Some foods get all of the glory. (Pomegranates, we're looking at you.) But new research is uncovering the age-defying, disease-fighting, fat-blasting super-powers of common foods you already love. These 22 edibles are cheap, quick to prep, mouthwateringly delicious‚ and most are probably already in your kitchen. And to make it even easier for you to tap into their head-to-toe benefits, we created a tastyseven-day diet plan featuring every age eraser on our list. A diet that fights fine lines, fatigue and heart disease and helps you lose 2 pounds per week‚ what are you waiting for? Dig in!




Fight weight gain, wrinkles, cancer and colds all at once with this yummy, satisfying, superfood-packed plan. A younger, slimmer you is only one week away.


Key to the icons

Increases energy = Increases energy
Enhances immunity = Enhances immunity
Good for your heart = Good for your heart
Peels off pounds = Peels off pounds
 = Smooths wrinkles
Helps fight cancer = Helps fight cancer
Sharpens your brain = Sharpens your brain

Almonds

Good for your heart Peels off pounds 
Savor this snack. Dieters who noshed on almonds daily shed 62 percent more weight and 56 percent more fat than those who didn't, a study from Loma Linda University in California finds. "The fiber in nuts may prevent your body from absorbing some fat, speeding weight loss," says lead author Michelle Wien, R.D. Almond eaters also lowered their blood pressure, and the vitamin E in these nuts may keep skin supple.
Reap the rewards. Chomp on 1 1/2 ounces (about 35) raw or roasted almonds daily.

Barley

Good for your heart Peels off pounds Helps fight cancer
Give your usual brown rice an upgrade. Barley has almost twice the fiber, plus cancer-fighting selenium. And beta glucan, a form of fiber in barley, helps lower cholesterol and reduces your body's rate of fat absorption. When people with high cholesterol ate 3 to 10 grams of beta glucan daily, their levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol and triglycerides fell, a study in theAnnals of Family Medicine shows.
Reap the rewards. Quick-cook barley takes less time to prep but offers the same perks.