Health

The 7 Healthiest Foods You Should Eat and Why

The 7 Healthiest Foods You Should Eat and Why

When someone mentions that they follow a healthy diet, most likely, the foods that come to mind are the typical ones such as vegetables or fruit, but, if you keep reading, you will find some foods that might surprise you.

First of all, it’s essential to know there are endless benefits to following a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Your body doesn’t just get all the nutrients it needs to function correctly, but you can optimize your energy levels, improve your sleep, and overall feel much better about yourself, physically and mentally. Having a balanced diet has been defined in many ways, however, there is not one that applies to all.

There has always been a great deal of resistance and doubt when it comes specifically to eating healthy and it’s mostly due to misinformation out there. People have seen it as restricting, boring and tasteless, but this is untrue. In this article, we will share a list of the 7 healthiest foods there are and the benefits from including each one of them in your diet.

And without further ado, our Funky Fat top 7 healthiest foods list:

1. Salmon

Packed with omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, and very high in protein, salmon is one of the most beneficial foods out there. Most people consume too many omega-6 fatty acids, and salmon helps balance out these two, helping to reduce the risk of heart disease and problems in the circulatory system. B vitamins, on the other hand, are essential for energy production, to help reduce chronic inflammation, and protect the heart and brain health.

2. Eggs

Eggs are considered a 'complete' source of protein as they contain nine of the 20 essential amino acids our bodies need. They’re a great source of vitamin B12 for anyone following a vegetarian lifestyle or anyone in general really.  They also have unique antioxidants that help aid eye health and powerful brain nutrients that many people are deficient in. 

For a long time, there were rumours about eggs raising cholesterol, and guess what, THEY’RE TRUE! Which is something many saw as a threat, or a danger… However, the entire truth wasn’t told correctly. The liver already produces cholesterol, so whenever we eat dietary cholesterol, the liver produces less to balance out the levels. In summary, this doesn’t affect every individual the same way, it turns out that in 70% there is no change in cholesterol levels at all.

Fun fact: most of the nutrients are found in the yolk, the white part only contains protein.

3. Berries

Berries are the delicious fruit most of us can’t get enough of. These small and colourful fruits are commonly known to be full of antioxidants. The main job of antioxidants is to help prevent cell damage and reduce the risk of certain diseases. But did you know that due to their fiber content, they also help control our blood sugar levels and avoid dangerous blood sugar spikes? 

Lastly, another ‘berry’ interesting benefit is that eating berries can help keep your eyes healthy, studies have shown that eating at least three servings of strawberries per week can help prevent macular degeneration. Making it one of the best keto snacks out there.

4. Spinach

Spinach, such a versatile vegetable. It can be used in salads, smoothies, omelettes, soups, we simply love it! This leafy green marvel is loaded with nutrients, especially calcium, magnesium, and iron. These nutrients are important for healthy skin, hair, and bones. 

Another aspect, and one of our favorites about spinach, is that it has anti-inflammatory properties because it contains neoxanthin and violaxanthin.

5. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is even more versatile than spinach as it is not only consumed in foods but also used for hair products, sunscreen, deodorants, etc. It has many nutrients that can contribute to your health since it’s full of fatty acids that your body needs, so the good kind. It may help improve cognitive function, metabolism, and hair and skin health; therefore the reason for using it in beauty products.

Coconut oil has been found to increase levels of HDL (the good) cholesterol in some women while lowering LDL cholesterol. One of the reasons behind all of these benefits is a fat found in coconut oil known as MCTs or medium-chain triglycerides. Unlike long-chain fats that you’ll find in fatty meats and dairy, MCTs are digested much more easily since there is no need for enzymes or bile acids for digestion and what happens is that it goes straight to the liver, gets quickly digested and absorbed which, in turn, leads to it immediate conversion into energy.

Our Funky Fat Chocs are functional because they’re not only good for you and free of all the bad stuff that prevents you from getting the best of our ingredients, they have added MCTs so you can enjoy a delicious healthy chocolate bar while getting all the benefits of MCTs. You’re welcome.

6. Nuts and Seeds

Nuts are packed with vitamins, proteins, vitamin E, and minerals, including iron, potassium, selenium, magnesium, zinc, and copper. We would need a separate article to talk about the benefits of each individual type, however, the most important benefits are that they are high in fat, low in carbs, and a great source of several nutrients. Therefore, consider trying our Funky Fat Choc with Hazelnuts if you haven’t yet.

Seeds, on the other hand, contain the embryo of future plants, which means they're stocked with nutrients, such as iron, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. They’re also high in healthy fats, fiber, and minerals. Can’t get much into details cause also, there are so many, each with their own amazing benefits. 

Also, two wonderful keto snacks or toppings for your low-carb breakfast.

7. Dark chocolate

What? Chocolate? Among the healthiest foods? You betcha 😉

Studies show that dark chocolate when made properly, it is a heart-healthy chocolate treat. What do we mean by made properly? Good question. 

Dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants, however, these are blocked from doing their job in promoting proper blood flow and improving cardiovascular health when combined with added sugars, milk, or fillers. By skipping all that artificial stuff, antioxidants can do their work and so can nitric oxide, a gas that helps to relax the arteries produced when eating healthy dark chocolate, and that improves blood circulation.

 

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References: 

1. SafeBeat

2. Healthline

3. National Library of Medicine

4.  MDPI

5.  Pharmeasy

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