THE HEALTHIEST VEGETABLES FOR YOU

Move this antioxidant-rich produce to the top of your shopping list.
Onions

You'll get the most out of this veggie's cancer-fighting antioxidants by eating it raw; cooking onions at a high heat significantly reduces the benefits of phytochemicals that protect against lung and prostate cancer. Try combining chopped raw onions with tomatoes, avocado, and jalapeño peppers for a blood sugar–friendly chip dip. Finish with a splash of lime juice.
Corn

On the cob or off, just make sure you eat your corn cooked! A study in the Journal of Agricultural Food and Chemistry found that the longer corn was cooked, the higher the level of antioxidants like lutein, which combats blindness in older adults. Try this recipe for coconut grilled corn.
Peas

Tiny but mighty, one study in the International Journal of Cancer found that daily consumption of green peas along with other legumes lowered the risk of stomach cancer. Try a brown rice risotto with lemon and green peas.
Kale

This veggie's curly green leaves are chock full of vitamin C, an antioxidant that may reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering levels of LDL, or "bad" cholesterol. Try one of these easy kale recipes.
Broccoli

Broccoli is full of cancer-fighting antioxidants. One study found men who ate 5 servings or more per week of cruciferous veggies (broccoli's one of them!) were half as likely to develop bladder cancers over a 10-year period as men who rarely ate them. Enjoy with some broccoli cheddar soup.
Red bell pepper

One medium pepper is light on calories (only 32!) but heavy on vitamin C, providing 150 percent of your recommended daily value and warding off atherosclerosis, which can lead to heart disease. Try one of these recipes for stuffed peppers.
Spinach

Spinach is packed with carotenoids—antioxidants that promote healthy eyes and help prevent macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in older adults. Cooking the green helps make lutein (a carotenoid) more absorbable by your body. Try this spinach and goat cheese omelet.
Alfalfa sprouts

This tiny powerhouse is rich in beta-carotene, an antioxidant that protects against lung cancer and helps maintain healthy skin, hair, nails, gums, glands, bones, and teeth. It's also a good source of vitamin E, which may help prevent heart attacks, stokes, and lower the risk of death from bladder cancer. Try this chicken, avocado, alfalfa sprouts sandwich.
Brussels sprouts

These balls of antioxidants can help detoxify cancer-causing free radicals, and with 80 percent of your daily vitamin C in just 1/2 cup, also help fight heart disease and ward off cataracts. Try sautéing them with a little bacon or olive oil and mustard for a smoky kick.
Beets

Roasted or pickled, this root vegetable contains high levels of antioxidants that fight cancer, as well as lutein, which protects the eyes. Don't throw out those leaves! Beet greens are the most nutritious part of the vegetable and can be cooked like any other dark leafy green. Try one of these recipes where beets are the star.
(Courtesy to jupiterimages.com & Reader's Digest)

FOODS THAT HELP LOWER HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

Consuming less sodium may be important to help slash blood pressure levels, but eating more of these foods is good for your heart and arteries too.

Baked Potato
These tasty spuds are rich in magnesium and potassium, two nutrients that are an important part of the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or high blood pressure).

A potassium-rich diet helps the body become more efficient at flushing out excess sodium, which can raise blood pressure; and magnesium helps promote healthy blood flow, according to nutritionist Joy Bauer. 
Skim Milk
A cold glass of milk offers a solid serving of both calcium and vitamin D, nutrients that work as a team to help lower blood pressure by 3 to 10 percent, according to Bauer’s website.

Those numbers may not sound impressive, but they could translate to a 15 percent reduction in heart disease risk, she added. Other research suggests that people with low levels of calcium are at greater risk of high blood pressure.
Eggs
If you think eggs are not heart healthy, you should know that past studies have shown that yolks don’t raise heart disease risk; now recent research has found that egg whites can help dial down blood pressure, according to a study presented earlier this year at a meeting of the American Chemical Society.

As MensHealth.com reported, when rats with high blood pressure were fed a protein found in egg whites, they experienced a drop in blood pressure that was comparable to a low dose of Captopril, a blood-pressure-lowering medication. Although more research is needed, eggs are a solid source of protein, vitamin D, and other healthy nutrients.
Broccoli
This cruciferous veggie is a good source of the blood pressure-regulating minerals magnesium, calcium, and potassium.

Previous research in animals has found that a diet high in broccoli sprouts may help reduce blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. Broccoli sprouts are high in compounds that may help reduce damage to arteries, which may play a role in high blood pressure. 
Beet juice
People with high blood pressure who drank about eight ounces of beetroot juice experienced a decrease in blood pressure of about 10 mm Hg, according to a study published in April 2013 in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension.

The magic ingredient? Nitrate, which turns into nitric oxide, a gas that widens blood vessels and aids blood flow. A glass a day could help keep blood pressure at a lower, healthier level.
Sesame and rice-bran oils
People who cooked with a blend of the two oils (available at health food stores) saw a drop in blood pressure almost comparable with the decrease that results from taking medication, according to research from the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions.

Researchers believe the effect is due to the oils’ fatty acids and antioxidants such as sesamin, sesamol, sesamolin, and oryzanol.
Bananas
Famously rich in blood pressure-lowering potassium, one banana contains about 420 milligrams, or 11 percent of the 4,700 milligrams the American Heart Association recommends people consume daily.

Surprisingly, however, many veggies are actually higher in potassium than these popular fruits. A cup of Swiss chard boasts 960 milligrams, a cup of cooked white beans has nearly 1,200 milligrams, and a whole avocado has 975 milligrams.
Dark chocolate
A tasty way to be heart healthy! Dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants called flavanols,

which make blood vessels more elastic, according to Prevention.com. Stick to an ounce or less a day and make sure it contains at least 70 percent cocoa.