30 Foods the World's Healthiest Women Eat Every Day

There are several risk factors that make women more vulnerable to certain diseases for men. For example, dementia and heart disease are still the leading causes of death in women in Australia. Fortunately, there are ways to fend off these serious diseases and protect your immune system, and it's by fortifying your diet with antioxidant-rich foods. These superfoods claim big bragging rights for lowering cholesterol, improving digestion, promoting weight loss, and maintaining healthy skin and hair. If you're eating most of these foods already, good for you, but if you're skimping on them, it's time to load up your shopping trolley.

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Eggs

Egg yolks are home to tonnes of essential but hard-to-get nutrients, including choline, which is linked to lower rates of breast cancer. One yolk supplies 25 percent of your daily need and antioxidants that may help prevent macular degeneration and cataracts. In fact, research shows that eating one whole egg a day won’t raise your risk of heart attack or stroke. Make omeletes with one whole egg and two whites, and watch cholesterol at other meals.

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Greek yoghurt

Yoghurt is a great way to get calcium, and it’s also rich in immune-boosting probiotics. But the next time you hit the yoghurt aisle, pick up the Greek kind. Compared with regular yoghurt, it has twice the protein (and 25 percent of women over 40 don’t get enough). Look for low-fat varieties.

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Salmon

Salmon is a rich source of vitamin D and one of the best sources of omega-3s you can find. These essential fatty acids, aka omega-3 fatty acids, have a wide range of impressive health benefits-from preventing heart disease to smoothing your skin and aiding weight loss to boosting your mood. Unfortunately, many women aren’t reaping these perks because they're deficient. Omega-3s also slow the rate of digestion, which makes you feel fuller longer, so you eat fewer kilojoules throughout the day.

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Beans

It’s hard to imagine a more perfect food than beans. One cooked cup can provide as much as 17 grams of fibre. They're also loaded with protein and dozens of key nutrients, including a few most women fall short on-calcium, potassium, and magnesium. Studies tie beans to a reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and breast and colon cancers. Keep your cupboards stocked with all kinds: black, white, kidney, fat-free refried, etc.

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Nuts

In a nutshell: US researchers say that eating 45g of tree nuts daily can reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes. Walnuts are rich in omega-3s, while hazelnuts contain arginine, an amino acid that may lower blood pressure. 30g of almonds has as many heart-healthy polyphenols as a cup of green tea. The key is moderation since nuts are high in kilojoules. Keep a jar of chopped nuts in your fridge, and sprinkle a tablespoon on cereal, salads, stir-fries, or yoghurt.

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Porridge

According to research, fibre-rich oats can reduce your risk of heart disease and also cut your risk of type 2 diabetes. When Finnish researchers tracked 4,316 men and women over the course of 10 years, they found that people who ate the highest percentage of cereal fibre were 61 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes.

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Olive oil

Olive oil is packed with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats (MUFAs), which help lower "bad" LDL cholesterol and raise "good" HDL cholesterol. It’s rich in antioxidants that can help reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases, like Alzheimer’s. Look for extra-virgin oils for the most antioxidants and flavour. Drizzle small amounts on veggies before roasting; use it to sauté or stir-fry, in dressings and marinades, and to flavour bread at dinner in lieu of a layer of butter or margarine.

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Avocado

These smooth, buttery fruits are a great source of not only MUFAs but other key nutrients as well. "Avocados are packed with heart-protective compounds, such as soluble fibre, vitamin E, folate, and potassium," says dietitian Elizabeth Somer. But since they're kJ-dense, be sure to watch your portion sizes. Use avocado in place of another high-fat food or condiment, such as cheese or mayo.

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Broccoli

Averaging just four weekly servings of veggies like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower slashed the risk of dying from any disease by 26 percent among 6,100 people studied for 28 years. For maximum disease-fighting benefits, whip out your old veggie steamer. It turns out that steaming broccoli lightly releases the maximum amount of sulforaphane, the active compound in cruciferous vegetables.

