A few weeks ago I touched on typical Western diet staples: pasta in the pantry, butter in the fridge, flour in the canister, oranges in the 'other' drawer. Staples make up large portions of prepared meals while main ingredients change; instead of chicken it's beef, instead of pork it's fish, instead of salad it's sauce. As the food on the table are given a value, each food typically fills one or two main nutritional requirements- that valuation process is how the many variations of the very flawed food pyramid came to balance the American diet for us. To reach optimal nutrient intake with typical American foods, too much of the wrong foods need to be consumed.
Some foods, coined 'super foods', pack a greater all-around punch to the nutrients the body uses in abundance. Some of these super foods may even be on your table but you may have underestimated their value. The first of which is broccoli - one of the worlds healthiest foods! Vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, calcium, protein, tryptophan, etc. Steamed or raw broccoli supports vitamin D, K and A in balance, can help manage allergies, and can help lower cholesterol in the blood. Add some to your dinner tonight!
Another underestimated super food is spinach! This little leaf is full of phytonutrients, vitamin K, calcium, glycoglycerolipids, and a potent list of vital vitamins and minerals. Eating spinach raw in a salad or wilted in a soup or even dip can boost your immune system, balance your nutrients, and fight off fatigue. Spinach is not just 'good for you', it's a super food!
An unlikely super food duo, so you may think, is the avocado and the garlic bulb. (Guacamole anyone?) Avocados have been spread upon the news lately for their 'good fats' and their 'healthy oils' but avocados offer much more than that. Fiber, potassium, vitamins C, B and K, monounsaturated fatty acids, polyhydroxylated fatty alcohols (PFA's) and carotenoids. Pair it with garlic, another superfood often only looked at as a spice, and you have a powerhouse blend. The combined benefits of avocados and garlic will go straight to your heart!
Fifth in today's superfood list is Celery, an appropriate food for this time of year. "In addition to well-known antioxidants like vitamin C and flavonoids, scientists have now identified at least a dozen other types of antioxidant nutrients in celery" WHFoods.com. Chop it up, stick it up, slice it up, snack it up, but don't underestimate it's ability to boost you up!
Eat real food, drink plenty of water, give your vitamins their vitamins, and remember to wash your hands~
Anna~
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