What are Superfoods?
Truth be told, the term ‘superfood’ is more of a marketing term than anything else. That being said, all foods are not created equal and there are certain foods that can help us ward off diseases and live a longer, healthier life.
Unlike most healthy foods, which normally only contain two or three significant nutritional properties, superfoods often have 12 or more. Super foods contain antioxidants to help ward off disease, healthy fats to prevent heart disease and fiber to improve digestive health.
Superfoods improve physical and mental health, strengthen the immune system and increase resistance to disease. Certain superfoods also stimulate thermogenesis and improve metabolism, rejuvenate the skin and improve cardiovascular health.
Superfood #1 – Nutritional Grasses
Nutritional grasses are the young green plants that eventually grows into cereal grains such as wheat, barley, oat and alfalfa. It is important to note that the grasses are not a grain and are completely gluten-free! Nutritional grasses contain every vitamin, mineral, amino acid and enzyme needed to support animal life. They are total foods that need no additional additives to complement or complete it.
Nutritional grass has been used as a food supplement since the 1930’s when it was observed that nutritional levels of milk took a dip when cows were fed corn instead of being raised on pasture. Nutritional gases promote gut health, are a natural source of pre-biotic fibers, reduce inflammation and help detoxify the blood and liver.
- Barley grass is an alkaline-balancing, nutrient-dense, green superfood with energizing, cleansing, mineralizing and anti-aging properties.
- Oat Grass reduces inflammation and is loaded with naturally occurring vitamins, calcium, iron, lecithin, and magnesium.
- Wheat grass helps naturally cleanse the liver and blood and promotes optimal metabolic and thyroid function.
- Alfalfa grass is rich in chlorophyll, minerals and essential amino acids.
Superfood #2 – Turmeric
Turmeric’s anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties make it a health promoting powerhouse. 100g of turmeric contains 340% of the daily recommended intake (DRI) for manganese and 517% of the DRI for iron. Turmeric is also an excellent source of fiber, vitamin B6, potassium, vitamin C, and magnesium. However, the primary reason turmeric is garnering so much attention has everything to do with the anti-oxidative properties of turmeric’s active ingredient, curcumin. Curcumin decreases inflammation, helps regulate blood sugar levels and improves immune function.
Adding turmeric and its potential benefits to your life is pretty simple: add it in your cooking! Turmeric has a mild flavor that compliments most dishes. Research indicates adding a little fat (like olive or coconut oil) and black pepper enhances the absorption of turmeric.
Superfood #3 – Spirulina
Spirulina is dark blue sea algae that contains all 8 essential amino acids, gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), beta-carotene, linoleic acid, arachidonic acid, vitamin B12, iron, calcium, phosphorus, nucleic acids RNA & DNA, chlorophyll, and phycocyanin, a pigment-protein complex that is only found in blue-green algae.
Spirulina is one of the most nutrient dense foods on earth and provides a wide range of health benefits. Spirulina’s powerful antioxidant properties provide a near-instantaneous boost to one’s energy by balancing the body’s ph. Spirulina is also a natural detoxifier, oxygenating the blood, and helping cleanse the body of toxins that can cause illnesses or other health complications.
Superfood #4 – Beets
Beets are an all-star when it comes to boosting energy and mental productivity. Beets contain concentrated amounts of natural nitrites, which dilate blood vessels and increase blood flow to the entire body, especially the brain. A study published in the journal of nitric oxide found that a diet rich in beetroot juice increases blood flow to the regions of the brain that are responsible for attention and memory.
Beet also contains vital nutrients that help lower blood pressure, fight inflammation, boost endurance, and support detoxification.