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Spinach

We’ll spare you the Popeye jokes, but spinach has serious health muscles. For one thing, it's a rich source of lutein. Aside from guarding against age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness, lutein may prevent heart attacks by keeping artery walls clear of cholesterol. Spinach is also rich in iron, which helps deliver oxygen to your cells for energy, and folate, a B vitamin that prevents birth defects.

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Tomatoes

Tomatoes are our most common source of lycopene, an antioxidant that may protect against heart disease and breast cancer. The only problem with tomatoes is that we generally eat them in the form of sugar-loaded jarred pasta sauce or as a thin slice in a sandwich. For a healthier side dish, quarter plum tomatoes and coat with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Roast in a 200°C oven for 20 minutes, and serve with chicken.

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Sweet potatoes

One of the best ways to get vitamin A - an essential nutrient that protects and maintains eyes, skin, and the linings of our respiratory, urinary, and intestinal tracts - is from foods containing beta-carotene, which your body converts into the vitamin. Beta carotene-rich foods include carrots, pumpkin, kale, and rockmelon, but sweet potatoes have among the most. A 150g serving of baked sweet potato contains 100 per cent of your daily intake of vitamin A!

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Garlic

Garlic is a flavour essential and a health superstar in its own right. The onion relative contains more than 70 active phytochemicals, including allicin, which studies show may decrease high blood pressure by as much as 30 points. Allicin also fights infection and bacteria. The key to healthier garlic: Crush the cloves, and let them stand for up to 30 minutes before heating them, which activates and preserves the heart-protecting compounds.

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Red capsicum

Citrus fruits get all the credit for vitamin C, but red capsicums are actually the best source. Vitamin C may be best known for skin and immunity benefits. Although getting enough vitamin C won’t prevent you from catching a cold or flu, studies show that it could help you recover faster.

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Berries

Blueberries may very well be the most potent age-defying food - they’re jam-packed with antioxidants. Research shows a diet rich in blueberries can help with memory loss, prevent urinary tract infections, and relieve eyestrain. Add up to 1/2 cup of blueberries to your diet a day for maximum health benefits, recommends nutrition expert Dr Ronald Prior. This alone provides just about double the amount of antioxidants most of us get in one day.

Another powerful berry is the raspberry. Just one cup contains nearly half your daily manganese - important for brain and nerve function, as well as bone and joint health. Raspberries are high in fibre, vitamin C, and antioxidants, and low in carbohydrates.

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Apples

One of the healthiest fruits you should be eating is one you probably already are: the apple. The Iowa Women’s Health Study, which has been investigating the health habits of 34,000 women for nearly 20 years, named apples as one of only three foods (along with pears and red wine) that are most effective at reducing the risk of death from heart disease among postmenopausal women.

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Dark chocolate

Dark chocolate is filled with flavonoid antioxidants (more than three times the amount in milk chocolate) that keep blood platelets from sticking together and may even unclog your arteries. Go for dark chocolate with 70 per cent or more cocoa. Two tablespoons of dark chocolate chips with fresh berries as a mid-afternoon snack or after-dinner dessert should give you some of the heart-healthy benefits without busting your kilojoule budget.

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Bananas

Good old bananas are loaded with potassium - a macronutrient that helps control your blood pressure and keeps your nervous system operating at peak efficiency. Potassium also lowers your risk for stroke. But if you’re like most women, you’re consuming only half the potassium your body needs. One banana packs 450 milligrams - about 10 percent of your daily potassium target - as well as fibre to keep your digestive system running smoothly.

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Peanut butter

From bone-strengthening magnesium to immunity-boosting B6, peanut butter is loaded with many of the vitamins and minerals your body needs. Its high fibre and protein content will keep you full for hours, and peanut butter is also a good source of monounsaturated fats - proven to help you lose weight and ward off diabetes. Make sure to choose the unsweetened variety with no added sugar.

