Jumpstart Your Fitness: 40 must have foods

by Rigel Celeste (Subscribe to Rigel Celeste's posts)
May 26th 2008 7:30AM

Okay, so the article I'm basing this post on is titled "40 must have foods for the 40 yr old body" but I say why not 40 must have foods for everybody? They're all pretty basic and straight-forward foods that anybody can eat -- why wait to eat these things until you're 40, or feel like it's too late if you're already out of your 40s? I say all food is for everybody! Haha. Well, it is. And especially since these foods are categorized into groups like "immunity boosters" and "bone builders" -- I'm 30 years old and I want a boosted immunity and strong bones just as much as the next person!

So that's my rant on why I dropped the "for 40 yr olds" off the title and out the equation. As far as I'm concerned the following 40 foods are must haves (to some extent) for everybody. Wild salmon and kiwis here I come! (Ew, those don't sound good together at all ... ) .

The 40 healthiest foods(click thumbnails to view gallery)

The top 10 all-around healthiest healthy foods

For building bones

Alaskan King Crab
Dried plums
Bok choy
Oysters
Bananas
Kiwis
Broccoli
Spinach
Leeks
Artichokes

For building immunity

Green Tea
Chili Peppers
Ginger
Blueberries
Cinnamon
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes
Figs
Mushrooms
Pomegranates

For building muscle

Quinoa
Grass-fed beef
Non-fat Ricotta
Tofu
Lentils
Eggs
Greek-style Yogurt
Quorn
Chocolate Milk
Wild Salmon

For fighting inflammation

Pineapples
Olive Oil
Bing Cherries
Dark Chocolate
Turmeric
Wild Fatty Fish
Flaxseed
Almonds
Apples
Whole Grains

So that's the magic list of the 40 best foods for good health. How many of them do you eat on a regular basis? If you're intimidated by such a long list, it could be smart to trim it down a little to a more reasonable starting point, like with this list of the top 10 healthiest foods according to the Mayo Clinic:

The top 10 all-around healthiest healthy foods

Almonds
Apples
Blueberries
Broccoli
Red Beans
Salmon
Spinach
Sweet Potatoes
Vegetable Juice
Wheat Germ

Most of those top 10 foods are also on the list of the top 40 in some form or another, and although 40 healthy foods may seem like a lot to keep track of, look at the bright side: at least there's room for variety in your diet! And with so many fresh fruits and veggies on the list, there's no better time to start incorporating more them into your daily life than this summer while they're fresh and in season!

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