The Healthy Foods Shopping List

Keep this list handy and take it with you on every visit to the supermarket. These are food and drink items that may contribute to good health, enhance weight loss, and lower risk of many chronic disease.

1. WHOLE GRAINS: Cereal, pasta, rice crackers, noodles, and bread should all be made with whole grains. Read your labels carefully for grams of fiber per serving. I also recommend flaxseed as an additional healthy source of essential fatty acids, fiber, and protein.

2. VEGETABLES: All vegetables are recommended, but crucifer vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and brussel sprouts contain powerful, cancer-fighting agents. Try munching on some daily. Potatoes are a great source of carbohydrate, but do not count them as a vegetable. Get something with some color!

3. FISH: The standard advice for eating fish is 2 servings a week. Tuna, mackerel, herring, sardines, and salmon are high in healthy omega-3 fatty acids that aid in keeping your arteries clean. Herring and whole wheat crackers make a great snack.

4. BEANS: A scoop of pinto or kidney beans every day provides fiber, protein, and important minerals. In addition, beans help control blood sugar by providing the body a slow, steady source of energy.

5. EGGS: Just one egg per day, as breakfast or a snack, provides a healthy source of protein and choline, an often-overlooked compound the body needs for maintaining good health. Eggs are also high in luetin, another compound thought to aid in prevention of macular degeneration.

6. FRUIT: Most fruits are loaded with fiber, minerals, vitamins, and other cancer fighting compounds. Take turns including apples, bananas, grapes, oranges, berries, and other fruit in your daily diet.

7. OLIVES: Eat a few olives every day and cook with extra virgin olive oil. Olives and olive oil are an excellent source of Vitamin E and monounsaturated fat that can lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and raise HDL (good cholesterol).

8. NUTS: Eat a couple of handfuls daily (unless you are allergic). Nuts are a great source of fiber loaded with cancer fighting antioxidants. Nuts potentially offer other health benefits including a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, and gallstones. Despite their high fat content, nuts in moderation are now being recommended for healthy weight loss.

9. GREEN TEA: Compounds in green tea are thought to provide protection against cancer, arthritis, heart disease, and infection. There is also evidence that tea promotes fat burning. Tea is certainly a much healthier option than soda or coffee. Try to drink 2 or 3 cups a day.

10. SUPPLEMENT DRINK: I recommend keeping Slim-Fast, Boost, or another comparable fortified drink on hand to curb hunger. I use it as a post-exercise recovery drink.