The 10 Healthiest Foods

Consider adding some of these healthy and delicious foods to your daily diet!

The healthy foods included in this article are proven effective fighters against various diseases as well as effective energy boosters. You can include them in your meals to get on track to a better, healthier way of life.

A List of the Top 10 Healthiest Foods

1: Lemons

A single lemon contains more than 100% of the daily-recommended value of Vitamin C, which the body uses to strengthen bones and effectively increase HDL cholesterol levels, or the good cholesterol.

The citrus flavonoids present in lemons have been proven to inhibit cancer cell growth. It is also an effective anti-inflammatory.

Simply add a little slice of lemon to your green tea and enjoy. In fact, studies show that eating healthy foods containing citrus will actually help your body absorb the antioxidants in your green tea by as much as 80%.

2: Broccoli

You can get more than 100% of the daily-recommended amount of Vitamin K from a medium-size stalk of broccoli. In addition, you will also get 200% of the daily-recommended amount of Vitamin C from this wonderfully healthy food.

Both of these are essential nutrients that the body needs for building bones and other vital functions, in addition to preventing several different types of cancer. Boiling or steaming the broccoli will only hold on to 66% of the nutrients. For the greatest benefits, pop it in the microwave, which retains as much as 90% of the Vitamin C in the broccoli.

3: Dark Chocolate

Just by eating a quarter of an ounce of this deliciously healthy food every day will effectively reduce blood pressure.

The cocoa powder that is used in the manufacturing of dark chocolate is bursting with flavonoids, which effectively increase good HDL cholesterol and reduce bad LDL cholesterol.

4: Potatoes

A single red potato has 66 micrograms of folate, which the body needs for building cells. You would have to eat an entire cup of broccoli or spinach to get the equivalent.

Just one sweet potato has nearly eight times the amount of Vitamin A you need on a daily basis to effectively boost your immune system and fight off cancer. Studies indicate that you can burn as much as 25% more fat following a meal containing potatoes because of the fat-resistant starch.

5: Salmon

A small three-ounce serving of salmon has nearly 50% of the recommended daily allowance of niacin to fight memory loss and Alzheimer's disease.

In addition, salmon also contains omega-3 fatty acids, which lower the risk of cancer, depression and heart disease.

Make sure you are eating wild salmon as opposed to farm-raised, which has up to sixteen times the amount of toxic polychlorinated biphenyl.

6: Walnuts

All nuts are naturally healthy foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids, which help reduce cholesterol, improve mood, protect against sun damage and fight cancer. The melatonin present in walnuts is the perfect natural sleep aid.

7: Avocados

A single avocado contains more than 50% of the fiber you need each day and 40% of the folate, which reduces heart disease.

Avocados are healthy foods that are rich it fats that can lower cholesterol by as much as 22%. Add avocados to salads to increase the absorption of beta-carotene by up to five times as much.

8: Garlic

Garlic may be better than all the other healthy foods on the planet. It is a powerful fighter against disease and inhibits the growth of bacteria such as E. coli.

A compound known as allicin is found in garlic is a potent anti-inflammatory that has been known to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Crushing fresh garlic will release the greatest amount of allicin. Add garlic to other healthy foods; just be careful not to overcook because the garlic will begin to lose its nutrients after only ten minutes.

9: Spinach

Recent studies found that spinach ranks above other fruits and vegetables as one of the best healthy foods for fighting cancer. In addition, spinach contains zeaxanthin and lutien, which boost the immune system and promote eye health.

10: Beans

A single serving of legumes, such as lentils, peas and beans, four days a week will reduce your risk for heart disease by as much as 22%. In addition, beans also reduce the risk of breast cancer.

The darker beans are healthy foods because they contain the most antioxidants. A recent study of healthy foods found that black bean hulls have forty times the amount that is present in white beans.