When you hear the word ‘superfood’ you might think ‘yuck’ or that you’re healthy and you don’t need to add whatever a ‘superfood’ is into your diet. However, superfoods are beneficial to everyone and it might surprise you what a superfood actually is. In the age of expensive fitness clubs, flat tummy supplements, and plastic surgery, it seems looking great is on everyone’s mind. But the best and healthiest way to look great and, more importantly, feel great, is through your diet. This has lead doctors, educators, and fitness instructors to promote a healthy diet consisting of superfoods.’
What is a Superfood?
Superfoods refer to foods that offer maximum nutritional benefits with minimal calories. These foods are nutrient powerhouses that are full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are essential to your body. Most superfoods are plant-based, but some fish and dairy products also qualify. The superfood diet isn’t about completely changing your life to center around food or take up all your time making specific meals. It is more about having a healthy diet and incorporating superfoods into it.
Benefits
The benefits of superfoods are wide and far-reaching. The antioxidants that come from superfoods help neutralize free radicals that are in our bodies. These free radicals naturally occur as by-products of energy production, but they have the ability to wreck our bodies. That is why antioxidants are so important. They help prevent the harmful effects of free radicals by decreasing the risk of heart disease, stroke, and arthritis, to name a few.
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The benefits of a superfood diet also include helping to create a healthy complexion, stronger nails, shinier hair and promote weight loss. Beyond looking great, superfoods also increase energy levels, act as an anti-inflammatory, improve immunity, reduce stress levels, and give your body the nutrients and vitamins it needs so you feel great too.
Here is a list of some superfoods to get you on the right track:
Berries
There are lots of different types of berries that are good superfoods such as acai berries, blueberries, raspberries, and cranberries. These berries are high in antioxidants, have healthy fats, fiber, B vitamins, magnesium, and potassium. Phosphorus plant compounds that are found in berries also have the potential to slow the growth of cancerous cells and help protect memory and cognitive function. Sounds good to me!
Leafy Greens
I’m sure we’ve all heard about how we’re supposed to eat our leafy greens. And believe it or not, when our parents made us eat our broccoli, it was for a good reason. Foods such as kale, spinach, swiss chard, and collared greens are abundant in vitamins A, C, E, K, and B. Along with essential minerals such as iron, magnesium, potassium, and calcium. These vitamins and minerals perform hundreds of different roles in the body to keep you functional and healthy. They make your bones strong, they heal wounds, they improve your immune system, they balance out your body and direct the flow of oxygen in your blood. They also convert food into energy, so maybe the next time you’re feeling sluggish, you might need more vitamins in your diet.
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Tea
A variety of teas have beneficial ‘superfood’ properties. It has few calories and is a good source of hydration and antioxidants. Studies have found that green tea is a good anti-inflammatory and can help reduce stress levels, along with white tea. Drop everything and grab your tea!
These are just some superfoods that are beneficial to our diets. Below shows a more extensive list of what qualifies as a ‘superfood.’ With so many options, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be living life to the fullest!
Superfood Supplements and Powders
Prefer trying a green superfood supplement instead? Superfood supplements have also taken over the market when it comes to leading healthier lifestyles. They are sources of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, digestive enzymes, probiotic bacteria that come from naturally-derived compounds and have been linked to a ton of benefits. With these supplements and powders, it is easy to get what your body needs and more. Green powders are another way to get your essential nutrients, and lucky for you, we’ve done all the heavy lifting.
One last final note for all those still with me and ready to live life to the max. Superfoods should be incorporated into a healthy diet, not just thrown into a bad one. Another tip is to make sure that when you eat, your plate looks colourful. If your plate is looking a little more beige and brown, you might be lacking antioxidants, vitamins and/or minerals. Lastly, a superfood diet doesn’t need to be expensive. You don’t need to go out to the premium grocers and buy the most expensive bunch. Local grocers supply ample amounts of fruits, vegetables, and superfood supplements that are good for you!
Choose to live a healthier, fuller, longer life just by eating colourful foods that make you feel and look great.
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