Top 5 Foods Every Woman Should Know
by Amy Day, ND

You are meandering up and down the aisles of your favorite local grocery store, trying to figure it out. What am I supposed to eat?!? As a health conscious consumer, you know that you are what you eat, and you want to select foods that will make you feel great and keep you healthy for years to come. You are diligently reading labels and trying your best to separate out nutritional truth from marketing fluff. Sticking mostly to the perimeter of the store and concentrating on organic fresh foods from the produce and bulk sections, you do your best to avoid the false sense of “healthy” coming from those organic vegan fat-free gluten-free brownies.

Whether healthy eating is new to you or you’ve been working on your diet for years, it will be helpful to know that there is a lot of research now to prove the health benefits of many foods.  Here are the top 5 foods that I encourage my patients to eat to promote health, prevent disease, and increase vitality.

Berries
Blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and cranberries are all good choices. These fruits are low on the glycemic index so they are easy on blood sugar, and they are packed with antioxidants to protect against heart disease, eye and nerve damage, and cellular degeneration throughout the body. Raspberry leaf tea is a great women’s tonic and smooth muscle relaxant (good for menstrual cramps). Unsweetened cranberry juice helps to stave off bladder infections and kidney stones.

Broccoli
The cruciferous (or brassica) family of veggies provides great liver detoxification support. This family includes such delights as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, turnip, mustard greens, kale, rutabaga, kohlrabi, and collard greens. These foods are the dietary source of indole-3-carbinol which aids in the safe metabolism and breakdown of estrogen, and has been shown to lower the risk of breast cancer.

Coconut Oil
Many people are surprised to hear that coconut oil is a healthy choice. Yes, it is a saturated fat, but we actually do need some saturated fat in our diets. Instead, you need to carefully avoid trans fats. Coconut oil is great for cooking because it resists the heat damage that occurs to polyunsaturated vegetable oils. Because of its high content of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) it is easy to digest and enables the body to burn fat for energy. This makes it a great weight loss food that also helps to maintain healthy cholesterol levels and lower the risk of heart disease. The main type of MCT found in coconut oil is lauric acid, which is the same substance in breast milk that helps to strengthen the immune system.

Flax Seeds (Ground)
Among the variety of healthy nuts and seeds, flax plays a special role. Flax oil is a tasty and balanced source of both omega 3 and omega 6 oils. What makes flax so unique, however, is the high dose of lignans in the fiber. This component is best obtained from grinding the seeds into a powder which can be sprinkled over foods or mixed into drinks.  The lignans promote healthy hormone balance while increasing dietary fiber to aid digestive function and prevent colon cancer. Eating 2 Tbs. per day can help with hot flashes, PMS, PCOS, diarrhea and constipation. Because it can be damaged by heat, flax should be stored in the fridge and eaten raw.

Yogurt and Kefir
Many people who have difficulty digesting dairy do fine with these fermented foods. If you can tolerate them, these foods are a great source of the good bacteria that we all need to maintain a healthy colon. Keeping a good balance of colonic flora promotes proper digestion and immune function to help with IBS, yeast infections, and recovery after antibiotics. Good sources of calcium and protein, these foods make a great snack or smoothie.