Our food choices are influenced by age, gender, friends, family, cultural background and where we live.
Early childhood experiences with food can be traumatizing (who liked liver and onions as a kid?), but if you decided never to try something again as an adult, then you might be missing out on some truly nutritious and, perhaps, delicious items.
We avoid certain foods for a number of reasons, but sometimes it’s for the wrong reasons.
Science may have given it a bad rap (we already went through the ups-and-downs with butter, wine and chocolate), or it may taste or look gross (the thought of eating insects might repulse most North Americans, but in some cultures, they are considered delicacies). But it's time to put your prejudices aside, have an open mind and give these 50 healthy foods a chance.
1. Red Meat
Why we avoid it: Over the last 30 years, red meat has been blamed for everything from heart disease to cancer. Researchers thought that this was due to the meat’s saturated fat and cholesterol content, as well as the sodium and nitrates in processed deli meats. Bolstered by alarmist newspaper and magazine headlines, people tossed the red meat out of their diets, afraid of turning their stomach into meat repositories.
Why we should eat it: The meat controversy arose from observational studies that are always plagued with confounding variables. Take, for instance, the “healthy user bias.” Folks who are health-conscious and have listened to the mainstream press and vilified red meat are also the same who are likely to refrain from refined sugar, trans fats and processed foods. On the other side of the spectrum, heavy meat eaters tend to be older guys who are very fond of alcohol and cigarettes, don’t eat enough fruits or vegetables, are very sedentary and tend to have other health problems that may or may not stem from their carnivorous habits.
No matter how good you are as a statistician, there are too many factors to consider when studying humans in their natural, complicating habitat. Recent reviews find that the evidence gathered so far is insufficient to support a clear positive correlation between red meat consumption and colorectal cancer, heart disease, stroke or death. And despite claims to the contrary, there’s no consistent evidence demonstrating that the saturated fat in meat significantly raises cholesterol levels.
In fact, a large study with almost 60,000 Japanese women found the opposite: The more saturated fat they ate, the lower their risk of stroke. Red meat has been unfairly blamed for the ills of our society. Red meat haters are missing out on an excellent source of heme iron, a form that is absorbed and utilized much more effectively than the non-heme iron found in vegetables. If there’s not enough fish or sunlight in your life, then red meat can contribute significantly to your overall vitamin D intake. This form of vitamin D is absorbed more quickly and easily than other dietary forms.
Zinc is also easily absorbed from meat and is a very important source in our diets, especially if we don’t eat enough organ meats and shellfish. Zinc is essential for many physiological functions and forms part of the structure for many proteins and enzymes. The fat of red meat is usually equal parts saturated and monounsaturated fat, with only a small amount of polyunsaturated fat. Grass-fed beef is highly recommended because of the higher content of conjugated linoleic acid, a compound that seems to aid fat loss, and a healthier omega-6:omega-3 ratio. If you were scared of red meat before, fear no more! Eat that (grass-fed) steak guilt free.
2. Bacon
Why we avoid it: The iconic American food is avoided because it is ultra greasy and ultra salty, making it enemy No. 1 for most cardiologists and high blood-pressure patients.
Why we should eat it: Bacon was once vilified because of its saturated fat and cholesterol content, but we now know that these aren’t all that bad for us. Dietary cholesterol has minimal effects on blood cholesterol levels and isn’t going to give you a heart attack. As for saturated fat, recent long-term studies haven’t found an association with high blood cholesterol levels or heart disease.
In fact, a Japanese prospective study that followed 58,000 men for about 14 years actually found an inverse association between saturated fat intake and stroke. The salt, however, is a problem. With about 1 gram of salt per 3.5 oz serving, bacon can be an issue depending on your size, blood pressure and physical tolerance. If you refrain from abusing the salt shaker and stay away from obscene salt bombs like movie popcorn and processed foods, then bacon can be a welcome addition to your healthy diet. If possible, choose organic or pastured pork that’s antibiotic and hormone-free.
3. Coffee
Why we avoid it: Caffeine is the world’s favorite legal drug, but it can become addictive, cause anxiety, restlessness, irritability, insomnia, headaches, heart palpitations and withdrawal symptoms. Some people just don’t feel normal without coffee, and that’s not normal. Former coffee drinkers often report that they have more energy, not less, when they eventually make it through the nightmare of kicking the habit.
Why we should eat it: The key to keeping coffee healthy is to eschew the large triple latte and limit your coffee intake to 1-2 cups a day. Not everyone responds to coffee the same way. Some have one cup in the morning and can’t sleep for days, and others can have a triple espresso after dinner and fall asleep as soon as they hit the pillow. Figure out where you fit, drink sensibly and get ready to reap the benefits of the black gold. First, coffee can make you smarter. Caffeine blocks an inhibitor in the brain, causing an increase in the release of several neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine. Studies showed that caffeine improves mood, reaction time, memory, vigilance and general cognitive function.
Secondly, coffee can help you burn fat by stimulating your central nervous system, boosting your metabolism and increasing the oxidation of fatty acids from your fat stores. Thirdly, coffee consumption has been associated with decrease risk of type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, depression, heart attacks and stroke. In fact, drinking coffee has even been suggested to increase your life span. Additionally, the benefits of java extend far beyond the abundance of studies that support its health benefits. For millions of people, coffee has an important psychological, societal and cultural significance that can make dragging yourself out of bed and commuting to work a little bit more bearable and, perhaps, a little more enjoyable.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider