5 Healthy Foods to Introduce into Your Diet This Year

Guidelines of health organizations may change from year to year, but there are some foods that never seem to disappear from the lists of universally accepted and recommended products. Here are 5 foods that, according to nutritionists, can change the quality of your life if eaten on a regular basis.

Kale

There are a lot of reasons to alter your habits so that they accommodate kale. In addition to being an excellent source of antioxidants that decrease the risk of cancer, kale is a veritable treasure-trove of vitamin A responsible for eye and skin health and contributing a lot to the overall efficiency of your immune system. And it is not the only thing it is famous for – a one-cup serving of this stuff contains about as much vitamin C as a sizable orange, and most of it is going to be fiber, which is good both for your heart and digestion. It is probably not the most exciting of foods, but if you care about your health you should definitely consider it.

Woodstock Frozen Organic Pomegranate Kernels Image/FDA

Dungeness Crab

Speaking of exciting, there are enough ways to keep your diet healthy while making it pleasant as well. Seafoods have always been considered one of the healthiest products you can possibly eat, and Dungeness crab stands out even among them for being deliciously tasty, flexible in preparation and rich in Zinc, Selenium and Copper all at the same time. If you want to stay healthy while enjoying your meals, buy Dungeness crab and be happy.

Pomegranate

This peculiar fruit is primarily known for containing an unrivalled amount of antioxidants that counter the harmful effect of free radicals, agents that cause cell damage and in the long run lead to a plethora of diseases, including cancer, Alzheimer’s and various heart conditions. Pomegranate is an easy and pleasant way of dealing with these risks, and is equally delicious when consumed as it is, as a part of salads and other dishes or as juice.

Flaxseeds

Statistically, these humble and unremarkable seeds contain about 100 as much photonutrients as oats, millet and buckwheat. They are rich in fatty acids, vitamin B, calcium, iron, fiber and potassium. A number of respectable studies showed evidence that they may help decrease cholesterol and battle cancer and osteoporosis.

Spinach

Spinach is a food that is probably the most associated with healthy lifestyle, and it isn’t merely a common belief. It is one of the most nutrient- and vitamin-dense foodstuffs in existence, containing more useful elements per serving than virtually anything else. In addition to that, you don’t have to go out of your way to find and obtain it – spinach is sold in any supermarket in any form you can imagine: from fresh to frozen to canned.

You are what you eat, we are being told by scientists, and fortunately we live in times when we have a fairly good opportunity to control what we are getting in our system. So don’t squander it and make sure you eat responsibly!

Guest Author: Melissa Burns

photo/ www.agrilicious.org/