Supercharge Your Diet With These 8 Fantastic Superfoods!
What is a superfood? There are so many foods available these days that are packed full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, essential fatty acids and more. But some special foods out there have even MORE benefits to them, and that’s what we call superfoods!
Superfoods have a load of health benefits which include:
- Helping to regulate your metabolism and burn body fat
- Protecting your vital organs from nasty toxins
- Lowering cholesterol and blood pressure
- Reducing inflammation in the body
- Preventing heart disease and cancer
- Promoting digestive health
Why should you eat superfoods?
Simply put, it's because of the fantastic health benefits they offer! We have listed a range of superfoods below and what they're great for to ensure you keep your body and mind the healthiest it can be. Once you start eating superfoods on a regular basis you will start to notice a difference in how you look, and more importantly, how you feel.
Here is a list of superfoods that you can easily add to your daily routine. Try adding one at a time (if you haven't already) and see how you go!
Broccoli
This mini tree-like vegetable is loaded with Vitamin C, folic acid and carotenoids. These help protect your cells from damage by free radicals, they can help enhance your immune system and improve reproductive health.
Did you know that just one serving (about one medium stalk) provides way over your recommended daily amount of Vitamin K? Which is great for building strong bones and plays an important role in blood clotting.
You can eat it cooked or raw — why not try it roasted? It’s really delicious and makes for a great addition to salads!
Lentils
Lentils are one of the most nutritious legumes out there. They are a great source of cholesterol-lowering fibre and lean protein. They are packed full of Iron and B vitamins. If you eat these on a regular basis, it will help maintain your healthy heart — it's the folate and magnesium that help to improve the flow of blood, oxygen and nutrients throughout the body!
Sweet Potatoes
A popular superfood, sweet potatoes have an impressive nutritional profile. They are low in fat and calories and high in fibre. Plus, they’re packed with vitamins A and C, potassium, calcium and magnesium. Sweet potatoes are also rich in beta-carotene, an antioxidant that has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties and may help lower the risk of certain cancers.
You can eat them baked, boiled, mashed or roasted and they're another great addition to salads.
Blueberries
Another superfood favourite, this yummy fruit is full of antioxidants and has been proven to slow the growth of cancerous tumours. Blueberry extracts have also been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties, which can help prevent infectious bacteria from sticking to the walls of your gut, bladder and urethra. And as a bonus, blueberries are well known for their anti-aging effects! Woohoo!
Great to add to oats for breakfast or nibble on with some nuts during the day!
Wild Salmon
Loaded with Omega 3 fats, salmon is great for digestion and reducing the risk of heart attacks. Having a piece of salmon will help you feel fuller for longer. It's a great source of lean protein, as well as good fats!
If you want healthy skin, hair, nails and bones, get some salmon in your body. It contains lots of Vitamin D and selenium!
Avocado
There’s a lot of talk about avocado and how it is high in fats. But don't be afraid to eat it — it’s one of the best good fats you can eat! Half an avocado a day is plenty; it will help aid in digestion and it's also full of fibre and protein too! Break up the 1/2 an avocado — put some in your lunch and your dinner for example.
Goji Berries
This is a bit of an odd one and you may not have heard of them before, but they are often called the most nutritionally dense food on earth. Goji berries contain more vitamin C than oranges, more beta carotene than carrots and more iron than red meat! Wow! Pretty amazing for something so small!
Goji Berries are a Himalayan fruit and are a great source of antioxidants and B vitamins. They also contain 15 amino acids.
Goji berries have been used medically in China for hundreds of years and are thought to improve strength in limbs, improve blood circulation, improve your eyesight, protect your liver, boost your immune system and even increase your libido!
Chia Seeds
This tiny little thing is the superfood of superfoods! There are so many benefits to adding this little superstar into your food! Here are a few reasons:
- Chia seeds are super high in dietary fibre, making them great for digestion and healing digestion issues.
- They contain 20% Omega 3, making them a superfood for the brain and heart! They even have 8 times more Omega 3 than salmon
- Chia seeds are protein-rich — they are about 20% protein! They are also a complete protein with all 8 essential amino acids.
- Chia seeds contain 5 times more calcium than milk
- Chia seeds have 7 times more vitamin C than oranges
- Chia seeds have 3 times more iron than spinach
- Chia seeds have twice the potassium of a banana
You can use them as an egg replacement — just combine them with water to form a gel and add it to recipes that call for eggs.
Try adding chia to porridge, salads or green smoothies! Around one tablespoon a day is enough, you just need to ensure you are drinking your 2L of water minimum!
There are so many other superfoods out there, here are a few more to add to your healthy lifestyle:
- Pomegranates
- Maca
- Nuts/seeds
- Some teas
- Acai
- Spirulina
- Cinnamon
- Spinach
There you have it! Enjoy superfoods and include as many of them as you possibly can in your daily life as part of your healthy lifestyle!
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