9 Best Foods for Any Diet or Lifestyle ...

No matter how you eat, or if you watch your weight or not, there are foods for any diet that are remarkable foods every one of us should be eating more of. I always like to say that dieting should never come in the form of restriction, but instead addition. Addition of healthy foods and beverages is how you naturally crowd out the harmful ones. It’s also the easiest way to maintain your weight without truly dieting at all. By including certain foods for any diet or lifestyle, you’ll naturally feel great and look great too. Don’t try to live by a certain set of dieting rules, but instead, eat these foods below. They’ll satisfy you, fill you up, and help you look amazing!

1. Leafy Greens

No matter what else is on your plate, some of the most important foods for any diet or lifestyle are leafy greens. These are the core of healthy eating and will increase your health dramatically. Leafy greens like kale, spinach, romaine, arugula, collards, turnip greens, and herbs like cilantro and parsley are filled with vitamins, chlorophyll, fiber, and minerals. You can eat these raw, steam them, stir them into soups or stews, or even use them in smoothies. Leafy greens are low in calories, help clear your skin, speed up digestion, and help ward off blood sugar. Include as many of them as you can into your day and you’ll see big benefits in a major way.

2. Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are one of my favorite foods. They are so tiny, yet so powerful! Chia seeds get a lot of hype for how they can help lose weight, and their superfood powers. Regardless of the hype around this tiny little seed, it truly is one that can benefit any diet, whether you're looking to be healthy, or lose a few. The seeds are a great source of fiber, B vitamins, magnesium, and protein. They’re also extremely high in omega 3 fatty acids, and one serving has more than salmon. They have more antioxidants than blueberries per serving as well. If you’re prone to bloating, chia seeds can also help. They help soak up excess water in the body to keep you hydrated and expel water wastes naturally.

3. Berries

Berries are another food that everyone should be eating. I eat a very low sugar diet, and still like to include a few berries into my routine. You really don’t need to worry about eating a lot of fruit with berries in your diet either. Berries are packed with antioxidants, fiber, and more nutrition than all other fruits. They’re also high in Vitamin C and potassium. Vitamin C is wonderful for keeping your skin clear and youthful, and it helps keep your immune system in tip top shape. Potassium helps balance your electrolytes and keeps your blood pressure stable. It also helps combat excess water weight. No matter what berry you choose, include a little into your day. They’re tasty in so many ways and very low in calories.

4. Coconut

I know many people don’t like coconut, but it truly is one of my favorite foods, and is so amazing for you. Ignore the hype behind this food, and take a look at the facts of coconut in the world of health and research online about this amazing food. Coconut can help relieve depression, weight gain, sugar cravings, headaches, low thyroid, poor digestion, yeast infections, viral infections, the common flu, constipation, and it can also help promote cleansing in the body. You need to be sure to buy organic, extra virgin coconut oil, and all raw forms of dried coconut like butter, coconut flour, and shredded forms. Never buy a coconut product with added sugar either. You want to choose the least processed forms to get the most health benefits. Young coconuts are also wonderful to drink the water out of, and to scoop out the meat. The fats in coconut are their most well known healing agent, and coconut water is also a great source of electrolytes. Most all people tolerate coconut very well too. If you would like more resources on this food that I mentioned, you can check out the sources at the end of this article.

5. Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a spice that we all know and love, most likely. It’s that sweet, slightly spicy ingredient that’s just so great in so many things. Cinnamon is also one of the healthiest foods to add to your diet for a variety of reasons. First, it lowers your blood sugar and can help treat or prevent diabetes. It is also high in fiber and can help with constipation. Cinnamon is also a natural digestive aid that can help break down your food in the stomach and help relieve bloating. You can sprinkle cinnamon on anything sweet or savory, and even use cinnamon sticks to make hot cinnamon tea. It naturally tames a sweet tooth and is a really relaxing way to end the day.

6. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite foods, and they are so delicious! Not to mention, these tubers are also great no matter what kind of diet you eat, or what lifestyle you lead. Even people on a low carb diet can enjoy sweet potatoes since they are one of the most well known veggies for reducing your glycemic index and sugar cravings. They are also great if you have IBS and bloating, or suffer issues with other vegetables like broccoli. Sweet potatoes are a powerhouse of nutrition as well. They contain Vitamins A, E, and C, many B vitamins and minerals like magnesium, manganese, a little bit of iron, and potassium.

7. Lemons

Oh, how I adore lemons! These lovely little pieces of citrus fruit are quite magical, let me tell you. Lemons aren’t only great for your immune system, but they are also wonderful for cleansing the body. They can help relieve bloating, constipation, headaches, acidic stomach, poor digestion, and can help increase the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Hydrochloric acid is needed for healthy digestion and many people don't have enough. Though lemons are naturally acidic, they have an alkalizing effect on the body internally. This helps alleviate acidic stomach, yet still promotes the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, also known as HCL. HCL helps to break down your food more efficiently, and lemons are the most natural way to enhance your levels of this important acidic component in digestion.

8. Celery

Celery is one of the easiest vegetables to find, digest, and consume in a variety of ways. It’s well known as a dieting food, but is so much more than rabbit food! Celery is actually a natural bone builder due to its high Vitamin K levels, a fat soluble vitamin. Vitamin K is essential to calcium utilization by the bones to increase healthy bone growth. Vitamin K is also important for anyone suffering bone fractures, in crucial growth periods, or in menopause. It’s also especially important if you have osteoporosis or problems with calcium absorption. It’s always best to eat fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin K with a healthy source of fat for the best nutrient uptake. This would make a snack of celery and hummus or almond butter a great option! Or, you could also dice some celery into any dish with a little healthy fat like guacamole, a salad with some nuts or seeds, or into a quiche or omelet.

9. Hemp Seeds

Now, for a protein-filled food, let’s talk about the amazing power of hemp seeds! Hemp seeds are one of the most amazing seeds for your body. They’re not only great for vegan diets, but suitable for an omnivore diet too. Hemp seeds are higher in protein than any other seed per serving, with just a little more than pumpkin seeds. Hemp seeds contain 14 grams of protein per 3 tablespoons, along with more omega 3s than most breeds of fish. Hemp seeds are also alkaline, and their slightly green color denotes their high chlorophyll content. The more alkaline your body, the less inflammation you have and general health issues overall. Hemp seeds also help combat depression and are rich in the mineral magnesium. Magnesium is essential for bone health, digestive health, nerve health, and is the one mineral most of us fall short in. Use hemp seeds in smoothies, on salads, in homemade snacks, or just eat them by the tablespoon. Hemp seeds are one of the few vegan foods that are full of all essential amino acids and serve as a complete protein source.

No matter what you put on your plate, all these foods above can help you look and feel great. They’re also easily tolerated no matter how sensitive you are to certain foods or if you’re allergic to many types of food. Do you eat any of these foods?

Sources: coconutresearchcenter.org, naturalnews.com, altmedicine.about.com, livestrong.com