Eat healthy, live longer. I've been hearing that since time immemorial. It seems like everything that tastes wonderful has to be shunned while what is healthy is not too appetising. Something that tastes good and won't send you to an early death, is this only in dreams?



We have been conditioned to think of healthy eating as a series of do's and don'ts. We sometimes forget that food is something to be enjoyed and is good for our health. When eaten in moderation, even cream and butter are beneficial. Trust me. In my family alone, the 60-80 set are quite mentally alert and physically healthy. Incidence of diabetes, hypertension and severe arthritis? Very low to almost nil. They eat whatever they want anytime, with no dire consequences - in moderation of course.

Watching them and eating with the oldies for years - hmmm... my whole lifetime - has made me imbibe the value of eating a balanced diet. There is good food and there is VERY good food. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables, for both their nutrients and the fibre. Lots of fantastic fresh flavour too.

As if it needs confirming, the wisdom of the Ancients (hi Ma, aunties!) comes out sporadically as new miracle food books.

In The Power of Super Foods Carol Ness of the San Francisco Chronicle touches on "SuperFoods Rx," by San Diego opthamologist Steven Pratt. She further writes about these "nutritional powerhouses" that are touted to be the contemporary fountain of youth. Not so, she says but that doesn't mean we can't benefit from eating them.

Read the companion article Superfoods to the Rescue by Marlena Spieler. It puts a lot of things into perspective and has fantastic recipes that would surely make your mouth water.

Over at Are You a Beauty? is a related post Eating Fruits and Vegetables can Reduce Stroke Risk.

Watch out too for ARF/5-A-Day Tuesdays on Sweetnicks. Come again? ARF stands for Anti-Oxidant Rich Food. Here's the first round-up.

If it isn't super, imagine avocadoes and dark chocolate making it to this list. Doesn't that seem like heaven on earth? ;-)