Forever Young Naturally

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are the high-protein convenience food of many a diet. Four ounces of chicken breast meat provides two thirds of the recommended daily value for protein for the average adult. Chicken breasts are lower in fat than dark meat. With the skin removed, a chicken breast has less than half the fat of a chicken breast with the skin! Chicken is a very good source of niacin, a B vitamin that is involved in repairing DNA; vitamin B6, which is important in several metabolic processes; and selenium, a mineral that plays a role in thyroid metabolism and is also an antioxidant. Research suggests that selenium may help prevent cancer.
Nutritional Facts :
(light meat) Three and one-half ounces of roasted chicken (light meat without skin) provides 173 calories, 0 g carbohydrate, 30.9 g protein, 4.5 g fat, 0 g dietary fiber, 85 mg cholesterol, 29 IU vitamin A, 12.4 mg niacin, 0.97 mg pantothenic acid, 4 mcg folic acid, 247 mg potassium, 77 mg sodium, 216 mg phosphorus, 15 mg calcium, 27 mg magnesium, 1.06 mg iron, and 1.23 mg zinc.
(dark meat) Three and one-half ounces of roasted chicken (dark meat without skin) provides 205 calories, 0 g carbohydrate, 27.4 g protein, 9.7 g fat, 0 g dietary fiber, 93 mg cholesterol, 72 IU vitamin A, 6.5 mg niacin, 1.21 mg pantothenic acid, 8 mcg folic acid, 240 mg potassium, 93 mg sodium, 179 mg phosphorus, 15 mg calcium, 1.33 mg iron, 23 mg magnesium, and 2.80 mg zinc.

Cod have been commercially fished and traded since at least Viking times. They were an important export of the New England colonies from the time Europeans began to settle there, so this Atlantic fish has long played a role in European and Mediterranean diets. Taxes and limitations on the export of cod were among the grievances that sparked the American Revolution.
As a result of its long commercial history, the name �cod� has been applied to a number of fish, most of them white-fleshed and relatively light in taste. The name is now technically applied only to Atlantic cod, Pacific cod, and Greenland cod, related fishes that are in danger of overfishing, in part because their health Benefits have long been apparent.
Cod are an excellent source of niacin, phosphorus, selenium, and vitamin B12, and they also provide significant magnesium, potassium, thiamine, and vitamin E.
A good source of omega-3 fatty acids�three ounces of cooked cod provides 0.1 gram�cod appear to greatly benefit the cardiovascular system, as they are linked to lower blood pressure. Cod liver oil was at one time recommended to provide vitamins A and D. It�s now believed that the health Benefits of the oil are probably related to the omega-3 fatty acids.
Nutritional Facts :
Three ounces of Pacific cod cooked by dry heat provides 89 calories, 0 g carbohydrate, 19.5 g protein, 0.7 g fat, 0 g dietary fiber, 40 mg cholesterol, 27 IU vitamin A, 3 mg vitamin C, 2.1 mg niacin, 7 mcg folic acid, 440 mg potassium, 77 mg sodium, 190 mg phosphorus, 8 mg calcium, and 26 mg magnesium.

Edamame are young, green soybeans in their pods, cooked by boiling, which make a great snack�high in fiber and protein, rich in calcium and potassium. Cooking the soybeans increases their available isoflavones, including daidzin, genistin, and genistein. Genistein has been investigated for its role in limiting the size and number of fat cells, possibly acting as an aid to preventing weight gain. Soy isoflavones may also reduce the risk of heart attack.
A cup of soybeans provides more than half of the daily recommended value of protein for the average adult�in less than 300 calories. Soybeans do, however, contain a fair amount of fat�11.6 grams per cup, of which 2.2 grams are saturated fat.
Nutritional Facts :
One-half cup of boiled green soybeans provides 127 calories, 9.9 g carbohydrate, 11.1 g protein, 5.8 g fat, 3.8 g dietary fiber, 140 IU vitamin A, 15 mg vitamin C, 100 mcg folic acid, 485 mg potassium, 13 mg sodium, 142 mg phosphorus, 131 mg calcium, 2.25 mg iron, and 54 mg magnesium.

Eggs have long been known as a good, inexpensive source of animal protein. They lost favor for a time when the role of cholesterol in heart disease was first identified, because egg yolks do contain a fairly high concentration of cholesterol (though the whites are cholesterol-free). Research since that time has determined that an egg a day will not raise the risk of heart disease for most people. Those who already have high cholesterol may want to limit their intake of yolks to two a week. Egg yolks are an excellent source of choline and lutein. Choline, an antioxidant, may be involved in reducing levels of homocysteine, thereby helping reduce the risk of heart disease.
Lutein, found in the retina, may help prevent macular degeneration; it also has antioxidant properties. Eggs are also a good source of vitamin B12 and folate.
Hens fed a diet of flaxseed, which is itself high in omega-3 fatty acids, produce eggs that are also high in omega-3s. These eggs may have as much as seven times the omega-3 fatty acids of conventional eggs. They also contain more vitamin E.
Nutritional Facts :
One large whole egg provides 75 calories, 0.6 g carbohydrate, 6.2 g protein, 5 g fat, 0 g dietary fiber, 213 mg cholesterol, 318 IU vitamin A, 24 mcg folic acid, 61 mg potassium, 63 mg sodium, 89 mg phosphorus, 25 mg calcium, and 5 mg magnesium.