Many foods that we perceive as nutritional lightweights actually are just as healthy as — and, for many people, more enjoyable than — the so-called superfoods, such as broccoli and spinach. Here, some of the best…

Iceberg Lettuce

The light green color of iceberg lettuce suggests that it isn’t rich in nutrients.

Fact: Iceberg contains lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoids that reduce the risk for cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, the leading causes of blindness in older adults.

Bonus: Eat a salad at the beginning of a meal. It is low in calories and, like any food, stimulates the release of cholecystokinin (CCK), a satiety hormone that reduces appetite and causes people to consume fewer calories overall.

Watermelon

It contains more water than most fruits. The high liquid content, along with the sugars and fiber, make watermelon the perfect snack before workouts. But it’s more than a snack food.

Fact: Watermelon contains 40% more lycopene than fresh (uncooked) tomatoes. Lycopene is a potent antioxidant that strengthens the immune system and may lower the risk for breast and prostate cancers.

Helpful: When you take a watermelon home, keep it on the counter even after cutting it open. Room-temperature watermelon continues to produce antioxidants for about two weeks. It will contain up to 40% more lycopene and up to 139% more beta-carotene than cold watermelon.

Sauerkraut

Fresh, minimally processed vegetables are presumed to be the healthiest. Not always.

Fact: One study found that women who ate at least four weekly servings of fermented cabbage, better known as sauerkraut, were 72% less likely to develop breast cancer than those who ate less.

Eating fermented cabbage changes gut metabolism and may help to protect the intestinal tract. Isothiocyanates, which are naturally present in all the cruciferous vegetables, appear to inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells and accelerate the death of these cells.

Korean kimchi, a spicy form of fermented cabbage, appears to have similar effects.

Onions

Most people use onions mainly as a seasoning ingredient in soups and stews and on burgers and salads. For good health, use a lot of them.

Fact: Onions are high in vitamin C, fiber, vitamin B-6 and folate. They also are rich in quercetin, a flavonoid with powerful anticancer effects, and allyl sulfides, the same protective compounds that are present in garlic.

Studies have found that people who eat between 14 and 22 servings of onions a week can reduce their risk for oral cancer by 84%. They have a 56% reduced risk for colon cancer, a 25% reduced risk for breast cancer and a 71% reduced risk for prostate cancer.

Red onions have the most quercetin. However, pink shallots contain the richest mix of chemical compounds and more antioxidants than other onions.

Artichokes

They’re work to eat, but the payoff can be better digestive health.

Fact: One study found that people who took an artichoke leaf extract had a 26.4% reduction in symptoms from irritable bowel syndrome. One of the chemical compounds in artichokes, silymarin, is reputed to improve liver health in patients with hepatitis, but this hasn’t been proved.

I advise patients to eat whole, natural foods rather than depending solely on supplements. Artichokes contain a mix of antioxidants, including narirutin and apigenin-7-rutinoside, that aren’t necessarily included in supplements.

Helpful: Look for artichokes with long stems. When cooked, the stems are almost as tasty as the hearts. Peel the stems to make them more tender. Canned, frozen and jarred artichoke hearts are good, too.

Avocados

Avocados have the distinction of being higher in fat than any other fruit or vegetable. One medium Hass avocado, for example, has about 29 grams of fat and about 320 calories.

Fact: Nearly all of the fat in avocados is the healthful, monounsaturated form. In a study of patients with high cholesterol, those who included avocado in their daily diet had a decrease in total cholesterol, along with an 11% increase in beneficial HDL cholesterol.

As a source of healthy fat, avocado is better than butter and is delicious when spread on toast or a sandwich.

Source(s):

Bottom Line/Personal interviewed John La Puma, MD, an internist at Santa Barbara Institute for Medical Nutrition and Healthy Weight in Santa Barbara, California. A professionally trained chef, he hosts the Lifetime television series What’s Cookin’ with ChefMD? He is author of ChefMD’s Big Book of Culinary Medicine: A Food Lover’s Road Map to Losing Weight, Preventing Disease and Getting Really Healthy (Three Rivers). He writes the blog “Paging Dr. La Puma” at www.DrJohnLaPuma.com.

As is the case with so many things we humans do, less is more.
Skin care need not be as difficult, time-consuming or as expensive as some would have you believe.

Step one:
Drink lots of water!
Skin loves water and responds almost immediately,by being plumped up and younger looking.
Don’t wait until you’re feeling thirsty, to drink a cool refeshing glass of pure water.
Another bonus to drinking water often is that it helps to fill you up, so you eat less at mealtimes and so never need worry about gaining weight.

Step two:
Get a professional facial for the start of the Summer season.
Yes, I know there are many store bought, at-home-facials,but in my opinion and experience, they are never as thorough as those done by a salon or spa practioner.

Besides, couldn’t you do with some pampering?

As well, you may find that your skin has changed over the years and needs different skin care products than the
ones you are currently using.
Remember, no matter how expensive or wonderful skin care is, if it’s not
the right formula for your skin, it’s not doing you any good!

Step three:
Summer eating is different from the other seasons, it’s easier!
The varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables seem endless, add one new “favourite” to your diet.
Vitamins, fiber, antioxidants are just some of the natural benefits derived from friuts and vegetable.
Plus they are delicous, too!

Step four:
After your facial, you will want to maintain your fresh, clean,glowing skin.
Make sure you have the right products for your skin type.
Then your routine should take between
3-5 minutes, morning and evening.
Any less and you’re not doing enough, any longer, you’ll soon get fed up and don’t do it at all!

Step five:
Gently exfoliate and clean the days dirt and dead cells from your skin, every day!
There are facial scrubs and face cloths, but I prefer to use
my fingers, as they give me more control over the pressure that
I apply, especially on my face and around the eye area.
Remember skin works hard but can be very easily damaged by too much rough handling!

Step six:
Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!
Day and night, you must moisturize your skin with the proper
formula for your skin type ( Dry, Oily, Normal, Combination).
As well, in the daytime, use skin care products with the highest SPF(Sun protection factor).
One of the surest way to age your skin is to allow it to become dried out.
This why moisturzers are such an important component of your skin care regimen.
Moisturizers, don’t really provide moisture, as much as they lock it in!
You supply the moisture by drinking enough water to hydrate your skin and the right moisturizer will lock it in, giving you young looking, glowing, radiant, wrinkle-free skin for years!

For more Diet info and articles visit:
http://www.bruisedonion.com/guide/diets/