Do you find it difficult to stay away from the snack section at the grocery store? Are you the kind of person who needs dessert with every meal? Do you have ridiculous cravings that will only subside if the hunger is fed? Although foods like chocolate, or pretzels fulfill a temporary craving, the long-term effects of indulging these feelings are detrimental to your health. The results can be almost instantaneous as the bellyache, or a guilty conscious takes way. If you are what you eat, paying attention to how certain foods affect your body can be the cure to making you feel happier. Not only will you look better, but also the results will be long lasting. Next time you hit the grocery store, try avoiding the “aisle of doom” and buy some of these healthy feel-good foods.
- Oatmeal. Full of omega-3 fatty acids, oatmeal is the perfect food to start a day off right. Paired with fresh fruit, or milk, oatmeal can be a tasty way of getting potassium and fiber into your diet. This food is also known to lower cholesterol.
- Sweet Potatoes. One of the best vegetables out there, the sweet potatoes name matches its flavor. Cook with applesauce to add an extra bit of moisture. Loaded with potassium and fiber, the sweet potato provides a surprising amount of vitamin C.
- Salmon. This fish can effectively reduce blood pressure and keep heart attacks at bay. Full of omega-3 fatty acids, Salmon is also a tasty source of antioxidants. Just be sure that when purchasing, you choose wild salmon over-farm raised fish to avoid pesticides.
- Mangoes. A whopping 3 grams of fiber is found in this tasty fruit, alongside a healthy dosage of potassium. Not only are mangos the least likely fruit to have pesticides, but also they provide three-quarters of the day’s vitamin C serving.
- Avocado. This green food is full of healthy fat essential to your diet. Packed with monosaturated fat, the avocado has the key ingredient to maintaining a healthy heart and keeping carotenoids at a minimum.
- Unsweetened Yogurt. Eaten with berries, or bananas, unsweetened yogurt provides the perfect tartness to compliment these fruits. This food contains more zinc, calcium, and protein than sweetened yogurt due to the lack of sugary preservatives.
- Olive Oil. A great alternative to cooking with butter, olive oil is proven to lower cholesterol and reduces the risk of heart disease. Keep an eye out for extra-virgin olive oil at the store because these are the least processed.
- Garbanzo Beans. These particular beans are rich in iron, magnesium, protein, and fiber. They are the stars of the bean family because they can be cooked so many ways. Toss them into a salad, or in a vegetable curry and you get your daily dose of fiber.
- Berries. Savory with a salad, or cereal, berries are packed with anti-inflammatories, which reduce your chances of cancer and heart disease. Your options are endless between tart blueberries and sweet strawberries.
- Broccoli. This little green tree has enough vitamin c, folic acid, and vitamin C to give you the energy to last the day. It not only reduces blood pressure, but is also proven to promote good hormones. This versatile vegetable adds iron to your diet, particularly helpful to women.
Molly Vogel writes for a Canadian personal finance blog with an emphasis on careers, real estate, politics, and banking.
