Make sure you eat a diet rich in antioxidants, fiber, and other healthy nutrients by eating these 10 superfoods regularly.

Blueberry

Blueberries contain more antioxidants - the supermolecules that fight a host of diseases - than the 40 other foods and fruits tested at the same time.

The antioxidant pigments that give blueberries their color protect against heart disease, cancer, and age-related blindness, and memory loss. Blueberries also contain epicatechins, other antioxidant molecules that play an important role in preventing urinary tract infections by preventing bacteria from adhering to the bladder wall.

How much do you need? 1/2 cup (125 mL) of blueberries is one serving of fruit.

Tip: Put a handful of blueberries on your pancakes. Don't add them until just before serving, as cooking destroys the vitamin C.

Garlic

Garlic is antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral. Its preventive properties are mainly due to its sulfur compounds, which act as antioxidants and are useful for the cardiovascular system. Six pods a week is enough to reduce the risk of colon, stomach and prostate cancer by half.

How much do you need? Take at least one pod a day and add it to your food.

Tip: Chop or crush the garlic clove and let it sit for about 10 minutes to release its full healing potential.

Olive oil

Olive oil is one of the healthiest fats available. It is rich in monounsaturated fats, which lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels and raise HDL ("good") cholesterol levels. It is also rich in phenols, antioxidants that are thought to protect arterial walls against cholesterol deposits.

How much do you need? Take 1 tablespoon (15 ml) every day.

Tip: Choose virgin, extra-virgin or cold-pressed olive oil, which is extracted by pressing. Light or extra-light oils are produced using solvents and heat, which destroy the antioxidants.

Broccoli

Consider broccoli your number one anti-cancer food, especially because of its high content of sulphur compounds, including sulforaphane, which is responsible for its characteristic smell when cooked. These compounds tell the genes to stimulate the production of enzymes whose role is to detoxify potentially cancerous compounds. By eating more broccoli, you could cut your risk of breast, lung, stomach, and colon cancer in half.

How much do you need? 125 mL (1/2 cup) of cooked broccoli is one serving of vegetables.

Tip: To release the maximum amount of sulforaphane, steam the broccoli for 3 to 4 minutes, or until crisp-tender.

Yogurt

Yogurt is an excellent source of calcium, which is good for bones, but its greatest benefits come from its probiotics, helpful bacteria that inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria in the gut. Regular consumption may help relieve inflammatory bowel disease, ulcers, urinary tract infections and vaginal yeast infections.

How much do you need? ¾ cup (175 mL) of low-fat or skim yogurt with live bacterial cultures is one serving of dairy.

Tip: When breading chicken, pork or fish, substitute plain yogurt for eggs to moisten the meat.

Oats

Oats are rich in beta-glucan, a type of soluble fiber, which lowers cholesterol and blood pressure. One cup (250 mL) a day of cooked oat bran, 11/2 cups (375 mL) of cooked oats, or three packets of instant oatmeal provides enough beta-glucan to lower blood cholesterol levels by about five percent and the risk of having a heart attack by ten percent.

How much do you need? Aim for 10 grams of soluble fiber a day. Cooked oats provide about 2 to 3 g per serving.

Tip: Buy the kind of oats you like and will eat. It doesn't matter if the oats are instant or not.

Flaxseed

One tablespoon of flaxseed a day usually added to yogurt or cereal, provides 2.3 grams of fiber, often more than the cereal itself. But it is for its lignans that we usually consume this seed. These substances behave in the body like estrogen, blocking the receptors of this hormone on the cells and thus contributing to reducing the risk of certain hormone-dependent cancers, like breast cancer. Thanks to their anti-inflammatory action, lignans may also help relieve conditions such as acne and asthma.

How much do you need? Take 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 ml) daily.

Tip: Buy ground seeds or grind them yourself. Left whole, they pass through the digestive system undigested, depriving the body of their benefits.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is one of the most useful spices for health. It is especially known for its positive effects on blood sugar levels and therefore for diabetics. It can help prevent blood clots and has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It has been shown to fight E. coli, among other bacteria.

How much do you need? Just ¼ to ½ teaspoon (1 to 2 ml) a day is enough to lower triglycerides and total cholesterol by 12 to 30%.

Tip: Sprinkle your coffee with cinnamon; it's a great way to get more out of this spice.

Tea

Tea is one of the best sources of antioxidants available. No other fruit or vegetable provides as many.

The antioxidants in the tea protect against heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Their effect on the heart is thought to be due to the fact that they slow down the breakdown of LDL ("bad") cholesterol, thus preventing blood clots and improving cardiovascular function. Those who drink one or two cups a day reduce their risk of dangerously narrowed arteries by 46%.

How much do you need? Take two to five cups a day.

Tip: Take your tea mostly between meals, as the tannins, it contains interfere with the absorption of iron from food.

Beans

Beans have a positive effect on the heart because they are rich in soluble fiber, a substance that absorbs cholesterol, allowing the body to eliminate it before it adheres to the artery walls. Studies have shown that a diet rich in soluble fiber can lower total cholesterol levels by 10 to 15%. In addition, in a recent study, researchers ranked it among the best antioxidant foods.

How much do you need? ¾ cup (175 mL) of beans is equal to one serving of meat or protein equivalents.

Tip: Beans, and other legumes, contain more protein than any other plant-based food, but their protein is incomplete. To get your complete protein, have a grain dish, such as rice, throughout the day.