If you're wondering
• what the top superfoods are, and
• what is the ultimate superfood?
Then you've come to the right place!
Do you want to know the best superfoods you can use to create healthy menus for the family?
What are superfoods?
They’re foods with a high concentration of several high quality nutrients – they are foods with high nutritional value and lots of natural vitamins. ‘High quality’ usually means the nutrient is in an easily absorbed form.
The media uses the word ‘superfoods’ to create a frenzy around specific food items, like chia seeds or goji berries.
But the fact is:
most unprocessed,
non-hybrid, plant-ripened, freshly picked fruits and vegetables, seeds and nuts are top superfoods, because they have very high nutritional value.
Superfoods include the native foods of different countries. Many of
these foods are not available from the shop and might be poorly known
outside their local area.
My top superfoods list includes foods
that are generally available worldwide, and have the highest
concentrations of several nutrients.
Here’s my top 10 superfoods list:
• Spinach
Most
countries have their own native versions – there are many spinach
varieties. There are many health benefits of spinach, so it's the
highest ranked of all my top superfoods - cook lightly to boost the antioxidant content, or use raw.
Spinach
nutritiona facts: the spinach plant is full of vitamin K, vitamin A,
manganese, folate, manganese, folate, magnesium, iron, vitamin C,
vitamin B2, calcium, potassium vitamin B6, tryptophan, vitamin E…..and
plenty of others. It also contains high quality protein and rates
highly as a weight loss food.
• Broccoli
This is a well known superfood, full of vitamin C, K, A, folate, fibre, manganese, tryptophan, B6, B2 and many other vitamins.
It’s a fantastic anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant vegetable.
Broccoli is also one of those foods that detox the body.
In fact, it's more than just a top superfood; I’d rate it as the ultimate superfood!
Cook lightly to boost the antioxidant content. It also contains high quality protein and rates as a good weight loss food.
Broccoli extract is included in some whole food supplements and vitamin supplements. It’s fantastic in a green drink.
• Berries
All berries are rich in vitamin C and also
contain manganese, fibre, iodine, potassium, folate, B vitamins, omega
3, vit K, magnesium and/or copper…among other nutrients. The pigments
that cause the bright colours are powerful phytochemicals
that provide high anti-oxidant activity - great for inflammatory conditions like arthritis and cardiovascular disease.
Goji
berries are a very popular dried berry, while others, like blackberries,
can be purchased fresh or frozen. There are many ways to enjoy these
top superfoods.
• Pumpkin seeds (pepitas) Pumpkin seeds are full of manganese, magnesium, phosphorous, tryptophan, iron, copper vitamin K, zinc and protein.
That's
what you'll get from a serving of pumpkin seeds, along with protective
benefits against prostate disease and osteoporosis.
They're also great anti-inflammatory foods for conditions like arthritis.
• Flaxseed
What is flaxseed? It’s also known as linseed,
and it’s a reddish brown seed that’s full of alpha linoleic acid, a type
of omega 3 fatty acid.
Flaxseed benefits: flaxseed is rich in
fibre, manganese and magnesium, folate and copper. Flaxseed is an
important anti-inflammatory food that protects bones and fights cancer,
heart disease and diabetes.
Some people may react to flaxseed at first.
Ground flaxseed and flaxseed oil side effects can include bloating and
flatulence. Start with small amounts and gradually increase as your
tolerance builds up to a maximum of 1 to 2 tablespoons per day. After
all, the side effects of flaxseed oil are minor compared to flaxseed oil
health benefits!
• Quinoa
Quinoa (keen-wah) is actually a seed and is related to spinach. It's a complete protein
source - great for vegans and vegetarians - and is rich in manganese, magnesium, iron and tryptophan.
Quinoa
can be used as a treatment for migraine headaches, to support
cardiovascular health and provide antioxidant protection against cancer.
• Kidney beans
The benefits of beans include
their convenience for long term storage (in dried form) and their high
fibre content. Kidney beans are rich in vitamins and minerals including
folate, iron, fibre, tryptophan, phosphorous, copper and magnesium and
of course protein.
Their cholesterol-lowering fibre is a winning
feature that helps prevent cardiovascular disease, while the beans also
help to stabilise blood sugar.
Cook properly to destroy lectins.
