On day 19 of Get Healthy Co-op Style, UA member and Health Coach Kim Wilson shares her list of top 5 super foods.  Pack your diet with these to stay healthy!

Please follow along, join us, blog, tweet and Facebook about it and be sure to use hashtag  #GetHealthyCoopStyle.

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Top 5 Super Foods

by Kim Wilson, Health Coach

If a a pill existed that promised weight loss, improved immunity, limitless energy, and prevention of disease, you would probably be lining up to take it, right? Well I have good news! There is no pill that could do all of that, but the right food choices can deliver all of those benefits!!

Take a look at my favorite super foods that are low calorie, low in sugar and salt, and pack a huge nutritional punch!

Kale

Dark Leafy Greens:

Calorie for calorie, they deliver more nutrients than just about any other food on the planet. Loaded with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, leafy greens give your body the protection needed to fight off potential killers like heart disease and cancer. Simply put, leafy greens benefit virtually every cell you’ve got!

My favorite leafy greens are kale, arugula, and mustard greens. You can toss them into anything to boost nutrition, but be sure to give them a good wash first. Raw or cooked, on their own or added to smoothies, omelets and sauces, leafy greens add health-sustaining doses of vitamins A, C, K, folate, potassium, and calcium to every meal.

Cruciferous Veggies:

Do you want to lower your cancer risk? Put theses cruciferous veggies on your grocery list: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, kale and bok choy. Research suggests cruciferous veggies have the ability to inhibit the growth of some types of cancer cells and even stop others by reducing the production of free radicals.

Avocado:

This is my #1 favorite food! Don’t fear the avocado because you think it’s fattening! The avocado is a delicious, creamy superfood that is too health-boosting to skip. There are a ton of healthy fats and nutrients found in avocados – oleic acid, lutein, folate, vitamin E, monounsaturated fats and glutathione for example – can help protect your body from heart disease, cancer, degenerative eye and brain diseases. Avocados also taste great and are easily integrated into any meal – or even a fruit smoothie. Add a half an avocado to smoothies to add creamy texture and a powerful nutritional boost, or enjoy an avocado half as a nutritious “side” to your morning omelet instead of potatoes or toast.

Blueberries:

Tasty, sweet and packed with disease-fighting phytochemicals, flavinoids and soluble fiber – blueberries have the power to help prevent serious diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, stomach ulcers and high blood pressure. Blueberries are phenomenal! They also help tame inflammation throughout the body and can reduce “bad” cholesterol. Add blueberries to your smoothie or eat them as a snack!

Walnuts:

My favorite nut! But you don’t need to eat a lot of them to get their benefits. Just a small handful a day will deliver a healthy dose of omega-3’s, alpha-linolenic acid, melatonin, copper, manganese and vitamin E which helps protect your heart. Walnuts may also protect your brain and help slow the onset of
 Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

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Kim Wilson Pollock is a Certified Holistic Health & Wellness Consultant dedicated to helping busy individuals live a healthier lifestyle. She received her certification through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Kim’s life changed in 2006 when her mother was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer. Her mom decided to fight her cancer through nutrition by changing her diet and eating real foods, juicing green vegetables and creating delicious green smoothies and Kim was quick to join her mom in this new lifestyle!  Visit her at [www.kimwilsonhealthcoach.com]. Follow Kim on Facebook and Twitter.