BY DR. JOEL FUHRMAN
10 Best
Green Leafy Vegetables
Leafy greens pack a micronutrient punch. This category includes dark lettuces, kale, collard greens, arugula, and watercress.
Cruciferous Vegetables
Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and radishes contain phytochemicals that modify hormones, detoxify compounds, and prevent toxins from damaging DNA.
Berries
Berries support heart health, improve blood glucose levels, and reduce inflammation. Enjoy all berries including blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries.
Beans
Satisfying and versatile, beans and legumes contain high levels of soluble and insoluble fiber and resistant starch.
Mushrooms
White button, Portabello, shiitake, oyster and other varieties protect against respiratory infections and breast cancer.
Onions
Onions, leeks, scallions and garlic supply anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant compounds.
Nuts
Walnuts, pistachios, pine nuts and almonds are rich in sterols, stanols, fiber, minerals, and other health-promoting nutrients and protect against heart disease.
Seeds
Seeds provide the advantages of nuts and provide omega-3 fats (flax, chia, hemp) and anti-cancer lignans (flax, chia, sesame).
Tomatoes
Tomatoes have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that help to protect against cancer and disease.
Pomegranates and Cherries
These fruits protect against heart disease, cancer, cognitive impairment, and reduce oxidative stress.
10 Worst
Smoked, BBQ, or Conventionally Raised Red Meat
Contains cancer-promoting hormones and increases production of cancer-promoting hormones in humans. Cooking process produces carcinogens.
Commercial Baked Goods
Refined carbohydrates made from white flour, sugar, and oils are linked to depression as well as dementia. Avoid margarines, shortening, and fast foods, which also may contain trans fats.
Butter
Butter is linked to higher cholesterol, higher rates of heart disease deaths, and higher rates of invasive cancer, such as breast cancer.
Pancakes and Donuts
They are high in white flour, sweeteners, and oil (a triad of danger) and then fried - all of which magnifies your risk of heart disease and cancer.
Soda
The phosphoric acid in colas may cause calcium loss. Artificial sweeteners in diet sodas disrupt the body's connection between taste and nourishment.
Fried Foods
Fried foods form acrylamides and other dangerous inflammation-promoting compounds as they cook, which can cause genetic mutations and increase the risk of cancer.
Highly Salted Foods
Excess sodium is linked to high blood pressure, strokes, heart enlargement and heart attacks, autoimmune disease, kidney disease, and stomach cancer.
Hot Dogs and Luncheon Meats
These processed meat scraps with chemical preservatives and coloring agents are linked to early death and childhood cancer when consumed during childhood or by parents before conception.
White Sugar and Calorically-Dense Sweeteners
All caloric sweeteners have effects that promote weight gain, heart disease, and diabetes. This includes maple syrup, honey, and agave. Concentrated sweeteners are linked to cancer.
Sweetened Dairy Products
Ice cream, low-fat ice cream, and frozen yogurt are high in dairy protein and concentrated sweetening agents. They are linked to elevations in growth-promoting hormones and certain cancers.
