Copyright (c) 2007 Debbie Fontana

We spend so much of our time trying to avoid foods that are supposed to be bad for us.

But it may be just as or even more beneficial to put foods in our diet that may help us to lead healthier and potentially longer lives.

As the citizens of Crete have shown, you can eat a high-fat diet, but still have low rates of heart disease. What can possibly account for that?

Although I won't name the specific studies here, there are a number that have shown these 3 foods to be some of the best if you want to live a longer life:

1. Cabbage

Cabbage is believed to boost immune function as well as decrease the risk of cancer, especially colon cancer.

If you don't like cooked cabbage, you can eat coleslaw or shred raw cabbage on your salad. You should eat some of your cabbage raw anyway because cooking can reduce some of the health benefits.

An old folk remedy for treating ulcers is to drink cabbage juice. But make sure you talk to your doctor first. Especially if you take antiseizure or thyroid drugs. Because cabbage doesn't mix well with those medications and can cause adverse consequences.

2. Olive Oil

In Crete, a small island near Greece, the citizens have one of the longest life expectancies in the world. They also have some of the lowest rates of heart disease and cancer.

But as I said earlier, this occurs even though they eat high-fat diets.

So maybe high-fat diets don't cause heart disease after all. Or maybe putting the right foods in our diets can offset the bad effects of high fat. After all, the French also have high-fat diets and low rates of heart disease.

Some researchers believe the large amount of olive oil consumed by the Cretans is responsible for their good health. But choose extra virgin olive oil for best results.

Olive oil is believed to raise HDL cholesterol (the good one), reduce LDL cholesterol (the bad one), and decrease the chance of clots and blockages. It also may lower blood pressure.

Be careful, though. Olive oil may have a slight laxative effect.

3. Yogurt

You need to eat yogurt that contains "active cultures." Acidophilus is considered to be one of the most healthy cultures, so check the label to see if your yogurt contains acidophilus.

If eaten regularly, yogurt may decrease your chances of getting colon cancer. It also may make you more resistant to dysentery, an intestinal illness, and the flu.

Also, if you've been on an antibiotic for a while, yogurt can help to rebalance the good and bad bacteria in your colon. That's the reason it can have a laxative effective, but still relieve diarrhea.

Yogurt may also boost your immune system, kill certain bacteria, and decrease your cholesterol.

And if that's not enough, yogurt may help to prevent ulcers.

It's also an excellent source of calcium and protein.

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