Nutrition Facts: Cooking Light Magazine's Vote On The 7 Best Foods For Women

Cooking Light Magazine came out with the 7 best foods for women recently and I thought that this was an article worth mentioning. For the complete article in Cooking Light Magazine on line, see this article.

Cooking Light Magazine is one of my all-time favorites for recipes but also for tips on staying healthy, whether you are man, woman or child. Actually, cooking light involves more than buying processed foods and creating a dinner or snacks that are lower in calories or fat.

Cooking light means finding new ways to create old recipes and trimming the fat, the calories and the carbs from them.

Cooking Light Magazine is a great source for recipes and for anyone on any kind of a food plan - not just a diet. Cooking light is a lifestyle for me and if you want to give it a look, I think you'll find their methods for cooking light are delicious as well as healthy.  If you're looking for healthy recipes, Cooking Light Magazine is for you!

I'm also making sure my husband eats these 7 foods as well because I personally think that these 7 foods on a daily basis do not have any gender lines. As the saying goes 'it's all good'.

These 7 foods are meant to be eaten on a daily basis for women although again, I don't see any difference with men consuming them as they are just as healthy for men. With the exception of flaxseed, there is no limit per se on the amount that you consume per day but at least 1 serving is recommended (except salmon - see below) - and let calories be your guide as in any well-balanced diet or eating plan.

WALNUTS

Walnuts are recommended as a serving of 20 halves or 185 calories in 1 serving per day. You can put them on cereal, eat raw, or use as a topping on salads or ice cream. There are many different recipes with walnuts but whatever way you like to eat them, they are important for women in the fight against breast cancer. They also fight osteoporosis which does affect more women than men.  They also supply us with those magical omega-3's that are so important for heart health and preventing bone loss. No other nut has omega-3's!

KALE

Kale is a vegetable I just recently became acquainted with because of this article, although my mother has used this vegetable for years. If you have a hard time eating kale 'plain' or as I do in salads, you can use it in soups much as you would use spinach. Try a white bean soup with kale - delicious! Kale has properties that are especially important for eye health such as lutein and zeazanthin. There are also virtually NO calories in kale so it is a freebie. It is also extremely high in vitamin K which is an important bone booster and fights the development of osteoporosis. (Take a care in how much you consume if you happen to be on Coumadin as it's important to keep vitamin K levels steady if you are on blood thinners)

SALMON

Salmon should be consumed at least 2 times per week. Salmon is one of those types of fish that you either love or you hate. Most people like it but for those of you who don't particularly find it delightful, you can substitute mackerel, mahi-mahi or any other fatty fish. Salmon has been proven to be a healthy way to fight heart disease, but especially in women over 40 when their estrogen levels begin to fall. It is rich in omega-3's as well which are important for building strong hearts as well as strong minds. According to Cooking Light Magazine, if pregnant women load up on salmon or other fatty fish in the third trimester particularly, they can reduce their chances of getting postpartum depression.

GREEK YOGURT

I have just recently changed to eating Greek yogurt - right before I read this article as a matter of fact. While some folks find it more bitter than regular yogurt, I have not had that experience. I add 2 teaspoons of ground flax seed to it with a tiny bit of berries or a few chunks of banana and eat that as a midday snack. Greek yogurt is lower in carbohydrates (7 compared to yogurts containing fruit at around 25) and it is notable for its levels of protein. Increased protein results in improving weight loss, maintaining good muscle tone and helping you age better. There is also zero fat in Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is also good as a probiotic and an intestinal flora producer. It clocks in at about 90 calories for a 6 ounce serving.  I also add it to meatloaf or anywhere else I need something with 'filling' properties and you would not even know it was there.  (I also throw in 2 tablespoons of flax seed)

CRANBERRY JUICE AND BERRIES

Cooking Light Magazine focuses on cranberry juice as the recommended way to get cranberry into your diet on a daily basis. However, I also add dried cranberries to salads, to trail mixes with nuts, and use them in place of raisins. They are especially great in oatmeal cookies -  basically any recipe with raisins, you can use dried cranberries. Cranberry juice has long been known for its healing properties in preventing urinary tract infections or even helping cure them in women. The cranberry also possesses antioxidants that help fight diseases of the cardiovascular system, cancer, and help prevent kidney stones. Men as well as women can benefit from this remarkable berry.  An 8-ounce glass of unsweetened cranberry juice clocks in at a light 60 calories.  Also making your own cranberry sauce to use year round from fresh cranberries takes about 5 minutes.  You can freeze it and thaw in small amounts to use on chicken, turkey or beef sandwiches.

TOMATOES

Tomatoes of course are easy to add to anyone's diet on a daily basis. The obvious ways would be in salads or in any dishes requiring tomato sauce though they are delicious eaten alone. Cooking Light Magazine has some of the best recipes I've come across for using fresh tomatoes, bringing out the best flavor, whether it be a meatloaf with fresh tomatoes on top or a pasta dish made with cherry tomatoes. Tomatoes are famous for their lycopene which fights heart disease and cervical and breast cancers. Lycopene is also a great addition to men's diet in the fight against prostate cancer and prostate disorders. Tomatoes are one of the most versatile foods around and from juice to fresh off the vine, you should have no trouble working them into your daily diet.

FLAX SEED

Adding 1-2 tablespoons of ground flax seed to your diet daily will also help you reap enormous health benefits. NOTE: Flax seeds should always be ground in a small grinder or bought ground up. The actual seeds do not digest well. Flax seed is rich in the omega-3's that help protect against heart disease.  Flax seed also helps lower cholesterol. In the fight against breast cancer, flax seed is said to show promise in promoting antioxidants and cancer-fighting properties. If you are nursing, do not continue taking flax seed, however. Flax seed has also been proven to help reduce hot flashes in menopausal women.

Seven basic foods to good health seems like an easy way of incorporating healthy foods into any diet - whether it is for a man or a woman. I think these 7 foods are totally palatable and the health benefits that they provide are worth thinking about.

These are all pretty straightforward foods that can either be eaten alone or added to something with minimal effort. I'll be interested to see if Cooking Light Magazine has a followup article on the 7 best foods for men! However, I think these 7 foods would certainly help all of us in our path to better health.