Eating healthy foods is a way that you can live healthy. Your daily life will become more enjoyable and regulated.

By committing to eating healthy foods, you can feel better, stay physically fit, and reduce your risk of many chronic diseases including diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease, and certain cancers. Becoming educated and smart is an essential for you to become a healthy eater.

Here are 10 ‘life extending’ foods that will help you to protect against chronic diseases:

1. Apple

Like many fruits, apple contains vitamin C as well as a host of other antioxidant compounds, which may reduce the risk of cancer by preventing DNA damage. While less fiber content than in most other fruits, apple is useful to lose weight, and controlling cholesterol. In fact, eating 2 large apples a day has lowered cholesterol levels by up to 16%. Research also suggests that apple may reduce the risk of prostate cancer, lung cancer, and colon cancer.

2. Avocado

Avocado is a good source of vitamin A and potassium, a mineral that helps regulate blood pressure. Sufficient intake of potassium can help to protect against circulatory diseases, such as stroke, heart disease, or high blood pressure. Besides that, Avocado has been used traditionally to help people with sexual problems, also great antioxidant and can be used for skin disorders.

3. Blueberry

Blueberry is high in antioxidant vitamins such as vitamin A, C, and E. It is also a good source of dietary fiber. Because a natural and rich source of antioxidants, blueberry is known to have great health benefits. Blueberry is helpful to improve your eyesight and prevent age related loss of vision, lower LDL cholesterol (a cause for stroke and cardiovascular heart disease), and keep your urinary tract healthy by stopping bacteria from lining your bladder walls. In fact, several researches indicate blueberry has potential effects of anti-aging and anti-inflammatory. It also prevent onset of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and memory loss.

4. Garlic

Garlic contains strong anti viral and anti bacterial that useful to fight common flu and colds. It is high in vitamin B6 and C. Garlic in normal consumption is also helpful to guard against diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

5. Oats

Oats have a high Vitamin B1 content, which is needed by the body for carbohydrate metabolism. Oats contain a high percentage of desirable complex carbohydrates, which have been linked to: reduced risk of prostate, colon, and breast cancer; better management of diabetes; and fewer bowel problems such as constipation. Oats are naturally low in fat. Researchers agree that nearly everyone, men and women of all ages and races, benefits from eating a low-fat diet. Eating oat regularly will lower your blood cholesterol level. It’s a natural antidepressant, will make you feel calmer and normally used to treat depression, anxiety and nervous disorder. That is why you are encouraged to buy and eat oats if you’re feeling sad.

6. Oily fish

Fish is one the world’s healthiest foods, including oily fish that contains Omega-3 fatty acids, very useful to protect against stroke, arthritis, psoriasis, heart disease, and also a host of health anxieties from obesity to sunburns.

7. Olive oil

The greatest example of monounsaturated fat is olive oil, and it is a prime component of the Mediterranean Diet. Olive oil is a natural juice which preserves the taste, aroma, vitamins and properties of the olive fruit. Olive oil is the only vegetable oil that can be consumed as it is – freshly pressed from the fruit. Studies have shown that olive oil is helpful to protect against heart disease by controlling LDL cholesterol levels while raising HDL levels. Including olive oil in your diet may also useful to reduce the risk of colon cancer.

8. Spinach.

The health benefits of spinach are marvelous. Whether eaten fresh or frozen, the vitamins in this leafy green vegetable will benefit our bodies. Spinach contains vitamin A and K. Vitamin A is needed for healthy vision, and helps the cells in our body grow normally. When our bodies found to be lacking this vitamin, health concerns of night blindness, anemia, or celiac disease can be suffered. Vitamin K helps bone health. It regulates blood flow (normal blood clotting) in our bodies and maintains bone health. It has also been attributed to helping post-menopausal women reduce possible bone fractures that happen with osteoporosis.

9. Tomato

Tomato is high in vitamin A, C, and cancer preventing lycopene, but low in calories. According to the National Cancer Institute, people who eat large amounts of tomatoes and tomato products have a significantly reduced risk for prostate, lung, and stomach cancer. Tomato is also helpful in reducing high blood pressure, a major risk factor for coronary heart diseases and stroke. Other than that, tomato helps to dissolve animal fat in foods such as in eggs, cheese, butter, beef, pork, and many deep-fried foods, thereby preventing hardening of the arteries.

