By Dr. Joseph Mercola

There’s absolutely no need to be bored when eating healthy, but many believe this to be the case because they are missing out on some of the tastiest and healthiest options of all.

Does your health food repertoire consist of salads, baked chicken and broccoli? Are you looking for a way to add some excitement to your meals while maximizing their nutritional punch? 

I encourage you to peruse the list below to take advantage of some of the healthiest foods on earth. Before we can talk about the best foods, we need to perform some nutrition “mythbusting” and address two major dietary myths that have permeated Western culture for decades:

• Fat is bad for you—especially saturated fat
• All microorganisms are dangerous

​Myth #1: Fat is BAD for You​

Conventional medical “wisdom” continues barking that consumption of saturated animal fats is bad for you and causes heart disease. Most medical “experts” believes this to be true. But a hundred years ago, fewer than one in one hundred Americans were obese, and coronary heart disease was unknown and we had FAR more fat intake then we do today.

The demonization of saturated fat began in 1953, when Dr. Ancel Keys published a paper comparing saturated fat intake and heart disease mortality. His theory turned out to be flimsy, to say the least, but the misguided ousting of saturated fat has continued ever since. Fortunately, the truth is finally starting to come out, as medical scientists have finally begun to question Keys’ findings. The truth is, it’s the trans fat found in margarine, vegetable shortening, and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils that is the true villain, causing a multitude of health problems.

Coconut oil also fell into the “bad for your heart health” as a result of the saturated fat disparagement. This is most unfortunate as it is one of the healthiest fats on the planet. It is mostly medium chain triglycerides with over half of those belonging to lauric acid, which is an essential fat to regulate your immune system, and is also very prevalent in breast milk. It can curb hunger and help provide lasting energy.

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​Myth #2: When It Comes to Bacteria, Be Afraid… Be Very Afraid
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We have become one of the most germophobic cultures in the world, attempting to sterilize ourselves into a bubble—and our children as well. We haven’t done ourselves any favors here. We live in a world of microorganisms… bacteria, viruses, and fungi, and our lives depend on living with them, rather than avoiding them. Literally.

Microorganisms are everywhere. You swallow them, breathe them, and they form invisible colonies on your skin. Your gut is home to approximately 100 trillion bacteria, both good and bad. These bacteria outnumber the cells in your body by about 10 to one, and maintaining the ideal balance of healthy and disease causing microflora forms the foundation for your health—physical, mental and emotional.

In fact, this microscopic zoo in your gut is the first-line defense of your immune system. While a few of these microorganisms can wreak havoc with your system, most of these little “bugs” are good, helping you digest your food, stay protected from infections, and even helping to prevent autoimmune diseases like asthma, allergies, and diabetes. An imbalance in your gut flora can be a major contributor to many serious illnesses, including autism, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.

Your body’s microbial community is so crucial to your health that researchers have compared it to “a newly recognized organ” whose function is so important that you simply cannot be optimally healthy without it. In addition to avoiding unnecessary antibiotics and antibacterial soaps, balancing your gut flora may be one of the most important steps you can take to improve your health. This requires “reseeding” your gut with naturally fermented foods and probiotics.