by Deborah S. Hildebrand

Created on: September 01, 2009   Last Updated: September 04, 2009

What if you could eat your way to better health? Well, that's a crazy question because you probably already know that you can.

Eating the right food in the right portions is one of the best ways to better health. But consider this: there are foods out there that can actually help you to be healthier. They can lower your cholesterol, reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer, they can even put you in a better mood. So what are they? They're what we call

super foods.

Understanding Super Foods

One of the first and most important things to understand about super foods is that they are natural and unprocessed. So fortified cereals said to help lower cholesterol or enriched wheat bread may make you feel like you're taking the right step, but why not take it further?

Another thing to know about super foods is that there are really quite a number of them available at any grocery store today. In fact, you may be incorporating many them into your diet without even realizing it.

Fresh fruits and vegetables such as blueberries with their high potassium, vitamin C and antioxidant levels are anti-inflammatory and can help lower your risk of heart disease while broccoli, spinach and other dark green vegetables are a great source of vitamins and fiber and can help against certain cancers.

And while you may already be aware that eating cold-water fish such as wild salmon or substituting baked potatoes with sweet potatoes is a wise move or that fiber obtained from whole grains and fresh fruit is good for maintaining healthy cholesterol, what about those other super foods - the ones that aren't as widely known, but which offer substantial health benefits?

Four Unique Super Foods

You may have seen advertisements for a little berry that many claim to be one of the most nutritious in the world. Acai (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) is a berry harvested in the Brazilian rainforest and tastes like berries and chocolate. Usually found in health or gourmet stores, it is said to be packed full of antioxidants, amino acids and essential fatty acids.

It is important to note that while the claims of the exceptional weight loss abilities of Acai have been popping up everywhere, experts agree that most of the claims are not backed by scientific studies. However, websites such as AcaiBerryStudies.com are trying to put a more realistic spin on its health benefits.

Another recent super food craze is chili peppers. Whether sweet red or green bell peppers or the spicy jalapeno or

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>