When the say you are what you eat, they were NOT kidding...

What you eat can make or break you. When you think of medicine, put aside the vision of pills and capsules first - picture the spread on your dinner table, for that can be your medicine... and your health preserver.

Must Eats

These foods are at the top of their 'class' either due to the many nutrient content in them or the uniqueness of the nutrient mix not found in many other foods known. Dr. Steven G. Pratt calls them SuperFoods in his book. Here they are:

• Beans - helps with obesity reduction
• Blueberries - reduce possibility of cardiovascular disease
• Broccoli - reduces possibility of cataracts and combats birth defects
• Oats - lowers risk of Type II diabetes
• Oranges - aids in preventing stroke
• Pumpkin - reduce the possibility of numerous cancers
• Soy - cholesterol level lowering
• Spinach - reduce the possibility of cardiovascular disease and age-related macular degeneration or AMD
• Tea - helps combat osteoporosis
• Tomatoes - increase the sun protection ability of the skin
• Turkey - aids in developing a strong immune system
• Walnuts - reduce the possibility of coronary heart disease, diabetes and cancer
• Wild salmon (sardine and sea bass are more easily available alternatives) - reduces possibility of heart disease
• Yogurt - for strong bones and heart

Those in bold are what Dr. Pratt recommends as must-haves if the other items are difficult to incorporate into your diet.

More on the bold ones - Blueberry

Alternatives to the blueberry are: cherries, cranberries, blackberries, raspberries, purple grapes and strawberries.

What's so good about blueberries: Anthocyanins, ellagic acid, quercetin, catechins, salicylic acid, carotenoids, fiber, folate, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Potassium, Manganese, Magnesium, Iron, Riboflavin, Niacin, Phytoestrogen, Low in calories.

More on the bold ones - Spinach

Alternatives to the spinach: Orange bell peppers, romaine lettuce.

What's so good about spinach: Low in calories, Lutein/zeaxanthin, Beta-carotene, Omega-3, Glutathione, Alpha lipoic acid, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, B vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, B6, folate), Vitamin K, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Zinc, Polyphenols, Betaine, Coenzyme Q10, Polyphenols, Chlorophyll.

More on the bold ones - Wild Salmon (Recommended 2-4 times per week)

Alternatives to the wild salmon: sea bass, sardine, herring, trout.

What's so good about the wild salmon: Omega-3, B Vitamins, Selenium, Vitamin D, Potassium, Protein.