Vegetables: From a simple plate of sliced fresh tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and feta cheese, to salads, garlicky greens, soups and stews, healthy pizzas, or oven-roasted medleys, vegetables are vitally important.
Whether raw, grilled, steamed, sautéed, roasted, or pickled, vegetables should be on your plate every meal.
Whole grains: A 2015 study in JAMA Internal Medicine linked whole grains and lower mortality—especially from chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and type-2 diabetes.
Common whole grains include brown rice and oats, while ancient grains such as quinoa, amaranth, farro, buckwheat, and bulgur pack the added perk of being gluten-free.
Their fuller taste and extra fiber keep you satisfied for hours.
Water, physical activity, and wine (once a day).
Coffee and tea are also completely acceptable, but you should avoid sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit juices, which are very high in sugar.
Frequent but moderate: Fish and seafood three times a week: Fish such as tuna, herring, salmon, and sardines are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and shellfish including mussels, oysters, and clams have similar benefits for brain and heart health.
Poultry, eggs and cheese should be limited to once a week.
Avoid: Sweets, red meat and processed food.
As I mentioned above, you can eat this kind of food, but as an exception.
I also believe that you should have “cheat meal” once a month and I include several delicious meals in this book as a suggestion for that day.
A more detailed list of food and ingredients to avoid is the following: Trans fats: Found in margarine and various processed foods Added sugar: Soda, candies, ice cream, table sugar, etc. Refined grains: White bread, pasta made with refined wheat, etc. Highly processed foods:
Anything labeled "low-fat" or "diet", or which looks like it was made in a factory Refined oils: Soybean oil, cottonseed oil etc. (please note that experts disagree if canola oil should be used or not) Processed meat: Processed sausages, hot dogs, etc. You must read food labels carefully if you want to avoid the unhealthy ingredients listed above.