Valentine’s Day is traditionally a holiday of indulgence, letting your loved ones know you love them by gifting them huge amounts of chocolate, roses and champagne. But the day of love also had me thinking about what our bodies love: the foods we need and should eat for good health.
Here are some alternatives to have your body ‘love what you eat’ this Valentine’s or Galentine’s Day, according to Fitness Magazine’s “The 10 Healthiest Foods on the Planet”:
Lemons: Lemons, my personal favorite, contain flavonoids that act as an anti-inflammatory and may help inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
Broccoli: One stalk of broccoli contains more than 100 percent of your daily vitamin K requirement and almost 200 percent of your daily dose of vitamin C, two essential bone-building nutrients.
Dark Chocolate: Not all hope is lost for chocolate on Valentine’s Day! Try opting for dark chocolate. Just a fourth of an ounce daily can reduce blood pressure.
Potatoes: If you know me, you know that I love potatoes. But I was surprised to learn that one red potato contains 66 microgram of cell-building folate — about the same as one cup of broccoli. One sweet potato has almost eight times the amount of cancer-fighting and immune-boosting vitamin A you need per day.
Salmon: Salmon is a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids, which have been linked to reducing the risk of depression, heart disease and cancer.
Walnuts: Walnuts also contain Omega-3 acids, which help reduce cholesterol.
Avocados: Guac lovers rejoice! Avocados are rich in healthy fats for our bodies, and yes, we know guac is extra.
Garlic: Garlic is a disease fighter as it helps to inhibit bacterial growth and serves as an anti-inflammatory.
Spinach: Spinach contains immune boosting antioxidants, and is pretty flavorless when added to smoothies.
Beans: Eating a serving of legumes, a.k.a. beans, peas or lentils, four times a week can lower your risk of heart disease. And, they make every Chipotle burrito tastier!