10. Tree nuts

Tree nuts are a rich source of unsaturated fats that have important health attributes, while high in total fat. Nuts are a good source of heart-healthy monounsaturated oil and antioxidant-rich, bone-strengthening magnesium. In the most recent, the Nurses’ Health Study, researchers found that women who ate at least 5 ounces of nuts per week had a 35% lower risk of coronary heart disease than women who rarely ate nuts. Similar findings have been seen in men.

Men and women who are doing their best to stick to a diet and lose weight often look for what has come to be known as healthy food, food labelled as “low fat”, “fat free” or “diet”. Since people don’t always read the labels and since the producers do their best to conceal the effect of such foods, it’s no wonder that some people fail to lose as much weight as possible on a particular diet. Trying really hard to stay away from sweets and sodas is useless when the supposedly healthy food makes it harder to lose pounds.

The biggest problem is the fact that a lot of healthy foods contain ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oil and plain sugar. This is the trick that producers use to sell food labelled healthy, despite it not being so. The words “fat free” is printed in attractive letters on the label, but nowhere does it say that the lack of fat is more than compensated for by the sugar content. While producers have to meet a certain standard in order to be able to call their foods “low fat” or “fat free”, there are no regulations for the word “diet”.

Be careful when buying yogurt and all sorts of yogurt-based desserts because the dairy companies really like to brag about their support of healthier lifestyles. Since people who like yogurt worry about the quantity of fat found in such products, the dairy companies have rushed to launch low fat and fat free versions of their best selling brands. What they are not very eager to tell the world is that desserts need sugar and that “low fat” doesn’t mean “no sugar”. In fact, customers may be very surprised to find that the low fat yogurt may be the equivalent of a candy bar, in terms of sugar.

Energy bars are another problem. People like them because the drastic cut in calories, which is one of the basic features of every diet, puts energy reserves under severe strain. It’s hard to get through the day and does all the things one’s used to do during the first couple of weeks of dieting, when the body is still adjusting to the lower intake of food. Energy bars sound like a great way of getting through the day without eating, but it’s not that simple. The main source of energy for the body contained in energy bars is, of course, sugar.

And let’s not forget fruit juices. A lot of people like to drink their daily helping of fruits instead of eating it, but fresh fruits and fruit juices are not the same thing. Producers need to add various substances to juices in order to keep them from spoiling. They also add sugar to juices, because some fruits are not naturally sweet enough to suit the tastes of customers. It is useless to say that all that extra sugar is not good for people trying to lose weight. The best thing to do is to skip juices and eat fresh fruits.

In today’s world of highly advertised fad diets, it is very difficult for us to know which foods are actually healthy and which foods are not. This program says not to eat an apple, while this other program tells us it keeps the doctor away. Once and for all, we need to know which foods are nutritious so we can all jump off the weight loss roller coaster.

Before I get into the details, it is important to stress that weight loss without proper nutrition is not the road you want to take. No magic pill will ever give you the benefits of eating properly. Stop looking for short cuts and get serious about your health. It is the only way to live a lifestyle that is free of the threats of disease, poor health and obesity.

Healthy Foods Tip #1: Green Vegetables
Vegetables such as spinach and cabbage are very significant in maintaining a healthy body. They are rich in vitamins and minerals. How do they help accelerate weight loss? They are water-rich, which means you are actually filling yourself up with liquids instead of fatty calories.

Healthy Foods Tip #2: Fatty Fish
Did you read that right? Yes, it says fatty! Oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines have omega-3 fats. Despite all the hoopla surrounding the fat-free weight loss craze, your body does in fact need good fat for optimal weight loss performance. Omega-3 fats also takes care of our heart. It prevents stroke and lowers bad cholesterol in our body.

Healthy Foods Tip #3: Green Tea
Anti-oxidants rid our bodies of free radials that can cause damage to our cells and slow the process of healthy weight loss. Green tea offers such a powerful supply of anti-oxidants and vitamins that it has been known to accelerate metabolism by drinking only one cup per day. Tomatoes, red grapes and blueberries are also beneficial for the same reasons, but on a smaller scale.

Healthy Foods Tip #4: Citrus fruits
Oranges, lemons, limes and other citrus fruits are all high in Vitamin C. That helps to prevents colds, asthma and arthritis. What happens when your body is functioning without illness? It performs better! When your body gets the right nutrition, it can perform its own miracles…like giving you more energy and burning off extra weight.

