Here's an easy way to remember what's good for you. The first letter of each food group spells:




1) Almonds and Other Nuts
Eat them with skins intact.

Superpowers
Building muscle, fighting food cravings

Secret weapons
Protein, monounsaturated fats, vitamin E, folate (in peanuts), fiber, magnesium, phosphorus

Fight against
Obesity, heart disease, muscle loss, cancer

Sidekicks
Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, avocados

Impostors
Salted or smoked nuts. High sodium spikes blood pressure.

These days, you hear about good fats and bad fats the way you hear about good cops and bad cops. One's on your side, and one's going to beat you silly. Oreos fall into the latter category, but nuts are clearly out to help you. They contain the monounsaturated fats that clear your arteries and help you feel full.

All nuts are high in protein and monounsaturated fat. But almonds are like Jack Nicholson in One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest: They're the king of the nuts. Eat as much as two handfuls a day. If you eat 2 ounces of almonds (about 24 of them), it can suppress your appetite--especially if you wash them down with 8 ounces of water.

For a quick popcorn alternative, spray a handful of almonds with nonstick cooking spray and bake them at 400 degrees F for 5 to 10 minutes. Take them out of the oven and sprinkle them with either a brown sugar and cinnamon mix or cayenne pepper and thyme.


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2) Beans and Other Legumes
Including soybeans, chickpeas, pinto beans, navy beans, kidney beans, lima beans.

Superpowers
Building muscle, helping burn fat, regulating digestion

Secret weapons
Fiber, protein, iron, folate

Fight against
Obesity, colon cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure

Sidekicks
Lentils, peas, bean dips, hummus, edamame

Impostors
Refried beans, which are high in saturated fats; baked beans, which are high in sugar

Most of us can trace our resistance to beans to some unfortunately timed intestinal upheaval (third-grade math class, a first date gone awry). But beans are, as the famous rhyme says, good for your heart; the more you eat them, the more you'll be able to control your hunger. Black, lima, pinto, navy--you pick it. They're all low in fat, and they're packed with protein, fiber, and iron--nutrients crucial for building muscle and losing weight. Gastrointestinal disadvantages notwithstanding, they serve as one of the key members of the Abs Diet cabinet because of all their nutritional power.

In fact, if you can replace a meat-heavy dish with a bean-heavy dish a couple of times a week, you'll be lopping a lot of saturated fat out of your diet and replacing it with higher amounts of fiber.

3) Spinach and Other Green Vegetables
Superpowers
Neutralizing free radicals (molecules that accelerate the aging process)

Secret weapons
Vitamins including A, C, and K; folate; beta-carotene; minerals including calcium and magnesium; fiber

Fight against
Cancer, heart disease, stroke, obesity, osteoporosis

Sidekicks
Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and brussels sprouts; green, yellow, red, and orange vegetables such as asparagus, peppers, and yellow beans

Impostors
None, as long as you don't fry them or smother them in fatty cheese sauces

You know vegetables are packed with important nutrients, but they're also a critical part of your body-changing diet. I like spinach in particular because one serving supplies nearly a full day's vitamin A and half of your vitamin C. It's also loaded with folate--a vitamin that protects against heart disease, stroke, and colon cancer. Dress a sandwich with the stuff, or stir-fry it (continued below...)

with fresh garlic and olive oil. Broccoli is high in fiber and more densely packed with vitamins and minerals than almost any other food.

If you hate vegetables, hide them. Puree them and add them to marinara sauce or chili. The more you chop, the less you taste, and the easier it is for your body to absorb nutrients.

4) Dairy Products
Fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese.

Superpowers
Building strong bones, firing up weight loss

Secret weapons
Calcium, vitamins A and B12, riboflavin, phosphorus, potassium

Fight against
Osteoporosis, obesity, high blood pressure, cancer

Sidekicks
None

Impostors
Whole milk, frozen yogurt

Dairy is nutrition's version of a typecast actor. It gets so much good press for strengthening bones that it garners little attention for all the other stuff it does well. Just take a look at the mounting evidence that calcium is a prime belly-buster. A University of Tennessee study found that dieters who consumed between 1,200 and 1,300 milligrams of calcium a day lost nearly twice as much weight as those taking in less calcium. Researchers think the mineral probably prevents weight gain by increasing the breakdown of body fat and hampering its formation.

Low-fat yogurt, cheeses, and other dairy products can play a key role in your diet. But I recommend milk as your major source of calcium. Liquids take up lots of room in your stomach, so your brain gets the signal that you're full. Sprinkling in chocolate whey powder can help curb sweet cravings.

5) Instant Oatmeal
Unsweetened, unflavored.

Superpowers
Boosting energy and sex drive, reducing cholesterol, maintaining blood-sugar levels

Secret weapons
Complex carbohydrates and fiber

Fights against
Heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, obesity

Sidekicks
High-fiber cereals like All-Bran and Fiber One

Impostors
Sugary cereals

Oatmeal can propel you through sluggish mornings, and you can down a bowl a couple of hours before a workout to feel fully energized by the time you hit the weights, or at night to avoid a late-night binge. It couldn't be easier to prepare--just add water. Buy the unsweetened, unflavored variety and use other Powerfoods such as milk and berries to enhance the taste.

Oatmeal contains soluble fiber, meaning that it attracts fluid and stays in your stomach longer than insoluble fiber. It also works like a bouncer for your body, showing troublemakers the door. For example, soluble fiber helps remove LDL cholesterol from your circulatory system.

Another cool fact about oatmeal:
Preliminary studies indicate that eating oatmeal raises the levels of free testosterone in your body, boosting your sex drive and enhancing the body's ability to build muscle and burn fat.

