Top Healthiest Foods of All Time

For this week’s health tip, I will list the generally considered top healthiest foods of all time.  Here we go.  1. The sweet potato number one in nutrition of all vegetables. With a score of 184, the sweet potato outscored the next highest vegetable by more than 100 points. Points were given for content of dietary fiber, naturally occurring sugars and complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron and calcium.   Avocados, which are actually classified as a fruit, are low in fructose and rich in healthy monounsaturated fat and potassium, and research has confirmed the avocado's ability to benefit vascular function and heart health. Avocados also provide close to 20 essential health-boosting nutrients, including fiber, vitamin E, B-vitamins, and folic acid.  Swiss chard is an excellent source of vitamins C, E, and A (in the form of beta-carotene) along with the minerals manganese and zinc. When you eat Swiss chard, you get a wealth of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. The betalin pigments in Swiss chard also support your body's Phase 2 detoxification process.  Garlic is rich in manganese, calcium, phosphorus, selenium, and vitamins B6 and C, so it's beneficial for your bones as well as your thyroid. It's thought that much of garlic's therapeutic effect comes from its sulfur-containing compounds, such as allicin, which are also what give it its characteristic smell.  Fresh broccoli sprouts are far more potent than whole broccoli, allowing you to eat far less in terms of quantity. For example, research has revealed that three-day old broccoli sprouts consistently contain anywhere from 10-100 times the amount of glucoraphanin–a chemoprotective compound–found in mature broccoli.   Mushrooms. Aside from being rich in protein, fiber, vitamin C, B vitamins, calcium, and minerals, mushrooms are excellent sources of antioxidants. In addition, some of the most potent immunosupportive agents come from mushrooms, and this is one reason why they're so beneficial for both preventing and treating cancer.    Just one cup of kale will flood your body with disease-fighting vitamins K, A, and C, along with respectable amounts of manganese, copper, B vitamins, fiber, calcium, and potassium. With each serving of kale, you'll also find more than 45 unique flavonoids, which have both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. Kale is also a good source of cancer-fighting sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol.    Spinach is rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, including folate, vitamin A, iron, potassium, calcium, zinc, and selenium. Spinach also contains flavonoids that may help protect your body from free radicals, while offering anti-inflammatory benefits and antioxidant support.   Collard greens.  Rich in vitamin K and phytonutrients – caffeic acid, ferulic acid, quercetin, and kaempferol – collard greens help lower oxidative stress in your cells while fighting inflammation. Other phytonutrients in collard greens, specifically diindolylmethane and sulforaphane, have been clinically proven to combat cancer. Tomatoes are an excellent source of lutein, zeaxanthin, and vitamin C (which is most concentrated in the jelly-like substance that surrounds the seeds), as well as vitamins A, E, and the B vitamins, potassium, manganese, and phosphorus. Tomatoes are also a particularly concentrated source of lycopene – a carotenoid antioxidant that may significantly lower your risk for stroke and cancer.   One serving of cauliflower contains 77 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin C. It's also a good source of vitamin K, protein, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, fiber, vitamin B6, folate, pantothenic acid, potassium, and manganese. Cauliflower is a good source of choline, a B vitamin known for its role in brain development, and contains a wealth of anti-inflammatory nutrients.

Chiropractic and Seasonal Allergies:  Spring has sprung and so has seasonal allergies.  Chiropractic is of benefit to allergy sufferers for two reasons.  1.  Regular chiropractic care improves immune system function.  A strong immune system helps to combat allergic reactions.  2.  Nerves in the upper neck control the function of the sinuses.  If the sinuses are not working properly due to nerve interference, they cannot drain as well as they should and they will stay clogged.  Chiropractic care improves nerve flow to the sinuses, thus helping allergy attacks.

Pregnancy / Prenatal Chiropractic Care Info: A 2018 study by the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association found that pregnant women who were under chiropractic care showed measurable improvements to their quality of life and therefore a sense of coherence.  The results show that women who seek chiropractic care during pregnancy are well educated and under care with other birthing professionals, most often OB/GYNs. Women sought chiropractic care most often for musculoskeletal issues and wellness care and communicated their treatment with other care providers, especially with midwives.  Since chiropractic's inception, the care of pregnant women has been an integral part of the practice of chiropractic.  A popular approach to pregnancy care has been the use of the chiropractic Webster Technique.   The technique involves a specific chiropractic analysis and the application of a chiropractic adjustment along with soft-tissue work to reduce tension on the round ligaments that support the uterus and adjustments that balance the pelvic structure.  The patients under chiropractic pregnancy care in the study were found to be highly satisfied with their chiropractic visit and following a course of chiropractic care, their quality of life measures improved beyond statistical significance.

Author

Dr J. Zimmerman, Chiropractor Dr. Zimmerman is a practicing chiropractor from Galloway, NJ with 30 years of chiropractic practice.