• Eggs (omega 3)
Omega 3 eggs
are a top superfoods that are full of tryptophan, selenium, iodine, B2,
protein and molybdenum, and a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. They
also provide choline which is necessary for maintaining healthy cell
membranes and promotes healthy nerve function.
Cook lightly to deactivate the protein avidin in the raw egg white, which can block biotin absorption.
• Sardines
These little guys are lower
heavy metals than larger species of fish, because they're lower in the
food chain and bio-accumulate less. Aside from the Omega 3 benefits,
sardines are high in B12, tryptophan, selenium, vitamin D, phosphorous
and calcium.
The benefits of vitamin D, in particular, include
enhanced mineral absorption (e.g. teeth and bones), optimal thyroid
function, and healthy nails and fighting insomnia. In light of that,
sardines are great for healthy bones,
heart health muscles and are a good anti-cancer food.
• Low fat yoghurt
Yoghurt is full of iodine, calcium,
phosphorous, B2, protein, B12 and tryptophan, among other things. It
boosts immune response and has a beneficial effect on cholesterol;
lowering LDL and raising HDL. Low fat yoghurt intake is also linked to
fat loss - what a top superfood!
In case you didn’t get enough, here’s my extended list of top superfoods:
• Almonds
Almonds
are a good source of manganese, vitamin E, magnesium, tryptophan,
copper and B12. They can help lower LDL cholesterol and therefore
reduce your risk of heart disease. They also help to diminish post-meal
blood sugar fluctuations (1).
• Avocado
The
nutritional value of avocado is incredible: they’re rich in vitamin K,
fibre, potassium, folate, B6 and vitamin C. The oleic acid within this
fruit promotes heart health and increases your absorption of other
nutrients. (1)
• Basil
Very rich in vitamin K,
flavonoids (orientin and vicenin) that protect cell structures and
chromosomes from radiation and oxidative damage. Also contains many
antibacterial volatile oils and is a powerful anti-inflammatory (1).
This rates as a top superfood because a small serve is so rich in
nutrients.
• Black Beans
Black beans are a very good source of
molybdenum, folate and fibre and a range of other things. They’re a top
superfood for vegans, as a good source of iron and protein. The fibre
is excellent for managing blood sugar and are a very high quality
protein. They also detoxify sulphates, a type of food preservative that
some people react to if they’re low in molybdenum. Welcome the black
beans!
• Chia Seeds
These ancient seeds are
related to spinach and are omega-3 fatty acid powerhouses (alpha
linoleic acid). Importantly, they have an omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acid
ratio of 3:1 which is important for reducing inflammation This
makes them one of my top superfoods. They’re also high in calcium,
manganese and phosphorous, and a good source of fibre and protein.
Get
the most benefit from seeds by soaking in water in a ratio of 1 part
seeds to 9 parts water (e.g. 1 tablespoon of seeds in 9 tablespoons of
water). The gel that forms can be used to replace oils in baking or
eggs. It stores well for up to three weeks in a sealed container in the
fridge.
• Kale
What is kale? The kale plant is a leafy vegetable
that belongs to the cruciferous vegetable family, e.g. cabbage, broccoli
and cauliflower.
Health benefits of kale: Kale is rich in
vitamin K, A, C, manganese, fibre, copper, tryptophan, calcium and B6
(among others). It is full of antioxidants, anti-inflammatory nutrients
and anti-cancer nutrients, and supports detoxification . Cook kale
lightly to boost the antioxidant content and enjoy the taste of this top
superfood.
• Kangaroo
This wild meat is very low
fat, high in protein and high in iron and zinc. It’s also full of B
vitamins and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which has antioxidant
properties and may help with fat burning.
• Oats
Steel cut oats are the least processed. They are
rich in manganese, selenium, tryptophan, phosphorous, B1, fibre and
magnesium. They’re also a reasonable quality protein source. They
contain the fibre beta-glucan which lowers cholesterol, stabilises blood
sugar and enhances immune response to bacterial infection .
• Oranges
Bursting
with vitamin C, juicy, tasty oranges are a good source of fibre, folate
and B1. The flavonoids in oranges have significant antioxidant
properties which can help to lower blood pressure, while the high
vitamin C content reduces the risk of cancer and inflammatory diseases
including cardiovascular disease. A tasty top superfood!
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