Wonder Women Foods

The first step in any healthy diet is eating a balanced variety of food, so everyone should start there. But for women science has shown that there are some foods that can help ward off osteoporosis, heart disease and even tone down a hot flash or two. Find eight ' wonder women foods'.


APPLES: 

Smart and sweet , apples rich in quercetin, an oxidant that can bolster your body 's disease fighting abilities. In one study from Appalachian State University, just 5 % of the people who ate more quercetin came down with a respiratory infection over a period of 2 weeks, compared to 45 % of those who didn't.




LENTILS:
Low-calorie lentils pack about 30 % of your daily iron per cup cooked. About 12 % of young women have low iron  stores- at the extreme that leads to anemia. But one study found that even women who iron deficient ( not anemic) had poorer performances on skill tests than those with normal levels.




BROCCOLI:

A cup of broccoli had 100% of your vitamin C- crucial for production of collagen, which gives skin elasticity. It is also rich in beta- carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A. This vitamin assists in cell turnover, so old skin cells are replaced with fresh ones.





POTATOES:

Potatoes contain fat- fighting compound called resistant starch that can help keep weight in check. One medium spud with the skin will run you just around 100 calories, and with more potassium than bananas. Potatoes also helps fight heart diseases by keeping blood pressure low.





SPINACH:


Spinach is high in vitamin K and also contains calcium and magnesium- a combo that help slow the breakdown of bone that occurs as you get older- as well as folate , a vitamin B that helps prevent birth defects.Add it packs with just 7 calories per cup raw !





DARK CHOCOLATE:
European researchers have found that people who ate an ounce and a half of dark chocolate, about 200 calories worth, every day for two weeks produced less of the stress hormone cortisol and reported feeling less frazzled. Cortisol causes a temporary rise in blood pressure , consistently high levels up your risk of depression , obesity, heart disease and more.


 MUSHROOMS:

One study shows that women who just one third of an ounce of raw mushrooms a day, had a 64 % reduction in breast cancer risk. Other researchers suggest that mushrooms reduce the effects of aromatase, a protein that helps produce estrogen- a major factor in some breast cancer cases.





WHOLE- GRAIN PASTA:                                                      

Whole grain pasta is loaded with vitamin B, which helps your body to convert food into energy. And unlike processed grain products that lack fiber, whole grains are more filling that their refined counterparts. In other words, you will feel satisfied with fewer calories.