Beauty Eats

7 Foods Every Woman Must Eat

Here's good-food news: The more you munch on healthy eats, the less you need to worry about Friday night's fat burger and fries. Harvard's medical school has found that women who routinely nibble nutritiously slash their risk of dying from the usual culprits, including heart disease and cancer. To up your odds of living a long and healthy life--despite occasional blow-outs --make sure you regularly include these 7 nutritional powerhouses in your diet.They're the cream of the healthy-foods crop.

1. BERRIES
Ounce for ounce, berries have more protective plant antioxidants than almost any other food. These compounds not only lower your disease risks, they help prevent memory loss. Since berries are high in fill-you-up fiber, they may also help curb weight gain.

(Other popular fruits that are rich in antioxidants are blueberries, kiwi and raspberry but since all these are seasonal apart from being quite expensive, local tropical fruits like oranges, citrus, lime and the most common banana would do.)

2. SALMON

Sure salmon is a prime source of omega-3s, the healthy fats that fend off heart disease and maybe more, but are you aware that a mere 3 ounces of the fish serves up 170% of your daily vitamin B12 and more than 80% of your D.

3. LEAFY GREENS

It's almost impossible to meet your nutritional needs without eating dark leafy greens, from spinach and romaine to collard greens and chard. They're huge sources of fiber; vitamins C and K; folic acid (a B vitamin that guards the heart and memory and fights birth defects); lutein, a vision protector; and four essential minerals: calcium, magnesium, iron, and potassium.

(Other common fibrous leafy greens are lettuce, cabbage and the local pechay.)

4. WHOLE GRAINS

They have up to 96 percent more fiber, magnesium, zinc, chromium and vitamins E and B6 than refined grains. This nutritional powerhouse helps prevent the same health problems that refined grains help cause: heart disease, cancer, diabetes, hypertension and even obesity.

5. NUTS

They're excellent sources of protein, magnesium, B vitamins and E--trusty fighters in the war against heart disease and cancer. Yes, nuts are high in fat calories, but their fat is the heart-healthy kind. Replace junky snacks with them and you won't gain an ounce.

6. GOLDEN VEGGIES

Just one serving of fiber-filled, deep-yellow-orange vegetables supplies five times the beta carotene you need daily to lower your cancer risk, defend against colds and other infections, and protect your skin from sun damage. The potassium in these veggies also keeps your heartbeat in sync and your blood pressure down.

7. YOGURT

Low- or no-fat plain yogurt is a terrific source of B vitamins, protein, calcium and --if it has active cultures--the healthy bacteria known as probiotics, which crowd out disease-causing germs.

The payback part? As one of the Harvard researchers would likely tell you, eating a diverse diet that is low in calories and high in nutrients can make your RealAge as much as 4 years younger.

by Elizabeth Somer, RD.

RealAge