Foods with SUPERPOWERS

I've just been reading about which high-powered foods to add to my MUST-EAT list. Here are a few that surprised me.

1. Celery - I've always thought of celery as a big nutritional zero, but it turns out it's a great source of potassium, which helps reduce blood pressure and regulates the balance of fluids and minerals in the body. I've been eating bananas for potassium but a few stalks of good old celery will give me as much potassium as one higher calorie banana. Who knew? So now I plan on keeping pre-cut celery sticks in a tub of ice water in the frig (to keep 'em crunchy). Celery's also good to add to soups, stews and stir-fries. Of course, I'll never give up bananas.

2. Mushrooms - The dictionary says mushrooms are a fungal growth, which sounds pretty gross, although I personally am a big fan of the humble 'shroom. I knew they were low in calorie but I figured they didn't have any real nutritional value, just like celery. Looks like I was wrong again. Mushrooms are a top plant source of B-complex vitamins, including riboflavin, which keeps the eyesight sharp and the skin healthy. They also contain selenium, an antioxidant which may protect against some forms of cancer. The big, beautiful portobello offers the most benefits since it's high in selenium and potassium. You can grill portobellos, just like you would a burger. Or toss any mushroom raw into salads, or saute them (but probably not my favorite way, in a stick of butter).

3. Onions - I love onions and luckily, so does my husband! Surprisingly, they offer all kinds of great health benefits. Onions are good for your heart; Like aspirin, they have a blood-thinning property. And they're a top source of quercetin, a "flavonoid" thought to reduce heart attack risk. Onions may also protect our tummies by fighting bacteria that can cause stomach cancer. The article I read, by Peg Rosen, said it's best to eat them raw because cooking can kill off their blood-thinning properties. They're great sliced raw into salads or sandwiches. I personally favor red onions because I think they're sweeter. Now the article didn't say how much of these goodies we have to eat to get maximum benefits but I figure average servings can't hurt me and will probably be really good for me. Hope you find these facts as interesting as I did.