Health Coach's Top 10 Healthy Foods

This next blog series will focus on my personal "Top 10" foods list that I culled from The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, written by Johnny Bowden.1 There are so many healthy foods from which to choose making it difficult to narrow the list to only 10. However, I finally settled on a list that consists of readily available foods that are commonly eaten, even by those who are not paticularly health conscious. After all, a list is only good insofar as it is incorporated into the diet. In addition, many of the foods I chose are complementary to one another, provide a balance of essential nutrients, and include options for reducing toxicity potential. The foods on my "Top 10" list are:

Apples

Blueberries

Avocados

Spinach

Eggs

Almonds/almond butter

Oatmeal

Cinnamon

Coconut oil

Water

I did not include meat or fish on the list, primarily because people already consume vast amounts of meat and most fish is contaminated with mercury or other toxins. I concentrated on foods that can be incorporated into a daily eating plan regardless of budget and ones that can be paired with one another. For instance, blueberries, cinnamon, and almonds can be toppings for oatmeal; eggs, almonds, and avocados can be used as toppings for spinach salads; and almond butter slathered on apples can make a great snack. In addition, I included coconunt oil on my list in the hope that I may educate people about the benefits of using healthy oils when cooking. Finally, I included water on the list because it is critical to every body function and because most people simply do not drink enough of it.

Over the coming weeks I will go into detail about the health benefits of each of the "Top 10" foods. But you don't have to wait until then to begin enjoying these healthful delights.

1 Bowden, J. (2007). The 150 healthiest foods on earth: the surprising, unbiased truth about what you should eat and why. Beveryly, MA: Fair Winds Press.