We sometimes believe that a specific food is healthier than it really is, and most of the time that’s not true. In order to find out how healthy a food is, you have to read the label, pay attention to all the ingredients and the portion sizes.
Here is a description of six foods that every woman needs to stay healthy and strong:
Low-fat yogurt
As a health food, yogurts, like any fermented dairy product, including kefir- contain healthy “probiotics” – bacteria that can protect you in many ways. Yogurt may reduce the risk of breast cancer; it can help decrease the risk of stomach ulcers and vaginal infections and can also reduce problems associated with irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory digestive tract disorders. Yogurt contains bone-healthy calcium that every woman needs at any age; one cup of yogurt has about 448 mg of calcium. It is also important to skip the fruit-on-the-bottom or other flavored varieties as they contain too much sugar.
Fatty fish — like salmon, sardines, and mackerel
Fatty fish plays a very important role in the health of the membrane of every cell in our body and it also helps protect us from heart disease, stroke, hypertension, depression, joint pain, and a number of illnesses linked to inflammation, including lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
Beans
Low in fat, beans play a great role in stabilizing female hormones and are a good source of protein and fiber and may have protective effects against heart disease and breast cancer. Beans are considered to be one of the healthiest foods a woman can eat. Beans can help lower cholesterol and they also contain something called protease inhibitors, which may help protect against breast cancer and help slow the division of cancer cells, thus preventing tumor formation.
Tomatoes (or watermelon, red grapefruit, red navel oranges)
All these fruits have great health benefits for women and men. Researches show that lycopene, a nutrient contained in these fruits, has protective effects against prostate cancer and may protect against breast cancer and it’s also a powerful antioxidant that can help a woman fight heart disease. These fruits may also keep you looking younger longer by protecting against UV damage from the sun.
Vitamin D fortified low fat milk or orange juice
Vitamin D helps decrease the risk of osteoporosis and may reduce the risk of diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and tumors of the breast, colon, and ovary. While Vitamin D is found in salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines, experts say fortified foods, such as milk, are the best source.
Berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, cranberries)
These fruits may protect your body with powerful anti-cancer nutrients known as anthocyanoses, which are believed to play a role in cell repair and may reduce the risk of several cancers, including those in the breast and gastrointestinal tract.
These fruits are rich in vitamin C and folic acid, which is essential for all women in their childbearing years and they also offer powerful anti-oxidant protection, which not only protects the heart but also may protect against skin aging, from the inside out. Cranberries may help decrease the risk of urinary tract infections in women, while the nutrient, lutein found in all the berries, can help protect vision.
