The 12 Healthiest Foods On Earth

Forbes:

What is the best diet for human beings?

Vegetarian? Vegan? High-protein? Low-fat? Dairy-Free?

Read the whole story: Forbes

Comments

[euthman]

Re: "The only thing these diets have in common is that they're all based on whole foods with minimum processing. Nuts, berries, beans, raw milk, grass-fed meat. Whole, real, unprocessed food is almost always healthy, regardless of how many grams of carbs, protein or fat it contains."

This is an absurd and ultimately dangerous allegation. There is zero empirical evidence to back up the global assertion that "processing" of foodstuffs (which can mean any one of hundreds of different procedures) has any health effects, positive or negative. One has to methodically investigate each processing procedure for each food product to draw any valid conclusions. A similarly absurd claim (commonly made either implicitly or explicitly) is the hackneyed, "chemicals are bad for you."

[DennyCrane]

Then go consume unlimited amounts of those chemicals for the next 10 years and let us know the results. Some things you don't need to wait for science to prove. Common sense should tell you what's not meant to be eaten.

[Mnemanth]

Zero evidence, huh. You go on down to the frozen pizza isle. I'll stick to the fresh fruits, veggies, and organic meats area. I'm thinking I'll be feeling a whole lot better in the long run...

[jwander1]

Your comment is the only absurdity here. Processed foods contain trans-fats, high levels of sugar, flavorings, and other additives that are known to be unhealthy and potentially carcinogenic. And there are plenty of studies showing it - you're just too lazy to look them up. Better to make ignorant blanket denials, right?

[nicholasjh1]

Agreed, not only that processing includes things like stripping all of the nutrients out - like white flour.

[HolliThompson]

I heard T. Colin Campbell speak yesterday, professor emeritus at Cornell, and he would take issue with the recommendation of meat and dairy in your master list. Even of the raw and grass fed variety. I recommend The China Study by Prof Campbell as a great read and food for thought.
Holli Thompson, Nutritional Style

[Vickster]

1.) "The China Study" isn't about Dr. Campbell's research. It's about how he came to embrace a vegan philosophy.

2.) The research Dr. Campbell did in China is flawed.

3.) All people are blinded by their biases, including those who have medical degrees and prominent positions at prestigious universities.

4.) The best and the brightest don't always get the top jobs. Indeed, it's been my experience that the promotions usually go to brown-nosers with mediocre minds.

[NoSillyName]

Shoppers need to start reading the labels of everything they pick up. Most "food" is nothing but a chemical stew sweetened with some High Fructose Corn Syrup.

HFCS is added to almost everything now, even items that one wouldn't expect to be sweet. All of the Sarah Lee bread products have it, even the so-called "whole wheat" or "whole grain".

I avoid it like the plague that it is.

[TigersEye]

I agree.

http://www.living-a-healthy-lifestyle.com/dangerous-food-ingredients.html

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/fresh-greens/2009/01/28/mercury-found-in-high-fructose-corn-syrup.html

[SaltySaltillo]

This article is a bit lost, despite the fact that I endorse many of the claims made. I draw the line, however, at the claim that pasteurization of organic dairy products constitutes some sort of "processing" which modern people should avoid.
Further, the article avoids stating the obvious: we eat too much. And too much of foods that in moderation are harmless.
Finally, anyone who describes a bean as "notorious" for its protein content needs an English lesson. There is no notoriety with regard to a bean's protein content.

[NoSillyName]

"eat too much" and don't exercise enough.

[Mnemanth]

"We eat too much."
No arguing that! For whatever reason even the health conscious forget that ole' rule about "Everything in moderation"...

[Vickster]

As someone who's raised dairy goats since 1983 and prefers raw milk, I'm of two minds where pasteurization is concerned. First, pasteurizing milk destroys some nutrients. And cheese made from raw milk is more flavorful. That said, I don't think I'd buy raw milk (or cheese made from raw milk) from a farm that was run by people I didn't know. After all, I know how healthy my goats are and whether or not I've washed my hands or an udder before I start to milk.

[nicholasjh1]

true, but there are studies that show some of these natural contaminants are healthy for the immune system. sure you don't wwant a big dose of salmonella or e. coli, but there are other things that are actually helpful.

[paulita]

I think this is a great article which gets to the heart of the matter so to speak. Now that we are leaning towards recycling,organics, and greening, perhaps we can stop putting all the chemicals in the food. I think this is the greatest cause of all this disease and sickness.

It seems the tried and true is the best, everything in moderation to get a well balanced diet, and food manufactures, please! take the chemicals out of the food and find organic means of food preservation, I believe this will save a lot of lives and greatly reduce cancer, heart disease and sickness rates, not to mention fad diets.

