Superfoods have become a buzzword but many people are not exactly sure what they are. So what are superfoods? Superfoods are a group of highly nutrient-rich and nutrient-complex foods. They’re considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being. Often they’re foods with high phytonutrient (from plant products) or zoonutrient (from animal products) content, and are rich in vitamins, minerals and especially antioxidants. You’d expect them to be organic or biodynamic and they are not processed.
Health Benefits Of Superfoods
Superfoods can have a significant impact on your health because the compounds in them are so powerful. It’s thought that simply changing to a superfood diet could eliminate more than fifty percent of the suffering caused by degenerative diseases.
Many diseases including cancer, heart disease, hypertension and diabetes are diet related. However choosing a diet rich in superfoods can have a significant effect on them. Considering superfoods can have such a noticeable effect on someone with a serious chronic disease consider how much impact they have on someone relatively healthy. More importantly, particularly, consider how much children benefit form superfoods.
Feeding children superfoods promotes vibrant good health, and gives them energy and enthusiasm for life.
Superfoods make perfect sense in a family diet on value for dollar. The health benefits they provide for quantity makes them a very smart purchase. While the new exotic superfoods are costly, there are many tried and true family foods that meet the superfood criteria of nutrient-rich and nutrient-complex. Here is a list of some of the best family superfoods!
10 Awesome Superfoods
1. Apples
Apples have to top the list of family-friendly superfoods. They’re an awesome source of antioxidants and vitamin C. They also contain potassium and fibre and are low in kilojoules. The secret is in the skin, so to get the most benefit don’t peel them.
However, apples are one of the foods most heavily sprayed with pesticides. You should only eat organic or biodynamic apples. They regularly feature on the “Dirty Dozen®” list of produce most highly contaminated with residual pesticide. More than 98% of those tested by EWC were positive for residue of at least one pesticide.
2. Avocado
Avocado is an excellent superfood. Hass avocados with the dark skin, have the highest concentration and variety of nutrients including healthy fat, vitamin E and antioxidants. The antioxidants are highest in the darker green flesh straight under the skin. They cleanse your digestive system and help prevent wrinkles.
3. Goji Berries
Goji berries are very rich in a variety of nutrients and antioxidants. Amongst their goodies is more vitamin C by weight than any other food and more iron than spinach. They marvellous immune system boosters to ease inflammation and related disease. They come dried or as juice.
However, if you’re sensitive to nightshade ( Solanaceae) foods avoid Goji berries.
If you love berries don’t stop at goji berries as all berries are power packed with nutrients. Raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and in particular blueberries all contain lots of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. But, like apples, you need organic berries because they retain pesticide residues.
4. Brassicas
Amongst the big family of cruciferous vegetables there are many superfoods. This big family includes broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, radish, kale, kohlrabi, Chinese cabbage, rocket (arugula) and watercress.
5. Spinach
Popeye was right! Superfood spinach is a great food to boost your energy as it contains lots of iron. All greens provide lots of awesome nutrients and should be eaten every day. But selecting superfood greens gives an added boost to your health
Spinach is another superfood that needs to be organic.
6. Beans
The nutrients in kidney, borlotti, butter beans, lentils, chick peas, etc can protect against a number of tumours in addition to the normal benefits of superfoods. They’re also very helpful for those with insulin resistance.
7. Nuts and seeds
Nuts and seeds can have a big effect on lowering your risk of heart attack if you eat them five times a week.
8. Raw Cacao
Raw cacao is a delicious superfood rich with minerals. I’m not talking about everyday chocolate which is loaded with sugar and usually dairy ingredients and not a superfood. Unlike cocoa, raw cacao is cold-pressed and retains the living enzymes without the fat. Raw cacao is a potent antioxidant with many health benefits. It can lower insulin resistance, protect the nervous system, lower risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease, reduce blood pressure, improve your mood and repair free radical damage.
9. Coconut oil
Although out of favour for many years coconut is now seen as the healthiest fat on the planet by many. Some of the benefits include insulin stabilisation, increased energy, cholesterol reduction, natural antibiotic activity and weight loss.
10. Seeds
Quinoa is a superfood seed that’s a high source of protein and is low in fat. It’s an excellent source of antioxidants and offers many proven nutritional benefits. Use quinoa in the same way you would a grain.
Chia seeds are one of the top sources of omega-3 fatty acids with 100% more than what’s found in salmon. They have twice as many antioxidants as blueberries and many other nutrients. They have many health benefits and can be used whole, ground, or as an oil.
Superpower Your Health
Because superfoods are power-packed nutrient parcels they are perfect for when you are on the go.
it’s easy to change a poor diet to a super-powered diet just by increasing the amount of superfoods you include. Focus on increasing the number of super foods you eat rather than on eliminating other foods. You’ll quickly find you have replaced the nutrient-poor foods with high quality, nutrient rich foods without the stress of elimination dieting.
Superfoods are excellent for times when you resort to junk foods because you are time-poor. In times of high stress they can provide your body with the extra nutrients it needs to get through. Super foods can be as simple as a fresh, crisp organic apple, so now there’s no reason not to eat them every day.
I’d love to know what your favourite superfoods are, and how you super-power your health. Please share in the comments below.
Disclaimer
All information and opinions presented here are for information purposes only and are not intended as a substitute for professional advice offered during a consultation with your doctor or health care provider. Please consult with your health care provider before following any of the treatment suggested on this site, particularly if you have an ongoing or serious health issue.
