The "Healthiest" Foods

It always seems odd to me that we need health food stores, after all, food is essential, so shouldn't all food be healthy? Why have we ended up using labels such as good and bad foods? For example, “good carbs” and “bad carbs”, “good fats” and “bad fats” and here's a new one you may not have heard of “good chemicals” and "bad chemicals”. Not surprisingly the healthiest foods contain the "good" versions. The term "good carbs" usually refers to high fibre or whole wheat carbohydrates. Good fats are the unsaturated kind but what are good chemicals? The most numerous and abundant “good chemicals” are found in plants and even have their own name - “phytochemicals “ this basically means chemicals of plant origin! But what is so good about these phytochemicals? – these naturally occurring substances have health promoting potential. Foods loaded with phytochemicals can also be called functional foods. Functional foods contain "biologically active substances which provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition”(1) There are other foods that fit the “functional food” label for reasons other than phytochemicals, for instance fibre is a functional food and also fish oil.
How should we use this information to improve our health?- Simple, just include more of the healthiest "good" versions of foods in your diet and let them do their work.
The following is a list of my top 14 foods, foods which are all just simply very good for you, from keeping your brain working well, to preventing cancer and heart disease, to keeping your eyes healthy. Including these nutritionally potent foods in your diet regularly will give your overall diet a quality boost, ensure you get a variety of nutrients and some much needed fiber – Enjoy!

Sweet potatoes
Legumes
Dark Green leafy vegetables
Oats/oatbran
Tomatoes (probably the best sources of Lycopene (from the carotenoid family) there is .
Nuts and seeds – Almonds, walnuts, pumkin seeds.
Soy and Soy products – soy milk, soy burgers, tofu, tempeh.
Beets.
Naturally reared meat
Wild salmon
Eggs- free range, vegetarian fed.
Citrus fruits
Cruciferous vegetables
Low fat diary products

p.s In case you were wondering "bad carbs" are highly refined carbohydrates and they cause a spike in blood sugar. "Bad fats" - trans or saturated animal fats which clog arteries and increase your risk of heart disease and lastly, "bad chemicals - best example are nitrates in processed meats and the carcinogens formed when meat is burnt, particularly on the BBQ - but more on that next BBQ season!

(1)Canadian journal of Dietetic Practice and Research, Vol.63,No 4, Winter 2002.