Popcorn

Packed with inflammation-fighting antioxidants, popcorn is the only 100 percent unprocessed whole grain, meaning its one of the best snacks to help you meet your daily whole grain goals. The only caveat: The pre-bagged, microwaveable varieties are loaded with kilojoules and chemicals. Buy kernels and pop them yourself on the stove. Olive or truffle oils are delicious, healthy substitutions for butter.

Mushrooms

Healthy mushroom compounds have been shown to lower cholesterol and slow tumour growth associated with some cancers. Mushrooms also increase your body’s circulating levels of proteins called interferon, which stop viruses like hepatitis from advancing. Whether you plan to gobble shiitakes or white buttons, just make sure you cook them first; their dense cell walls are nearly indigestible if eaten raw.

Chia seeds

Chia seeds are great sources of protein, omega-3s, and fibre. They also contain good amounts of healthy antioxidants, as well as calcium, zinc, magnesium, and iron-all important for your health. Toss a small handful into smoothies or baked goods, or use them as a healthful topping on salads or yoghurt.

Chicken breast

It may not be a trendy superfood, but a 125g serving of chicken breast contains nearly half of your daily protein. Chicken breasts are a great source of phosphorous - important for strong bones and teeth - as well as vitamin B3 (aka niacin), which helps control high blood pressure and prevents hardening of the arteries. One serving also contains 25 percent of the vitamin B6 you need each day to maintain proper brain and immune system function.

Citrus fruits

Loaded with vitamin C, oranges are also solid sources of folate - important for cell maintenance and repair. They contain potassium and vitamins B1 and A, which are essential for vision and immune function. And the pectin in oranges absorbs unhealthy cholesterol from the other foods you eat.

Along with its impressive concentrations of vitamin C, lemon’s flavonoid compounds have been shown to have anti-cancer properties. But lemons may be healthiest in a supporting role: Add a little to your tea, and your body will absorb more of the drink’s healthy antioxidants, finds research from the US.

Pumpkin

Like most orange vegetables, pumpkins are crammed with beta carotene, which your body naturally converts to vitamin A, also known as retinol. That’s a good thing, because retinol is important for healthy skin and mucous membranes, as well as immune function and vision. Don't skimp on the seeds: The seeds are great lightly salted and roasted.

Brussels sprouts

These cruciferous vegetables feature sulphur compounds called glucosinolates, shown to help lower your risk for several types of cancer. Loaded with iron and potassium, a cup of Brussels sprouts also features 54 mcg of folate - about 14 percent of your 400-mcg recommended daily allowance. Slice them in half and sauté them in salt, pepper, and garlic to enliven their natural flavour.

Onions

They’re champs when it comes to polyphenols and flavonoids, which are both linked to lower oxidative stress and reduced cancer risk. An onion’s sulfur compounds can also help control diabetes symptoms and protect your heart from disease. Tip: The outermost layers tend to hold more healthy nutrients.

Tea

Green tea’s antioxidant compounds have been linked to slower cancer growth, improved blood flow, weight loss, improved liver function, and reduced rates of brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. But black tea's no slouch in the health department either. It's been shown to reduce stroke risk and lung damage from smoking. But whether you knock back a cup a week or several a day, you’re doing your body a favour.

Coffee

While researchers are still trying to figure out what it is about coffee that’s healthful (the caffeine? the antioxidants?), there’s little doubt your body benefits from a cup of joe. A massive National Cancer Institute study found women who drink two to three cups per day enjoy a 13 percent drop in mortality risk. Daily consumption has also been linked to reduced risk for diabetes, skin cancer, dementia, and Alzheimer’s.

Brown rice

Low in fat and high in fibre, brown rice is also a rich source of selenium - a trace element essential for thyroid metabolism, DNA health, and proper immune system function. Brown rice is also a good source of manganese and niacin, which are both important for brain and heart health. Swap in brown rice for white.