Here are a few of my favourite foods for health boosting properties. I always keep them on hand at home and include as many of them as possible when I’m planning out our meals for the week.

Flaxseed
An amazing source of Omega 3 fatty acids, also know as linseed is a great addition to any diet. Look for them already cracked otherwise you will need a coffee grinder. Sprinkle them onto porridge, in salads, home baked flapjacks, home made granola and onto vegetables. They are also really good thrown into the pot when making soup. Try this Granola with some flaxseeds.

Turmeric
This beautiful coloured spice contains the active compound curcumin which has powerful anti-inflammatory properties which are really helpful to relieve pain from sports injury, arthritis or other chronic pain conditions such as peripheral neuropathy. As a sufferer, I include it in my diet when ever I can. It’s also a really powerful antioxidant – attributed with delaying aging including development of Alzheimer’s and other dementias. I have several curry recipes in my index, one of my fav’s is here.

Rapeseed Oils
This has a higher level of Omega3 fatty acids than even my beloved Olive oil, and a higher smoking point so better for cooking. It also has a neutral flavour so I tend to use this for cooking and keep my extra virgin olive oils for dressings. Rapeseed oil has also been seen to help reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood.

Quinoa
This is one of my favourite super foods and I have even been using it to make breads and wraps. It is a great source of protein and heart friendly fats with a great mineral content. A good source of magnesium – so if you suffer from headaches or migraines you should include more of this in your diet. Try these great burgers if you are unsure about quinoa, they will convert you for sure.

Tomatoes
Tomatoes contain high doses of the potent antioxidant Lycopene which is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease and certain cancers. It is also associated with increasing your protection against sun burn so while you shouldn’t go without, it can be a helpful anti aging agent!. Its better absorbed when the tomatoes are cooked and eaten with oil and canned is great too for the winter months. My favourite recipe for tomatoes two ways are here.

Green tea
Full of catechins – plan chemicals that are anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. These will act as a boost to your skin care regime to aid aging (Gotta love that), it addition it is believed that they can protect against coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis as well as high levels of triglycerides. While I’m personally more of a caffeine fan, I do try get some green tea into me regularly…oh an it has great fat burning qualities too!

Garlic
Full of amazing compounds, not only does garlic add great flavour to dishes, it has powerful antibacterial and anti fungal properties. Apart from helping with digestive problems, coughs and colds, it has also been shown to help reduce bad cholesterol in the blood. I love the flavour of it and try get it into as many of my main dishes as possible.