September 11th, 2008 by Jason
The term superfood is used a lot these days, and you should be aware of its limitations. Superfoods won’t cure disease, turn you into Albert Einstein or transform you into an Olympian. However, they are typically packed with nutrients as well as powerful antioxidants and fiber to fight and help prevent disease. You shouldn’t limit yourself to eating only superfoods – remember, variety is one important key to good nutrition – but you would do well to incorporate superfoods into your diet on a regular basis.
Here is my carefully selected list of superfoods (not in order) – there are others, but these are my top picks to both supply superior nutrition and launch a pre-emptive strike against cardiovascular disease and cancer. Enjoy!
1. Acai (pronounced either ah-sigh-ee or ah-sah-ee)
2. Blueberries
3. Goji berries (a.k.a. wolfberries)
4. Raspberries, blackberries
5. Cranberries
6. Blackcurrants
7. Papaya
8. Kiwi
9. Bananas
10. Watercress
11. Kale (also spinach, swiss chard)
12. Broccoli sprouts, broccoli
13. Tomatoes
14. Carrots
15. Avocados
16. Garlic, raw onions (sorry, but it’s good for you!)
17. Kefir
18. Walnuts, almonds
19. Soy
20. Beans & lentils
21. Barley
22. Oats (such as steel cut oats for breakfast)
23. Chia (extremely nutritious)
24. Flax seed (ground preferably, which you can do yourself)
25. Salmon (WILD)
A word about juices, just to answer some questions before they get asked…anything your juice can do, the fruit it came from can do better! You may never have heard of some of the foods above or perhaps I left out one of your favorites. Heck, I even left out one of my favorites. Let me know your thoughts - leave a comment! Also, anyone notice a pattern in the list above? In other words, what DON’T you see? We’ll see who is paying attention…
Jason,
With talk of pesticides and fertilizers in produce, antibiotics in meat, and Biphenol-A (BPA) in the containers in which food is stored, how can I be sure that my healthy food is actually “healthy”?
Chris,
One great way is to try and buy certified organic products whenever possible. In the United States, you can find more information at http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop regarding certification and much more. Certified organic products are typically free from synthetic pesticides, herbicides and antibiotics in meat. Organic or not, ALWAYS thoroughly wash your food before consuming it! There is no telling who has touched your food before you got to it or what they did with their hands before that. The best way to manage your risk however is to stay informed. In addition to my site of course, you should frequent official government agency websites such as the USDA, CDC, NIH and FDA for starters. Incidentally, the jury is still out on BPA, but I prefer taking the more cautious approach, just in case. Until we have concrete evidence one way or another, I’m staying away from plastics containing it altogether. Better safe than sorry!