Diet

Best Diets for Women: 8 Must-Eat Superfoods

Incorporating these powerfully nutritious items into your diet will do wonders for your health -- and your looks

by Audrey Fine

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While you won't find the definition of "superfood" in any seriously scientific textbook, in recent years the term has been bandied about by the media, nutritionists and women's diet gurus to describe foods (mostly fruits, veggies and seeds/nuts) that are rich in phytonutrient content -- in other words, foods that boast significant amounts of stuff that's good for you and should be included in your diet. "Stuff" like antioxidants (to help prevent cell damage), anthocyanins (to help cells block UV light), vitamin C (to help with everything from wound healing to oxidative stress) and dietary fiber (to help food move through your body more quickly).

Used to be that you could feel relatively confident that you were "eating well" if you munched on a couple of carrots, snacked on the occasional apple and steered clear of Big Macs. Not so much anymore. These days it's all about maximizing the nutritional punch of the foods you eat. The more they pack, the healthier you'll be -- and the better equipped your body will be to help fend off certain diseases (including type 11 diabetes and some cancers) and even reverse the aging process. Or so the thinking goes.

See the 8 superfoods you should be eating

On his website, Dr. Steven Pratt, author of several best-selling books including "SuperFoods RX" says that "These nutritional powerhouse foods are loaded with nutrients crucial to a healthy, long life," and notes that they're readily available in most supermarkets -- you just have to know what you're looking for!

Are you game? Let's find out which foods you should add to your grocery list. But, first, a little about why we need to eat these foods rather than just take a vitamin -- or 12.

SEE NEXT PAGE: Why choose food over supplements?

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Older comments

good article

by butterfly11 Wednesday, March 13, 2013 at 10:26PM Report as inappropriate

great info....

by jenni84 Wednesday, February 20, 2013 at 09:26AM Report as inappropriate

It's a good reminder. Skincare and makeup isn't enough if the dietary habits are poor. I, for some reason, don't need to be reminded about dark chocolate.

by bksc Tuesday, January 15, 2013 at 11:35PM Report as inappropriate

Yes! Chocolate! and Salmon! But probably not together...

by cheerio9551 Monday, January 7, 2013 at 02:48PM Report as inappropriate

i hate sweet potatoes but eat/love everything on this :D

by rayshaviolet Monday, January 7, 2013 at 11:40AM Report as inappropriate

Hmmm, I could do the chocolate bit. ;)

by jenboleyn Thursday, January 3, 2013 at 11:12AM Report as inappropriate

I already eat most of these. No diet, even the best diet, is enough to make you healthy. It has to be paired with exercise.

by kimihavens Wednesday, January 2, 2013 at 12:29PM Report as inappropriate

Yes to everything here, but light on the beans!

by EricaC123 Wednesday, December 26, 2012 at 03:18PM Report as inappropriate

I loved this article thank you!

by Ladybugg9 Tuesday, November 20, 2012 at 05:34PM Report as inappropriate

ere are so much easier healthier ways to get everything this article says we need. If you don't like fish or the fresh salmon is pricey, China seeds are great substitute for that as well as blueberries. Then in place of beans, which has not that much fiber and most people don't care forthem, you could use fiber 1 cereal which is great in yogurts or smoothies. Other are other cheaper/faster ways to get your antioxidants and then some. This article is so basic and it seems most people here are educated in that. Especially when Dr. Oz has a faithful following.

by Lani702 Thursday, November 1, 2012 at 11:13PM Report as inappropriate