The foods and nutrients found in your refrigerator can have a far greater effect on your health than the prescription pills sitting in your cupboard. In essence, your refrigerator is the local pharmacy right in your own home.
The Diabetes Prevention Program, a large-scale clinical research study that pitted diet and lifestyle changes against drugs in preventing Type 2 diabetes, made this nutrient power evident. The people in the study who received diet and lifestyle counseling experienced nearly twice the reduction in their risk of diabetes than those taking diabetes medication. This difference was so great that the researchers stopped the study early
But in the pantheon of healthy and nutritious fare, some options are superstars, with potentially powerful and diverse effects on your health — no prescription required.
Salmon
Salmon is a potent dietary source of the heart-healthy omega-3 fats EPA and DHA. Despite what you may have heard, farmed salmon actually contains more omega-3 fats than wild salmon. Salmon is also a smart choice of fish because it contains low levels of mercury. EPA and DHA have profound effects on heart health, ranging from decreasing triglyceride levels — an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease — to reducing the risk of sudden death from heart attacks by almost 50 percent.
Chia Seeds
Chia seeds — yes, from the famous Chia pet — have emerged as a health-boosting powerhouse. One tablespoon of chia seeds contains five grams of fiber, while you’d need two tablespoons of flaxseed meal to get the same amount of fiber.
Blueberries
Blueberries are one of a limited number of fruits with its origins in North America. A berry with a long history, researchers estimate that blueberries have been around for 13,000 years.
Raspberries
Blueberries are often touted as the ultimate healthy food, but raspberries contain a nutrient profile that should not be forgotten. One cup of raspberries has more than two times the fiber of one cup of blueberries.
Kimchee
Kimchee is a traditional Korean dish consisting of fermented vegetables, mainly cabbage. The fermentation of the cabbage to make kimchee fosters the growth of probiotics such as lactobacilli, the same healthy bacteria found in yogurt.
Broccoli
Perhaps you remember broccoli as one food that your parents forced you to eat as a child. But your parents were onto something
Spinach
Spinach is your nutrition utility player because of its broad spectrum of nutrients. Spinach contains 18 different vitamins and minerals, ranging from iron to vitamin A. When looking to get more spinach into your diet, purchase triple-washed and bagged baby spinach.
Cottage Cheese with Live Cultures
Cottage cheese is a cheese curd product that is high in casein, a dairy protein that is absorbed slowly by your body, fueling muscle. In addition to its high levels of casein, cottage cheese contains live cultures, or probiotics, that play both functional and nutritional roles
Walnuts
People have been eating walnuts for thousands of years, with reports of growing walnut trees dating as far back as the Roman empire
Omega-3 Eggs
Omega-3 eggs are the nutritionally-upgraded versions of the eggs you usually eat. By feeding chickens omega-3-rich food, the eggs they lay contain more omega-3s.
