for you, they're a healthy part of a good diet.
Here are a couple of very good and affordable egg and salmon recipes, so you can get two superfoods in one: https://steemit.com/food/@digitalmutt/2-1-easy-recipe-for-new-year-s-day-part-and-breakfast
i eat eggs a lot from when i was a kid but nowadays with all the work out trend out there i keep listening that ''egg is not good'' ''it will harm you later'' ''only wheat worth''etc etc i still keeping eating a lot of eggs without any problems.
Well, I'm no kid (middle aged) and haven't been "hurt" by eggs. Maybe some people are sensitive to them or something. They used to say that they contained too much cholesterol, but that has been debunked. Sugar and processed food will certainly hurt you later, but I doubt having a couple of eggs a day will do any harm? How do these people say eggs will hurt you? In fact, I think I'm going to make some salmon patties (with eggs) for lunch. Maybe I'll throw in some spinach. I've got to hit all the superfoods in one dish. :)
from gym ''talks'' i had the conversation starts with the cholesterol argument, i say what you said too and have to keep listening one stupid argument after another that new new new new studies shown that indeed cholesterol in eggs is an issue... i don't mind them in fact haha i ate 2 eggs a couple of minutes ago :P.
you are in another lvl with the salmon and spinach. as a dessert eat choco with coconut milk and you are a superfoods god :P
Cholesterol is present in every cell within the body. We need it to survive. Burn victims are feed copious amounts of eggs to aid in their recovery.
Right, and they figured out that eating cholesterol isn't what causes people to build up plaque in their veins. It's one of those myths that is making people sick.
Cholesterol only builds up as plaque in arteries when inflammation is present. Without inflammation, cholesterol is harmless.
I knew about most of these but liver meat. I mean liver meat? Good to know because I like it! And cocoa, that's the best thing to have when it's ugly and cold outside, your mood is lifted straight away.
Yes, and liver meat is cheaper than the other cuts of meat. So you get a lot of bang for your buck.
Just be careful when consuming cocoa late at night. It has a stimulating effect on the body which could disrupt your sleep.
Thank you! Yes because of the caffeine in it probably does :)
Have you looked into the studies on the correlation of eggs to prostate cancer?
My doctor always tells me to eat kale, but it's hard for me to cook it so that it tastes good... At least eggs are easy and tasty, and now I can feel confident that they're great for my health, too!
You can buy dehydrated kale, which is spiced with all types of flavours! No cooking required.
Just make sure there is no harmful ingredients like sugar or artificial preservatives in them.
Yeah, kale tastes bad to me too. My daughter doesn't mind it. It's weird that people taste things differently. Isn't spinach almost as good as Kale for nutrition. Anyway, I can eat spinach all day, but kale is just too unpleasant. LOL - #KaleRuinsEverything.
Suddenly I'm craving a salmon and kale scramble in coconut oil ;)
Add a few slices of avocado and fresh chillie!! Breakfast for champions!
egg is the most appropriate food . it is also called refrence protein because it has 100% net utilisation value. please follw and upvote me
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STOPI take almost all of them you have mentioned, some of them are regularly (egg) and most of them are infrequently. Nice to know that those are helping me in being healthy.
Im glad you are eating healthy!
Glad these food also taste good!
You can't beat the taste of 'real' 'whole' foods
12.38% @pushup from @exercisinghealth
excellent! thanks for sharing this important information for everyone!
What is your opinion on avo? I generally agree with your list, but avo (along with eggs) really is one of the last "super foods" in my opinion. Nutrient dense with a great macro ratio. And kale is just upper middle class spinach.