Want to be healthy ? Want to live longer ? Read on. Okay so maybe that's a slight exaggeration. After all there are hundreds of foods that are good for you and millions that are bad !! There are top twenty lists for muscle building, for endurance, for speed, for losing weight,for gaining weight, for every contingency. These are the top twenty foods, in my view ,which can contribute to general health, a healthy diet, keeping illness at bay and in some cases helping you live longer. Although there's 20 they're not in any particular order. In this article I'll be covering my top ten. Look for the follow up which continues with numbers 11-20.

So lets look at:

1.Chocolate: Sorry ,only joking !! Its not chocolate but the raw cacao bean which is the main ingredient of chocolate. Whilst chocolate is really not a good contributor to a healthy diet this bean is fantastic ! It contains anti-oxidants that protect the cardio-vascular system, tryptophan which makes you feel great, magnesium and potassium as well as dopamine a neurotransmitter which can help you get motivated. Use the raw bean in yogurt, fruit salad, desserts, smoothies and just about anything else you fancy.

2.The number 2 ingredient towards maintaining a healthy lifestyle is pne of the cheapest foods on the planet-watercress. This little baby contains Vitamin C in abudance, iron, folic acid and calcium. It will even help protect you from cancer as it also contains phenylethyl isothiocyanate , a cancer fighting ingredient. Who would have thought ?

3.Broccoli weighs in at number 3. One of the most under rated superfoods and possibly the least popular as many people think it tastes bland, this vegetable can also help you live longer. Like water cress it can help prevent cancer as it contains Indole-3-Carbinol. Also like water cress it has lots of calcium, iron as well as sulphur. Why buy detoxifying remedies-this food will do it all for you ! Eat, enjoy, live long and prosper !

4.Alfalfa Sprouts: at number 4 the humble alfalfa sprout is great for having a healthy lifestyle. This contains so much stuff that's good for you that you'll be bouncing with energy and vitality. Included are : Vitamin K, B vitamins, magnesium, zinc, calcium, as well as amino acids and iron. I'll ask you again: why buy expensive vitamin supplements when you can buy these ? You may think the sprout is boring- if it helps, who cares ??

5.Beetroots- love 'em or hate 'em these come in at 5. The green leafy tops are great for a healthy diet- they contain calcium, iron and beta-carotene. They're also a great source of vitamin A ,potassium and manganese. To finish off with beetroot is also meant to improve your circulation, purify the blood and detoxify your system. Wow !

6.Nettles: Not a romantic food I know but nettles can help you achieve a healthy diet. They can give you energy, and reduce water retention and high blood pressure. Not bad for starters but they also contain iron, potassium and vitamin C as well as cleansing, the bowels, the blood and the urinary tract.

7.Ginger: ginger has been used for hundreds of years to help treat sickness and nausea. But did you know that it can also treat indigestion and bad circulation. It can boost the immune system and if you grate it into honey and lemon it will help you fight off colds and get rid of mucus. Especially good for you in the winter when it'll boost your healthy lifestyle !

8.Hemp seeds; weighing in at 8 to help you with a healthy lifestyle is the humble hemp seed. These contain Omega 3 and Omega 6 essential fats as well as Vitamin E. Eat them with salad, on their own or sprinkled liberally with sweet potato, soup or just about anything else you fancy. Eat them on their own to maintain a healthy diet.

9.Flax seeds: Sprinkle these on salads and yoghurts. They contain Omega 3 fats and a gel that lubricates the bowel. Not gorgeous but effective! They can also help lower blood pressure and help balance female hormones as they contain lignans.

10.Artichokes: Fantastic for keeping to a healthy diet. These have been used to stimulate liver cell regeneration and to help stop fatty plaques building up inside the walls of the arteries, which causes high blood pressure.

These foods really are the top ten superfoods.Great for everyone. They'll help you live longer and really stick to a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle. Lokk for numbers 11-20 in my follow up article. Coming soon!!