PDF The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, Revised Edition: The Surprising, Unbiased

2. The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, Revised Edition: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth about What You Should Eat and Why

4. Description Dandelion The Latin name for dandelion—Taraxacum officinale—is your first clue as to what this plant is about. Loosely translated, it means “official remedy for the disorders.” (In Greek, taraxons means “disorder,” and akos means “remedy.” The Arab physicians of the eleventh and twelfth centuries who were the first to write about this miracle plant called it taraxacon.) Dandelion is used in herbal traditions all over the world, including by Native Americans, Arabs, Chinese, and Europeans. Sweet Potatoes Sweet potatoes are not actually related to the potato—they’re a member of the morning glory family. (Which is a great thing to know if you’re ever on Jeopardy.) They’re sweet, dark, and one of the oldest vegetables known to man, having been around since prehistoric times. And there are many reasons to eat them. Teff Teff is a grain, but it’s a grain with an old soul. It was one of the earliest plants to be domesticated, probably between 4,000 and 1,000 B.C.E. in the Ethiopian highlands, and it continues to be a staple of traditional Ethiopian cooking. Along with spelt, amaranth, barley, kamut, and millet (and a few others), teff is considered an ancient grain. Watermelon Watermelon owes its claim to fame as one of the world’s healthiest foods to three facts One, its high water content (more about that in a moment) two, its high content of lycopene and three, its high levels of vitamin A and carotenoids, including the important but relatively unknown carotenoid beta-cryptoxanthin. Chia Seeds Chia seeds have become popular largely on the strength of their omega-3 content. They’re one of a handful of plant foods (flaxseeds and hemp seeds are other examples) that contain omega-3 fat, though it’s worth noting that it’s not the same omega-3 fat found in fish. The omega-3s found in fish and animal foods such as grass-fed beef are EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) while the plant-based omega-3s in chia seeds are ALA (alpha-linolenic acid). Natto Natto is a traditional Japanese food and definitely an acquired taste. It’s made from soybeans fermented by the Bacillus natto, which result in a soybean that’s sticky and can be rather, well, strong smelling. That’s one reason it’s not exactly an American favorite. Nonetheless, natto—also known as vegetable cheese—has been consumed safely for thousands of years. Yogurt (kefir, lassi) When I was a kid, I remember hearing stories of long-lived robust mountain people in the plains of Bulgaria who regularly consumed this weird white food that was evidentially the secret to their longevity and health. The food, I later found out, was yogurt, and as far as I was concerned, it tasted horrible. Of course, those were my five-year-old taste buds speaking. Now, decades later, yogurt comes in a zillion varieties including, of course frozen yogurt, and it no longer has to fight for shelf space in the American grocery store—it’s practically become a staple. Whether this is the same food that the robust, rugged centurians of Bulgaria ate is quite another matter. Read on. Kimchi (kimchee, Chinese cabbage) Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish made of fermented chile peppers and vegetables, usually cabbage. It’s so popular in Korea that Koreans reportedly say kimchi instead of cheese when posing for pictures. In Korea, it’s served as a popular side dish, but is also used as a cooking ingredient (in

5. pancakes, as a topping on pizza, and in dishes such as kimchi soup and kimchi fried rice). Many Chinese and Japanese eat this dish on a daily basis. Whatever you call it, it’s a nutritional powerhouse. Health magazine, a magazine I generally like, called it one of the world’s five healthiest foods. Want to know why? Read on.

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