When you think of superfoods what color comes to mind?
If you think green and only green, you’re not alone.

Foods that come from the vast color spectrum offer you
a host of health benefits.
For instance, red foods like pomegranates-keep your gums
in tip-top shape, blueberries- help preserve and even boost
memory and of course there are the white foods.

When we think of white foods, it’s often white bread, white
pasta and white rice, but hold on, we’re talking about the
white foods that’ll actually improve your health, you know-
white button mushrooms, egg whites, cauliflower and white tea.

So, if you’ve been a bit of snob and dismissive of white foods
in the past, it’s time to let those thoughts go, and start buying
and eating the white superfoods listed below.

a) Banana-
Isn’t it a yellow food? No, we’re talking about the food inside of the
peel. And if you’re concerned about avoiding strokes, then you must
eat them a few times a week or even everyday, doing so lowers
your odds of having a stroke by 55%.
Give credit to the potassium in the fruit, a mineral that helps
flush out the sodium in your system.
And another benefit: Keep your muscle tone especially as you age.
Eating potassium-rich foods helps stop the age-related muscle loss.
Important tip: Add a banana to your bowl of cereal in the morning,
to a smoothie, mixed with other fruits or eat it alone.

b) Potatoes-
Like the banana, potatoes also contain potassium, a nutrient so vital
it helps lower blood pressure, by removing high levels of sodium in your
system.
Plus, potatoes contain ample amounts of vitamin C, (like oranges)
and this vitamin helps cut the risk of plaque buildup in your
blood vessels, lowering your risk of heart disease.
Important tip: Potatoes have often been thought of high-fattening
foods that should be avoided, but remember-it’s not the food, it’s how you
prepare it and the other foods you surround it with.
So, have a baked potato, (make sure to clean the peel thoroughly, it contains
all of the beneficial potassium) with a pat of real butter or eat them mashed
with plain yogurt and chives or make French fries, baked in the oven, and
not on top the stove (in a vat of deep oil) with the skin on.

c) Mushrooms-
Researchers put mushrooms at the top of the list if longevity is
on your bucket list (things you want to achieve) and deservedly so,
they (mushrooms) do everything from keeping breasts healthy
and cancer-free to boosting your immune levels, which helps
you prevent all kinds of colds and flu, come Winter-time.
In fact, mushrooms are the number one food, meaning they generate
more virus-destroying T-cells in your bloodstream.
Important tip: If you think you have to invest in expensive mushrooms
to gain health benefits, you’re wrong, researchers say that $1.29 basket
of white mushrooms will work exactly like their more expensive relatives.
Just make sure to use them so they benefit your health, not detract from
it. In other words, don’t add them to a sausage and pepperoni pizza
or to a steak smothered in gravy and deep-fried French fries.

e) Egg Whites-
Egg whites have been the food choice of those who want to lose weight
quickly, and if you’re concerned about weight, go ahead and eat the
whole egg as it only contains 68 calories. Weight affects many and
if you feel that the egg white will help you, by all means continue to eat
them. But there’s another health concern that the egg white
may help with and many people aren’t even aware of it, what is it?
High blood pressure.
Egg whites contain unique compounds that lower blood pressure
just as effectively as a doctor-prescribed medicine.
So, if you really want to lower your blood pressure, you may want
to cook a baked potato until done, remove from the oven, let it
cool, split it open and top it with some scrambled
egg whites and salsa. And for a sweet treat: have a banana.

f) Cauliflower-
Has any vegetable gotten as much love or respect as the cauliflower
these past 5 years? From cauli-mashed potatoes to pizza crusts,
the cauliflower is finally getting the recognition it deserves.
And if you want to lower your odds of ever being a cancer patient,
then you must eat more cauliflower.
It’s in the same family as broccoli and Brussel’s sprouts (the cruciferous
family) and that means these foods are loaded with sulforphane,
compounds that attack cancer cells two different ways at the same time.
Important tip:
Eat cauliflower raw, or sauteed for a few minutes, cooking for
too long (boiling) destroys all of the vital nutrients.
Or heat up a skillet and add some cauliflower and mushrooms
and really lower your odds of ever getting cancer.

g) White Onions-
Like its cousin-garlic, onions offer a host of health benefits
and two of those benefits are rock-hard bones, and helps men
lower their odds of ever getting prostate cancer.
Eat onions a few times a week and build denser bone,
which helps you avoid painful fractures as you get older.
And researchers say if you really want to make bones
unbreakable, combine onions and garlic together.
Both pack lots of diallyl disulphide, a compound that protects joints
from the wear and tear that trigger Osteoarthritis.
And for men: you can lower your odds of ever getting prostate
cancer by eating more onions, especially raw onions.
Important tip: Since onions are still one of the cheapest foods
on the market, you can buy a bunch, store them in a cool, dark
place and add them to soups, stews, sandwiches, and
egg and meat dishes.

h) White Tea-
It’s not a food, but it does offer a health benefit and
that is–fewer cavities. It (white tea) contains more bacteria-
killing antioxidants than green tea, cutting your odds of ever
getting tooth decay.

There you have it, a list of some other health-enhancing
superfoods, known as “white foods!”


Sources:
* University of South Carolina, Research Dept.
* The Journal of Nutrition
* Oregon State University