Healthy Foods Tip #5: Carrots
Have you ever heard someone say carrots were unhealthy? I guess they would be if you ate tons of them every day, just like anything else that is abused. The reality is that carrots are good source of Vitamin A and promotes better eyesight. It only takes a half cup worth to work like magic to accelerate healthy weight loss.

Healthy Foods Tip #6. Bananas
This fruit is so nutrition that even monkeys know it is good for them. It can help cure ulcers, diarrhea and stomach cramps because it is high in potassium. If you sweat a lot and need energy, grab a banana. Many athletes consume bananas for energy and alertness. Have you ever seen an overweight monkey or athlete?

Healthy Foods Tip #7: Soy
The soybean is as close to a magic weight loss pill as you will ever find. No, you can not pop them into your mouth and watch the pounds melt away, but when you add soy into your daily diet, you will be amazed to see how quickly your health and weight loss improve at the same time. Soy-based protein smoothies helped me to lose 70 pounds in 4 months 15 years ago. And yes, I still have the weight off!

Healthy Foods Tip #8 Apples
An apple a day keeps the doctor away. It has vitamin C and pectin that flushes out toxins in our body. Toxins are probably the number one reason why people can not lose weight quickly when they eat healthy foods. Apples only work to your advantage when they are eaten raw, so dipping them into caramel sauce or cooking them into a pie will not keep the doctor away.

Healthy Foods Tip #9. Water
It may not be food but it is the most important part of your daily diet. Your body can not function properly if it is dehydrated, and most people do not drink as much as they should. Water also makes you feel full without any calories. Many times people reach for a snack when all they really need is a glass of water.

Along with a daily diet of the foods listed above, you need discipline and a willingness to reach your healthy weight loss goals. Most people get discouraged with losing weight when they fail to grasp the concept of living a healthy lifestyle. Once you develop this mindset, eating healthy will be part of your daily routine…and battling weight gain will be a thing of the past.

Because of the large market for health foods, manufacturers will try to trick you into thinking a bad food is a healthy one in an effort to steal your hard earned cash.

Some scary examples will be shown below. Take care that you don’t get fooled by these marketers and protect your health and the health of your family and loved ones.

Fake Healthy Food #1

Orange Juice. How can the humble breakfast staple be an unhealthy products. Yes fresh oranges are a great sources of vitamins and are good for you, but orange juice can be a killer.

Why? Well commercial orange juice is made in huge processing plants. These plants take in vast quantities of whole oranges and crush them. Unfortunately this means that the skins are also crushed in the process. (Later to be used for animal feed)

That is a problem because of all the pesticides in the orange skins! These chemicals get mixed into your juice. These chemicals are choline inhibitors. That means that they interfere with your brains ability to handle memory and images. In effect, commercial orange juice is a brain toxin. Stay away!

Fake Healthy Food #2

Breakfast Cereals

Breakfast cereals are often seen as the “breakfast of champions” and this is exactly what advertisements will tell you.

Don’t fall for it!

Cereals are made from the ground pulp of grains. This pulp has close to zero nutrients because the fibrous and mineral containing husks of the grains are already removed. In addition, allergy to grains is very high especially among the Caucasian population.

An experiment at the University of Michigan involved 18 rats. They were divided into three groups: one group received corn flakes and water; the second group was fed water as well as the cardboard box that came with the corn flakes; the control group received rat chow and water.

The control group was fine. The rats eating the box were malnourished of course and eventually died. But the rats receiving the corn flakes and water died before the rats that were eating the box! (The last corn flake rat died the day the first box rat died.)

They also died a ugly death, which included schizophrenic behavior, fits, convulsions and biting each other.

The conclusion is that the cornflake box was more nutritious than the cornflakes!

Fake Healthy Food #3

Milk. Gasp, especially with all the celebs advertising for milk. Milk itself is not the problem, its just the low quality milk that is usually available to us! Raw, fresh milk from healthy organic cows is actually fine! But when we drink processed milk from unhealthy cows, we end up with…

Reduced Fat Content – Good fats like those in milk are NOT bad for us. But our modern milk has little of this. We use the fats in milk to absorb the other nutrients in the milk, so milk without fat can actually drain your body’s nutrients.

Watery, low nutrient milk – This is a result of cows unnaturally raised, fed bad things like soy and orange peels and rushed into milk production

Powdered milk – These milks are created with a lot of exposure to oxygen. This oxidizes the cholesterol and fat in the milk making is very unhealthy for us because of the increased risk of heart disease.