As the “Make America Healthy Again” movement takes shape again with President Donald Trump in the White House, many Americans are already looking for ways to improve their well-being through food they eat.
Fox News Digital spoke with two nutritionists and a doctor to discuss how incorporating certain foods into a person’s diet can promote healthy lifestyle and it also offers some medicinal benefits.
Here are five foods and one drink that experts recommend eat and drink.
1. Berries
Numerous studies have found that nutrients in berries can prevent disease.
A new study led by Washington State University researchers found that elderberry juice may be a tool for weight management and improved metabolic health.
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Carrie Lupoli, a Connecticut-based nutritionist and behavioral expert, told Fox News Digital that elderberry is one of her favorites.
Elderberries are “an amazing immune booster,” the nutritionist told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
“I don’t think there are enough options for us with incredible upside,” Lupoli said. “There are elderberry supplements, but they’re often full of junk. But elderberry itself is incredibly immune-boosting.”
dr. Blake Livingood, a North Carolina chiropractor and doctor of naturopathy, told Fox News Digital that berries are excellent antioxidants that can help reduce sugar, especially fructose, in the liver.
Berries are excellent antioxidants that can help lower blood sugar.
“Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries that most people can get their hands on — those antioxidants can actually help clean out filters like the liver,” Livingood said, and help control blood sugar levels.
“It helps the liver, it helps the heart — which ultimately affects blood pressure and cholesterol.”
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Keri Glassman, a New York-based registered dietitian and nutritionist and founder of Nutritious Life, said berries are also powerful anti-inflammatory agents.
“We know we need to eat anti-inflammatory foods, so we have less inflammation in the body,” Glassman told Fox News Digital. “We know that inflammation is associated with heart diseasecancer, diabetes, obesity, even just [the] wrinkling our skin.”
2. Cruciferous vegetables
Vegetables are recommended as part of a balanced diet, but some are better for us than others.
Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts are “highly underrated,” Livingood said.
Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts are “very underrated,” said one doctor of naturopathy. (iStock)
“They contain sulfur compounds and really help balance hormones,” Livingood said.
Cruciferous vegetables “can make a really big impact” on those with cancer careLivingood said, citing research showing that women who ate more had a lower risk of breast cancer and men who ate more had a lower risk of prostate cancer.
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“If you can go with any leafy green vegetable, you’ll get more calcium than milk,” Lupoli added. “And that’s not the way we should be getting them. So much of our calcium bone density, bone health, especially for women, is really important.”
Cruciferous vegetables also have sulforaphane, which helps with detoxification, Glassman said.
3. Fatty fish
Like a fish salmon and sardines they are rich in the necessary Omega-3 fatty acids that the body cannot produce.
“I want everybody to have salmon,” Lupoli told Fox News Digital.
There is salmon “healthy fats” which help the heart, she said.
Salmon is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which help the heart. (iStock)
Glassman agreed, saying that omega-3 fatty acids are “super important” for supporting overall heart health.
Livingood said the standard American diet is high in Omega-6 fatty acids and low in Omega-3 fatty acids — so fish oil helps bridge that gap.
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The smaller the fish, the better, Livingood said, because it has “a lower concentration of toxins compared to larger fish.”
He also suggested eating wild-caught fish because “that means they’re eating cleaner food, which means you’re eating cleaner food.”
4. Mushrooms
Mushrooms “provide a lot of medicinal benefits,” Livingood told Fox News Digital. “There’s a wide range of different ones that can be used.”
He recommends Reishi to his patients to reduce stress or for those who struggle with sleep. He said this type of mushroom is a supplement that is usually found in powder form and can support the immune system.
Reishi mushrooms are usually found in powder form. (iStock)
One of the benefits of eating mushrooms is that they have vitamin D, “which no other product has,” Glassman said.
“Now, obviously, mushrooms are not actually produced,” she said. “They’re not fruits or vegetables, but we still kind of put them in that category.”
Vitamin D, Glassman said, is critical for immune health, mood and weight.
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“They also have vitamin B2, which is an antioxidant that also fights free radicals,” Glassman said.
Lupoli suggested looking beyond the usual store-bought shiitake or portobello mushrooms.
“I always say get them in different ways and stir fry them,” she said. “You can’t go wrong.”
5. Spices and herbs
Spices and herbs have health benefits that include lowering blood sugar and reducing inflammation.
Cinnamon is a spice which helps moderate blood sugar spikes, Lupoli told Fox News Digital.
She said blood sugar is “a key foundation for every metabolic disorder,” from arthritis, diabetes and dementia to autoimmune problems and fertility.
Cinnamon helps lower blood sugar levels, while turmeric can help protect against inflammation. (iStock)
Turmeric is useful in fighting inflammation in the body, while saffron is a spice that a study showed has a “very similar effect” to Prozac on anxiety, Livingood said.
“We are by no means saying that it should replace any medical advice,” Livingood said.
“But it’s a very interesting spice that has a strong study behind it that shows it can actually help with mood. And it’s a spice that most people don’t know about.”
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Peppermint is a natural herb that can be used to combat headaches, Lupoli said.
“Peppermint extract is better than any Advil or Tylenol for headaches,” she said. “Just inhale, put some on your temples and the headache will be gone in a minute.”
Adaptogenic herbs are “adrenal supporters” that can help with stress, Livingood said.
6. Tea
“Tea is generally great for you,” Glassman told Fox News Digital.
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Green tea it protects and reduces cell damage, she said.
Green tea has several health benefits. (iStock)
“It’s rich in polyphenols, compounds that have benefits like reducing inflammation,” Glassman said.
And not only that, green tea is a good alternative for coffee because it doesn’t have the same level of caffeine and is less acidic, Lupoli said.
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It’s also full of antioxidants and “is very thermogenic, meaning it can stimulate the body to burn more fat,” Livingood added.
