Health Food: What & Why

I'd like to know more about the foods I eat.
I'd like to know, specifically, what foods aid in brain function and healing.

I've heard that carrots are good for the eyes, that cranberry juice is good for the liver, that turmeric may help prevent Alzheimer’s, and that a BLT and a Bloody Mary make hangovers more fun. But I'm no nutritionist.

I mean, what do you eat for increased toe strength? What do you eat if you want to take longer naps? What do you eat for telekinesis?

You know, what are the particular benefits of specific foods?

Longer naps? Turkey and wine

Eat vegetables, no meat, wash your hands a lot and hope you don't get hit by a truck.



You're gonna to die anyway. The end.

I know.
I came close recently.
I'd like to put off that inevitability.

Aren't Avocados good for something?

Avocados are good for preventing breast cancer. I'm not being funny, it's been proven. I know they are high in carotenoid lutein, which is supposed to be good for you.

Guacamole.

They provide "good" fats for your body.

Like Thistle said, varied variety of fruits and veggies. Store bought "Organic" foods are not always as they seem. Since there is no real standard for calling something organic, you may not be getting true chemical free, naturally fertilized products. Look for local farmer's markets if you can, or even do some container gardening at your home. A couple of planters, some soil and a plant light or two from Home Depot and you can grow your own tomatoes and greens in an apartment. If you want to get fancy, you can make a basic hydroponics system out of a plastic storage container and a pump from a fish tank, and grow them in about 1/2-1/3 of the time.

I am often skeptical of fad food fashions, particularly when they aren't back up by the FDA or solid science. In this way, I'm skeptical of this gluten-free kick everyone's on these days. In two years, it'll be something else altogether.

Pineapple.

Only if you consider eating food grown with chemicals a non-health risk.

(as some do and some don't)

Wash your hands a lot. Trust me. That's way better than health food. There is no real health food in America anyway.


Soap, man.

This. Also exercise. It doesn't matter what you're eating if you're not getting proper and regular exercise.

Drink lots of water, too. You'd be amazed at how much your health improves if you consistently add two or three glasses of water to your daily intake.

Just not cumulatively, because we all know what that would lead to, FYI.

WHFoods.com has a lot of good information on what they consider to be the world's 100 healthiest foods, including how to select and store foods and how to prepare them in a way that maximizes their nutritional benefits.

Salmon.It's full of omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins. (Sockeye salmon are also rich in vitamin D, a vitamin that is hard to get from most foods and is linked to protecting against several kinds of cancer.) It's good for your cardiovascular system, your brain (some studies have shown a diet rich in omega 3 protects against Alzheimer's and dementia), and your skin. (The fatty acids moisturize your skin from the inside out and are also a natural anti-inflammatory.)