6) Eggs
Superpowers
Building muscle, burning fat

Secret weapons
Protein, vitamins A and B12

Fight against
Obesity

Sidekicks
Egg Beaters, which have fewer calories than eggs and no fat, but just as much of the core nutrients

Impostors
None

For a long time, eggs were considered pure evil, and doctors were more likely to recommend tossing eggs at passing cars than throwing them into omelette pans. That's because just two eggs contain enough cholesterol to put you over your daily recommended value. Though you can cut out some of that by removing part of the yolk and using the white, more and more research shows that eating an egg or two a day will not raise your cholesterol levels. In fact, we've learned that most blood cholesterol is made by the body from dietary fat, not dietary cholesterol. That's why you should take advantage of eggs and their powerful makeup of protein.

The (continued below...)

protein found in eggs has the highest "biological value" of protein--a measure of how well it supports your body's protein need--of any food. In other words, the protein in eggs is more effective at building muscle than protein from other sources, even milk and beef. Eggs also contain vitamin B12, which is necessary for fat breakdown.

7) Turkey and Other Lean Meats
Lean steak, chicken, fish.

Superpowers
Building muscle, improving the immune system

Secret weapons
Protein, iron, zinc, creatine (beef), omega-3 fatty acids (fish), vitamins B6 (chicken and fish) and B12, phosphorus, potassium

Fight against
Obesity, mood disorders, memory loss, heart disease

Sidekicks
Shellfish, Canadian bacon, omega-3?rich flaxseed

Impostors
Sausage, bacon, cured meats, ham, fatty cuts of steak like T-bone and rib eye

A classic muscle-building nutrient, protein is the base of any solid diet plan. Turkey breast is one of the leanest meats you'll find, and it packs nearly one-third of your daily requirements of niacin and vitamin B6. Beef, another classic muscle-building protein, is the top food source of creatine--a substance your body uses to make new muscle fibers. Look for round or loin cuts (code for extra-lean); New York strip is less fatty than prime rib.

To cut down on saturated fats even more, concentrate on fish like tuna and salmon, because they contain a healthy dose of omega-3 fatty acids as well as protein.

A bonus benefit:
Researchers in Stockholm found that men who ate no fish had three times the risk of prostate cancer of those who ate it regularly. It's the omega-3s that inhibit prostate-cancer growth.

Peanut Butter
All-natural, sugar-free.

Superpowers
Boosting testosterone, building muscle, burning fat

Secret weapons
Protein, monounsaturated fat, vitamin E, niacin, magnesium

Fights against
Obesity, muscle loss, wrinkles, cardiovascular disease

Sidekicks
Cashew and almond butters

Impostors
Mass-produced sugary and trans fatty peanut butters

Yes, PB has its disadvantages: It's high in calories, and it isn't served in four-star restaurants. But it's packed with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats that can increase your body's production of testosterone, which can help muscles grow and fat melt. Three tablespoons a day should guarantee the benefit without overloading on the fat.

9) Olive Oil
Superpowers
Lowering cholesterol, boosting the immune system

Secret weapons
Monounsaturated fat, vitamin E

Fights against
Obesity, cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure

Sidekicks
Canola oil, peanut oil, sesame oil

Impostors
Other vegetable and hydrogenated vegetable oils, trans fatty acids, margarine

No need for a long explanation here: Olive oil and its brethren will help control your food cravings; they'll also help you burn fat and keep your cholesterol in check. Do you need any more reason to pass the bottle (continued below...)

?

10) Whole-Grain Breads and Cereals
Superpowers
Preventing your body from storing fat

Secret weapons
Fiber, protein, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc

Fight against
Obesity, cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease

Sidekicks
Brown rice, whole-wheat pretzels, whole-wheat pastas

Impostors
Processed bakery products like white bread, bagels, and doughnuts; breads labeled wheat instead of whole wheat

There's only so long a person can survive on an all-protein diet or an all-salad diet or an all-anything diet. You crave carbohydrates because your body needs them. The key is to eat the ones that have all their heart-healthy, belly-melting fiber intact. Whole-grain carbohydrates can play an important role in a healthy lifestyle. Whole-grain bread keeps insulin levels low, which keeps you from storing fat.

11) Extra-Protein (Whey) Powder
Superpowers
Building muscle, burning fat

Secret weapons
Protein, cysteine, glutathione

Fights against
Obesity

Sidekick
Ricotta cheese

Impostor
Soy protein

Whey protein contains essential amino acids that build muscle and burn fat. But it's especially effective because it has the highest amount of protein for the fewest number of calories, making it fat's kryptonite. But that's not all. Whey protein can help protect your body from prostate cancer. It's a good source of cysteine, which your body uses to build a prostate cancer?fighting antioxidant called glutathione. Adding just a small amount of whey protein to your diet may increase glutathione levels in your body by as much as 60 percent.

12) Raspberries and Other Berries
Superpowers
Protecting your heart, enhancing eyesight, improving memory, preventing cravings

Secret weapons
Antioxidants, fiber, vitamin C, tannins (cranberries)

Fight against
Heart disease, cancer, obesity

Sidekicks
Most other fruits, especially apples and grapefruit

Impostors
Sugary jellies

Depending on your taste, any berry will do (except Crunch Berries). I like raspberries, as much for their power as for their flavor. One cup packs 6 grams of fiber and more than half of your daily requirement of vitamin C.

Blueberries are one of the most healthful foods you can eat. They beat out 39 other fruits and vegetables in the antioxidant-power ratings. And strawberries (along with grapefruit, peaches, apples, and oranges) contain another valuable form of fiber called pectin that can make you feel fuller for hours.