RIO Fitness Chicago® Exercise & Nutrition Blog

RIO Fitness Chicago® Tip:

Five "bad" foods which may be good for you.

1) ICE CREAM. Look for a variety with 15% of the Daily Value (DV) for calcium in every 1/2-cup serving-about the size of a tennis ball & you'll get a very impressive dose of calcium for your bones and your blood pressure.

2) CHOCOLATE. DARK/BITTERSWEET chocolate is rich in flavonoids & antioxidants that protect your heart by preventing blood platelets from sticking together and forming clots that could cause a heart attack. Stick to about 100 calories' worth per day.

3) CHEESE contains a special kind of fat called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) that scientists are investigating as a new weapon against breast cancer. Cheese also contains cholesterol-raising saturated fat so stick to 1.5oz per day.

4) BEEF is one of the richest and best-absorbed sources of zinc, a key mineral in your immune system's fight against viruses. Stick to a 3oz portion, which is about the size of a computer mouse.

5) PIZZA. Pizza sauce delivers tons of lycopene, a carotenoid found at high levels in the blood and prostate of men with lower rates of prostate cancer. The cheese provides calcium, which helps build bone, lower blood pressure, and inhibit colon cancer. Choose two slices of thin-crust veggie pizza, which weighs in at just 300cal & 2.5g of saturated fat.