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Look and Feel Younger and Healthier With These Foods

"We dig our grave with our teeth." This old saying sounds funny and odd, but unfortunately it is true. We are told from the time we are young that food provides calories or energy. But there's so much more to food nutrition than that. Foods can make you feel healthier and younger - or they can make you deathly ill.

Nowadays, it is more important than ever to eat healthy. Certain healthy foods can help prevent heart disease or cause it. Healthy, wholesome foods can help you lose excess weight while junk foods cause you to get fat. Some foods nourish your hair and skin keeping them healthy and glowing while other foods don't, causing them to fall out sooner than they should. If you think genes are the only factor, consider this; your food choices and nutrition intake will cause some genes to activate while others lie dormant.

By making easy changes to your diet, you can feel and look better while drastically reducing the risk for disease. In the long run, these dietary changes can cut your health care costs and reduce your chances of having to be dependent on medications later in life.

Knowing which foods to avoid can be easy. We all know what junk food is. The more processed the food, the less nutritious it may be. But, what should we eat? Here is a partial list of food that are high in nutrition to help you feel young and stay healthy.

Bananas are full of Vitamin C, potassium, magnesium and fiber. The high potassium can help regulate high blood pressure while other nutrients help strengthen your stomach lining against ulcers.

Barley has long been well known in the Middle East as a heart medicine. It can help reduce cholesterol levels and is full of antioxidants can help your body fight cancer. Dried barley grass is a healthy, green super-food used by many for it's high content of vitamins, minerals and proteins.

Beans are high in fiber which can reduce cholesterol levels as much as 10 percent. Another powerful side effect of beans is that they help regulate blood-sugar levels.

Blueberries can work as a powerful antibiotic. They help keep infectious bacteria from attaching itself to the lining of your urinary tract, helping to prevent bladder infections.

Cinnamon has been shown to stimulate insulin activity so may be helpful for those with adult-onset diabetes. Other studies have proven that it may help prevent blood clots.

Chili Peppers are known to help keep blood flowing freely which helps lower the risk of heart attack and stroke. They contain a substance called capsaicin, which fights inflammation. It is currently being studied for pain relief such as in arthritis and psoriasis. Many athletes advocate using chili pepper sauce on foods to speed up metabolism.

Dates are packed with minerals including iron, manganese, potassium, phosphorous, calcium, copper and magnesium as well as being high in fiber. These treats also contain a substance that acts as a natural aspirin.

Garlic stimulates the immune system. It is anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. It also helps your body kill off parasites and eliminate toxic substances including lead. It is now being researched by the National Cancer Institute for anti-tumor properties.

Ginger has long been known to relieve nausea. It is also anti-inflammatory helping to relieve pain and swelling due to rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Researchers have also found it to be helpful to block the effect of certain substances which cause inflammation of the brain that leads to migraines. Other research has discovered ginger to have a similar effect as does aspirin on thinning blood clots.

Parsley is rich in antioxidants and can help detoxify carcinogens, including those in tobacco smoke. It is a known to absorb toxins to assist their removal.

Teas, especially green, are a great source of polyphenols. This antioxidant protect from free-radical damage which many believe to start the premature aging skin and hair. Drink it for health reasons as just 2 cups daily can help lower the risk of ovarian cancer by 46% and help you shed belly fat at the same time.

It is easy to add these power foods to your daily regimen. Don't fall into the trap of disbelief or thinking they aren't powerful - there is a reason why Hippocrates called for all doctors to advocate food as medicine.