[ebanks84]

What's up HP? Now you just zap any post that makes it through or not? Mine was there a second ago and now it's gone. Are we being persnickety today or what?

[NoSillyName]

It is a terribly frustrating situation. Makes NO sense whatsoever.

[Vickster]

I think there's a bug in the system.

[Fyrefly86]

I'd attempt to try raw milk if I didn't think I'd land in the slammer for buying it.

[NoSillyName]

My family moved from a suburban to a rural area shortly before I left home. My mother bought raw milk from a neighbor; I thought it tasted awful. Guess its an acquired taste.

[Mnemanth]

Ugh...*yark*
Eaten all sorts of interesting things around the world, and raw milk is up there on the list of "not a favorite".

[Hedgehogging]

May I add to this list:

a) Raw organic apple cider vinegar

b) Natto

c) Kimchee

And remember, if it's fermented, it's god for you....

[NoSillyName]

Yogurt

Seeds

Sprouts

[repugnicansfearme]

T. Boone Pickens should not have a blog on HuffPost. His despicable and reprehensible actions supporting the "Swift Boating" of John Kerry, among other ultra-right wing support he provides, should negate his appearing on this site.

[olephart]

Liberals can stand up to all view points without using censorship. We are fact based, compatible with reality and intellectually comfortable. Conservatives can't accept other viewpoints. They censor opposition because they have none of the above mentioned qualities. T. Boone is welcome here. We will discuss his merits or lack thereof and remind him of his prior actions. It is up to him as to whether he wishes to remain.

[Deaninphilly]

This has to do with the above article how?

Sorry, I don't believe in censoring what others say regardless of what it is they say or whether I agree or disagree with their viewpoint.

[NoSillyName]

We sure get censored here for no apparent reason.

[ProudlyConservative42]

Watch out, your hate is showing.

[lilpeg]

The author might add the most important factor : after buying fresh, cheap, in season foods that grandma used, cook them yourself. There's no better way to really "know" what is in your food. Start small and simple and work your way through a basic cookbook. Fancy foods and kitchen equipment are not necessary but, time and patience and someone to help clean up may be.

[anniebuddy]

While I agree there is no "one" diet that is right for everyone, our food chain has changed so drastically that a blanket stamp of approval of any food is impossible. The responsibility is up to us as individuals to learn what is "in" and "on" our foods. Big business and the FDA are not our big brothers and sisters looking out for us. We are ingesting food stripped of nutrients and processed or injected or sprayed. Look at pictures of a crowd from 40 years ago, then look at one from today. See any difference?

[pissedmichael]

There's really only one problem with this article. You have to have a lobbyist's bankroll to afford the inflated prices merchant's charge for them.

[1differentdrummer]

Understand. How about re-directing money spent on other things that don't do as much good? Just asking.

[NoSillyName]

Yes, but for some people there IS no other money.

[Mnemanth]

Not so much. As others pointed out, we generally eat too much as it is. So, buying the good stuff and cutting your portions makes it all work out. It's still more costly to eat healthy, but by addressing both quality and quantity I've found it's worth it!

[nicholasjh1]

True, and though I may be lucky where i live, we have serveral grocers that buy locally, and while not eveyrthing is organic, that is in a large part because organic standards are very high. You not only have to farm organically, you can't be near land that might have non-organic runoff (like certain pesticides or fertilizers.)

[lillibelle]

"Nature's most perfect creation." Is the much maligned egg finally regaining its place in the sun?

[NoSillyName]

I agree with the author about the absurdity of using only the egg white. The yolk is where the nutrition is found, Egg whites are used to make meringue.

[Mnemanth]

Eggs are like butter, and cheese, and beans, and rice, and... just about everything. One week it's the worst thing in the world for you, the next- Voila!- it's the best!
Everything in moderation...

[Anthro]

I'm always amazed at articles like this that really just tell you what your grandma did (were you listening?) when she said, "eat your vegetables", and "an apple-a-day", and "sweets are a special treat". She also grew a big garden every year, canned hundreds of jars of fruit and veggies every summer, baked bread and only ate in a restaurant on her anniversary. The beef came from a local farmer and was pastured, the milk was pasteurized and I agree with that for the sake of public health, but don't object to people who know what they are doing using raw milk as long as they understand the risk and don't sue anybody when they get sick.

[Montgriz]

Grandma never did any of those things...you are thinking of great, great grandma.....

[unitron]

Perhaps Anthro's grandmother was older than yours.

That's a largely accurate description of one of my grandmothers.

[Big0725]

Dang, except for salmon I love every one of those foods.

[cyndeewi]

Try tuna if you hate salmon.

[Montgriz]

but, avoid albacore tuna...mercury is abundant...