Scientists reveal secret sources of health and energy in everyday foods that may already be in your fridge!

Today, we know a good deal more about diet nutrition and the mysterious world of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that make some foods better for you than others.

Scientists and nutritionists are continually revealing even more secret sources of health and energy. What have they discovered recently? It may surprise you, but at the top of their nutrition guide are some of the everyday foods and ingredients that they call power foods that you may already be using.

Here are 9 supercharged power foods that are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Some fight bacteria, lower cholesterol, and many even help prevent cancer. Include them in your personal nutrition guide for a real power food enegry boost.

Cut down on days missed from work and school

Adequately feeding your immune system boosts its fighting power. Immune boosters work in many ways. They increase the number of white cells in the immune system, train them to heal better, and help them form an overall better maintenance plan.

Boosters also help to eliminate the substances that drag the body down. We cover the top nine nutrients to add to your family's diet to cut down on days missed from work and school because of illness.

4 Habits that weaken the immune system

Certain foods and environmental influences can keep the immune system army from doing a good job. Watch out for these threats to your body's defenses.

1. Too much sugar. Eating or drinking 100 grams (8 tbsp.) of sugar, the equivalent of one 12-ounce can of soda, can reduce the ability of white blood cells to kill germs by 40%. The immune-suppressing effect of sugar starts less than 30 minutes after ingestion and may last for five hours. In contrast, the ingestion of complex carbohydrates, or starches, has no effect on the immune system.

2. Excess alcohol. Excessive alcohol intake can harm the body's immune system in two ways. 1st: It produces an overall nutritional deficiency, depriving the body of valuable immune- boosting nutrients. 2nd: Alcohol, like sugar, consumed in excess can reduce the ability of white cells to kill germs. High doses of alcohol suppress the ability of the white blood cells to multiply, inhibit the action of killer white cells on cancer cells, and lessen the ability of macrophages to produce tumor necrosis factors. One drink (the equivalent of 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1 ounces of hard liquor) does not appear to bother the immune system, but three or more drinks do. Damage to the immune system increases in proportion to the quantity of alcohol consumed. Amounts of alcohol that are enough to cause intoxication are also enough to suppress immunity.

3. Food allergens. Due to a genetic quirk, some divisions of the immune army recognize an otherwise harmless substance (such as milk) as a foreign invader and attack it, causing an allergic reaction. Before the battle, the intestinal lining was like a wall impenetrable to foreign invaders. After many encounters with food allergens, the wall is damaged, enabling invaders and other potentially toxic substances in the food to get into the bloodstream and make the body feel miserable. This condition is known as the leaky gut syndrome.

4. Too much fat. Obesity can lead to a depressed immune system. It can affect the ability of white blood cells to multiply, produce antibodies, and rush to the site of an infection.

Eating the right foods...

can give you a great body that resists aging, fights heart disease and cancer, has a strong immune system, and possesses plenty of energy. Each year, more and more studies prove that the food you choose dictates your health.

To help you create the healthiest diet possible, we bring you the following 9 power foods. We chose them after researching nutrition experts and recent studies. All of our top choices fight disease and provide high concentrations of the nutrients you need to feel great. The best way to make these power foods work for you is to include as many as possible in your daily diet rather than focusing on just one or two. See how many you can include in your daily meal plan.

9 Real Power Foods

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