Top 20 healthiest foods (Part 1)

For this article, I’ll list down the top foods experts generally consider to be healthy. This list (obviously controversial) is based on published researches and studies.

For our countdown, here are the first 10 healthiest Filipino foods:

20. Nuts. Nuts are nutritional powerfoods, packed with protein, minerals, and fats. Yes, they’re fatty but don’t worry, the fats found in nuts are the good fats —monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Instead of eating junk foods loaded with unhealthy saturated fats (like potato chips and doughnuts), take nuts, which can reduce your bad cholesterol (LDL) while raising good cholesterol (HDL). Nuts also contain Vitamin E, a potent antioxidant. Locally, we have nilagang mani (boiled peanuts) and cashew nuts. Almonds are expensive, but they’re very nutritious. They’re chock-full of protein, minerals, and healthy kinds of fat.

However, eating too much nuts (it’s sooo addicting) can make you fat, around 150 calories per ounce. Ouch! Eat a handful, not a bowl.

19. Coconuts (including Virgin Coconut Oil). Dr. Conrado Dayrit’s book The Truth About Coconut Oil lists many alleged health benefits for VCO, ranging from treating bacterial infection, fungal diseases such as ringworm and even HIV-AIDS. Dr. Dayrit lists a number of case studies and smaller studies that show VCO’s beneficial effects for heart disease, diabetes, and boosting one’s immunity. Coconut water, on the other hand, is good for kidney stones and cleansing the digestive tract. It’s low in carbohydrates, low in sugar, and serves as an isotonic beverage, which means it’s good for replenishing your body.

18. Tea  (including black, green, and oolong tea). Did you want to know why Asian people (Chinese, Japanese) have fewer heart attacks compared to Western people? Experts believe it’s because of their tea-drinking habit. Hot tea kills bacteria and cleanses the body. The secret is in the catechins, which acts like an artery protector, antibiotic, and anti-ulcer agent. Tea also prevents dental cavities and may help you lose weight!

Studies show that green tea may prevent various cancers. In fact, green tea has the highest concentration of catechins, followed by oolong tea and the ordinary black tea (sold in supermarkets). But if you can’t afford green tea, black tea is fine too.

17. Soy products (like tofu or taho). For semi-vegetarians like me, soy products are great substitutes for animal meat. Soybeans are high in protein, containing the essential amino acids. In fact, Time magazine lists soy as one of the world’s healthiest food. Soybeans are rich in calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, and fiber. Hence, they’re good for the heart and bones. Soy also contains genistein, a weak estrogen-like substance which may prevent prostate and breast cancers.        

16. Wheat in wheat bread and cereals. Some breads, cereals, and muffins contain whole wheat, which can help regulate bowel movement and prevent colon cancer. Studies show that whole wheat products help control weight, prevent type-2 diabetes, and reduce cholesterol levels. Wheat may also accelerate the metabolism of estrogen and prevent breast cancer. So, next time you buy bread and cereals, look for the key words “whole wheat” and “whole grains” in the package. We Filipinos can’t live without rice, but let’s try to eat the healthier bread from time to time.

15. Sweet potatoes (kamote). Our very own kamote is an excellent source of starch and contains huge amounts of carotenoids. Kamote’s deep orange-yellow color proclaims to everyone that it’s high in the antioxidant beta-carotene. Sweet potatoes are superb sources of fiber, vitamins B6, C and E, folate, and potassium. It is these and other phytochemicals that make sweet potatoes a potent anti-cancer food.

And like all vegetables, they’re fat-free and low in calories — one small sweet potato has just 54 calories. And hear this: sweet potatoes may reduce your risk for lung cancer, especially good news to the millions of Filipino smokers and ex-smokers out there. Cooking-wise, it’s best to eat them boiled, mashed or baked.

14. Oats (as in oatmeal). Take a couple of bowls of oat bran or oatmeal a day, and cut down your cholesterol by around 10%. Oats contain beta-glucan, a spongy, soluble fiber that sucks cholesterol in the intestines and throws them out of the body. Studies suggest that oats may lower blood pressure in hypertensive patients. Moreover, oats are one of the few grains that contain the anti-oxidant tocotrienols, a Vitamin E-like substance. And the dietary fiber in oats makes you feel full faster, so it can help you control your weight. Just watch out for gassiness and bloating from too much oats.

13. Ginger. For centuries, ginger has been used in Asia to treat nausea, vomiting, cough, colds, headache, stomachache, and arthritis. Haven’t tried it? Clinical studies show that ginger is as effective as drugs (like Dramamine) to prevent motion sickness and nausea.

Ginger contains 1-4% volatile oils. Its pungent odor comes from gingerols and shogaols, which are likely responsible for its anti-nausea and anti-vomiting effects. Ginger also acts as an antibiotic, killing bacteria in the test tube, and may have anti-cancer activity. As a first aid, try warm salabat with honey for nausea. It works!

12. Beans (including monggo beans). Beans, including monggo beans, red beans, and black beans, are inexpensive sources of soluble fiber, iron, folic acid, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and thiamin. They’re also the poor man’s alternative source of protein. And to top it all, they’re low-fat, low-salt, and has zero cholesterol. A half-cup of cooked beans daily can reduce cholesterol, and thus, they’re good for diabetics.

Beans contain phytonutrients that may help prevent heart disease and cancer. They also contain protease inhibitors, which help prevent the development of cancer cells. Strict vegetarians will also benefit from the large amounts of folic acid in beans, which can prevent birth defects and anemia. Not yet convinced? Beans are nutritious, delicious, easy to cook, and affordable, too!

11. Ampalaya (bitter gourd). Ampalaya (Momordica charantia) can be used to treat mild diabetes mellitus. Emphasis on mild. Ampalaya contains a hypoglycemic polypeptide, a plant insulin, responsible for its blood sugar-lowering effects. Others suggest it can help in detoxification and boosting one’s immune system.

Warning: Diabetes experts strongly advise their patients to continue their regular medications and just use ampalaya as a healthy food.

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In the next article, I’ll list down the final 10 in our list of healthiest foods.