According to an article at Medical News Today a survey of several different sources in the Western world place the humble apple atop a list of the 10 healthiest foods.

Some of the apples benefits are great source of antioxidants (slows aging and fights free radicals) and one study shows females that regularly ate apples had a decreased risk of developing heart disease by up to 22%.

The article lists nine other foods, almost all of them really tasty and easy to add to your regular diet, that have proven health benefits if eaten regularly.

We’ve all heard since we were small children that calcium is the best nutrient for strong healthy bones and if you’re a woman over 50 you probably already know that not enough calcium in your diet can lead to loss of bone mass and brittle bones as you age but did you know that there are more ways of getting calcium than drinking milk? Or that the rate of absorption and the efficiency of the calcium you take in is very dependent on several other factors than just how much you consume?

This article at Fitnessrepublic.com tells you how you can get your calcium requirements met from other sources than milk such as dark green vegetables like spinach, collards, kale and broccoli or even oranges and almonds.

You also need to know that calcium needs vitamin D in order to be synthesized by the body. This is a must! Vitamin D is made by the body when you are exposed to the sun. You don’t need a lot of sunlight to get this started, the article tells you how little sun you need each week to get enough vitamin D.

The article also goes into detail about some food sources for vitamin D and what other nutrients are needed for optimal absorption of calcium as well as telling you about some foods that may actually inhibit your calcium absorption even if you’re getting enough.

Read more at Fitness Republic