The truth of the matter is that all foods are health foods. The variety of foods that are available has their purpose and uses. The food that grows in one region is a balanced food for that region and is not superior to those that grow in another which is also the food that is very appropriate for that region. Everything is where it should be. No amount of hype and sales pitch could change that, and no matter the try, people will remain healthy if people eat in variety and in correct proportions without gorging.
Health foods however is a term used by health proponents in the 1920’s to foods that have special benefits to specific health issues. Health foods for example are those foods that are low in sugar and fat since these are the primary causes of obesity when left unchecked.
What are these?
Organic Foods
These are foods farmed as organic in nature. Organic foods for most of human history had been the staple in farming. These are foods farmed without the use of pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides. For livestock, organic classification mean that the animals were not injected with antibiotics, are not genetically modified nor growth hormones used in raising them. Today, there are two basic kinds of farming of organic food. One is the private garden which will also sell their produce labeled as organic, the other are organic food industries regulated heavily by most governments.
Natural Foods
Natural foods are health foods that are similar in ideal to organic foods although these foods are processed without the use of refined sugar, food coloring, refined flour, and flavorings.
High Fiber Foods
High fiber foods are health foods that have high fiber density. Examples of high fiber foods are berries, cabbages, and fruits and vegetables that have high fiber concentration. The thing that is so important with foods that are high in fiber is that it improves the absorption of nutrients in the body as it cleanses the digestive system. A clean colon and healthy colon for example prohibits 64 different kinds of diseases that would otherwise afflict the body when the gunk and the junk in the system are not flushed out.
Omega 3 rich foods
Unlike foods that are low fat and low sugar, foods rich in Omega 3 are good sources of essential fatty acids whose benefits are too numerous to name. Some of the benefits of foods rich in omega 3 are that it has excellent anti aging qualities, is a good cancer retardant, good for heart problems, skin, hair, metabolism, rheumatism, good for the memory and brain health, etc. What is good about these foods is that it is everywhere and is not expensive. Examples of foods are, Avocado, berries, soya beans and soybean oil, flaxseeds and flaxseed oil, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, olive oil, Brazil nuts, tofu etc.
Vegetables like, broccoli, squash, kidney beans, green beans, lettuce, cauliflowers are very rich in Omega 3. Likewise fish especially the cold water/fatty variety are excellent sources of Omega 3. Some of the fish are the trout, swordfish, salmon, mackerel, herring, and Albacore tuna.
Health foods are everywhere. Those mention here are just a few of the examples but mostly the healthiest and among the best. Dieting through health foods is as easy as picking the next choice.