Avocados
Avocados have been well known to be full of essential fats, anti-oxidants and vitamins E and K, potassium and magnesium but when eaten in combination with other foods which are rich in the heart protecting lycopene, like tomatoes, aid the body’s ability to absorb it, thus making it a doubly important food source.

Tomatoes
Tomatoes are a rich source of the heart protecting lycopene which also protects the skin from damage by the sun. The great thing is that it is found in all things tomato, salsas, pizza toppings even tomato ketchup and it is better absorbed by the body when they are cooked.

Kiwi Fruits
Kiwi fruit is another high vitamin C food that is beneficial to health. The anti-oxidants in kiwi have been found to not only repair DNA damage but helps to prevent the damage in the first place. It is also a good source of vitamin E that is not high in fat as are other sources of vitamin E.

Recent research has shown that it also helps to thin the blood, possibly better and safer than aspirin however, anybody being prescribed aspirin should consult with their doctor before either trying to replace their aspirin or increasing their kiwi fruit consumption. It is also a good source of copper which is beneficial for infant growth, brain development, building new red blood cells, boosting the immune system and aiding in bone growth.

If that is not enough, Kiwis are a fantastic source of potassium which is a great heart protector. One a day will improve your health, but it is recommended that 2-3 per day are consumed.

Apples
An apple a day keeps a lot more than the doctor away, if the current research is to be believed. Eating apples helps reduce the risk of cancer, type 2 diabetes, asthma and heart disease. Quite impressive for such a common fruit but it makes you wonder why god didn’t want us to eat it.

The reason is that apples are packed with phytochemicals which are an important source of anti-oxidants. These include flavonoids and phenols and it is the latter that are very important. Apples have the highest concentration of ‘free’ phenols and because they are not tied to anything else in the apple, they are much more readily taken into the body.

That’s not all, they also contain two types of fibre which helps keep the body regular and increases the release of toxins, whilst eating red skinned apples may give some protection against the harmful UV-B rays, so take some along when you go sun bathing.

Eating apples whole are better than apple juice alone as the constituents of the apple seem to work together giving a greater protection. This means that care should be taken when eating the skin. Organically grown apples would be the best choice, but even they should be washed thoroughly. Non organically grown apples can have pesticide residues in the skin and there are also issues with the wax that is applied to the fruit for storing and shipping.

Blueberries
Blueberries are a tasty powerhouse of anti-oxidants that are great for the skin. The main type are called anthocyanids and they are found in the blue-black colour of the berries. They work their magic by enhancing the effect of vitamin C and neutralizing the damage done to the collagen matrix by free radicals. It is the damage in this area that leads to cataracts, varicose veins, cancer, heart disease, glaucoma and a whole lot more. By strengthening the collagen in all areas, it improves the strength of the vascular system, its ability to fight cholesterol gives your system a doubly whammy against heart attacks.

The anti-oxidisation effects of blueberries work very well on the brain which can lead to reducing the effect of Alzheimer’s and dementia.

There is also a type of blueberry, called the bilberry that is better for night time vision than carrots.

Tuna
Tuna is not only a great protein rich food but it is also high in omega-3 fatty acids. This not only stimulates the production of leptin, a hormone that helps to regulate both appetite and metabolism but also helps to lower the risk of heart disease as well as being beneficial to those with arthritis and asthma.

Omega-3 has the added bonus of making the skin younger looking too.

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