Essential Foods for Women Over 40

Say the phrase healthy eating and you're bound to think of boring garden salads, celery and carrot sticks. They certainly are healthy, nutritious foods, of course, but nothing you'd call epicurean cuisine.As you reach you 40th birthday, though, you realize that eating healthy is more important than ever. And you're serious about changing your diet to include more nutritious choices.Well, eating healthy may never be quite as fun as experiencing exotic entrees, delighting in delicious desserts or even anticipating an appetizer. But if you know what foods to choose, you may even find you enjoy eating them.And once you've checked out these foods, you'll no doubt go digging for others. Trust me, healthy foods surround you if you just look into them a little!The StrawberryRemember the joy of eating strawberry shortcake when you a child? You no doubt rejoiced in the whipped cream and the shortcake itself. But the real power of the dessert lies in the strawberries.Mother Nature, in fact, has created just about the perfect food in the strawberry... and the blueberry... band the raspberry... and every other berry as well.Eight medium strawberries contain absolutely no fat and only 49 calories. But more than that they also possess three grams of fiber (that's the substance that helps to not only keep you "regular" but also keep you feeling full long after you've eaten!) But packed into these eight berries is a whopping 149 percent of your vitamin C for the day! What a delightful way to keep your immune system performing at its peak!You'll also receive three percent of your total iron requirements and two percent of your calcium for the day - and when you reach 40 every bit of this bone-building nutrient helps!This colorful fruit is also a great way to get your folate, potassium and manganese.These berries are attractive and healthy because they are low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium.We've saved the best attribute of strawberries for last: they are one of the most potent sources of antioxidants around!And unlike some healthy foods, you can eat this fruit in endless ways and never seem to get tired of eating healthy!The AppleThen there's the classic apple. Perhaps not quite as versatile as the berry, it packs such a nutritional wallop that you just can't ignore it (and quite frankly, it sure does taste better than tofu!). The disguised as a modest, humble fruit is really a superhero in the nutritional world.The apple is a tremendous source of those hard-working antioxidants, which work tirelessly to destroy free radicals. And we all know that free radicals are responsible for a host of degenerative diseases related to the aging process, including heart disease and cancer. And now some experts say that antioxidants could even help keep wrinkles at bay (oh, now I have your attention!)Here's a quick piece of trivia you might not know about the apple: If you eat just the peel of the fruit - not even the apple itself - on a regular basis, you can reduce your risk of developing cancer by 48 percent!And you don't even need to gorge yourself. An apple a day... just like the proverb... is all you need to keep your system happy and healthy!Peanut Butter?Now, here's a food that will take you back to your childhood: peanut butter. It may sound strange, but it's true. But right up front, we recommend you eat the all-natural kind. You'll have to stir the jar every time you use it but the rewards - and the taste - are worth the effort!Not only are peanuts a great source of those "good fats" but peanut butter can help keep you feeling fuller for a longer period of time. A recent study showed that peanut butter reduced hunger in women for up to two and a half hours. By contrast, rice cakes only staved off the hunger pangs for a measly 30 minutes!Peanut butter also a good source of iron. When you combine it with a high-fiber wheat bread, you'll probably notice that you stay satisfied even longer than that!A half a peanut butter sandwich on wheat bread and an apple make a nutritious mid-day snack - and takes you back to your school days as well!