22 superfoods to add to your diet for a healthy life (2)

 

Read the first part of the article

Super Food # 10: Watermelon

Our bodies naturally lose muscle mass as we age. This is caused by a loss of mitochondria, but according to an article in Men’s Health, “Watermelon juices up the production of regenerative proteins that build muscle and repair mitochondria, allowing them to produce more energy and, in turn, burn more fat.” This effect, along with the presence of the amino acid L-citrulline, can slow the outer appearance of aging.

Add This Superfood To Your Diet:

You can save money on your grocery bill by slicing and cubing your own watermelon while it’s in season. Add these nuggets of good health to your juices, smoothies and fresh fruit salads.

Must-Try Recipes:

For more ways to enjoy this summer favourite, here are 34 Ways to Eat Watermelon at Every Meal. The Chilly Watermelon Soup incorporates Greek yogurt for a double dose of superfoods and the delicious Stewed Watermelon Curry is a must try in the cold evenings.
Tip: Eat a daily fruit salad for breakfast or as a post workout snack to incorporate more superfruits in your diet.

Super Food # 11: Spinach

In addition to protecting your eyes and building your bones, spinach also aids in digestion and flushes toxins from the colon. Need another reason to eat more of this leafy green? The vitamins and minerals found in spinach can improve your skin and give you a glowing complexion.

Add This Superfood To Your Diet:

You can incorporate spinach in almost anything: smoothies, juice, savoury dishes. Try adding it to scrambles, pasta dishes and salads.

Must-Try Recipes:

Whip up one of these 25 Clever Ways to Eat Your Spinach like their Baked Eggs with Herbs and Spinach or the Grilled Cheese with Spinach and Peach Bruschetta.

Super Food # 12: Pistachios

Not only do pistachios reduce LDL (or the “bad”) cholesterol, they also increase the good kind (HDL) in a short time if you eat them regularly. Making these nuts a regular diet staple can also prevent Type 2 diabetes. They contain vitamin E, which protects skin cells from harmful UV damage, and the anti-oxidants lutein and zeaxanthin that defend tissues from free radicals.

Add This Superfood To Your Diet:

Make a bag of pre-portioned pistachios your new to-go snack. You can also add chopped nuts to your yogurt and baked goods.

Must-Try Recipes:

Here are 21 Ways to Use Pistachios and recipes range from Matcha White Chocolate Pistachio Cups to Goat Cheese Truffles with Honey and Pistachio.

Super Food # 13: Almonds

Praised for their monounsaturated fatty acids (or MUFAs), almonds are among other heart-healthy superfoods like olive oil and avocados in preventing heart disease and diabetes while lowering bad cholesterol levels. These MUFAs also make almonds surprisingly filling – even if you stick to twelve nuts, which count as a mere 100 calories. Their high concentrations of vitamin E and magnesium also improve blood flow.

Add This Superfood To Your Diet:

While you can certainly sprinkle chopped almonds on salads, yogurt and baked goods, you can also take advantage of almond butter and almond flour to add more of this superfood to your meal plans.

Must-Try Recipes:

Make your own almond butter or try the Almond Spinach Pesto.

Super Food # 14: Ginger

Ever wished you could sanitize your insides? If so, you’ll love ginger. This wonder-root is antimicrobial and kills both ingested and surface bacteria, including salmonella. The effects of this superfood are so strong that the enzyme found within, known as zingibain, will dissolve parasite eggs. Ginger is also hailed as an aphrodisiac because of its ability to increase blood flow.

Add This Superfood To Your Diet:

Thinly sliced ginger can be preserved in sherry or candied by simmering them in heavy syrup and rolling the slices in sugar. You can also grate ginger into smoothies and sauces for a healthy kick.

Must-Try Recipes:

For more health benefits, try these recipes for homemade Ginger AleSweet Potato Soup with Miso and Ginger or Chinese Ginger-Lime Candy.

Superfood # 15: Beets

Beets are powerhouses of folate, magnesium and vitamin C, which can reduce blood pressure and improve blood flow, resulting in better brain function. Studies have explored the link between improved circulation and heightened physical ability and found that a two-cup serving of beet juice ingested two and half to three hours before exercise can improve performance.

Add This Superfood To Your Diet:

If you’re using fresh beets, it may be helpful to note that the greens (or tops) are also edible. If you’re juicing your beets you can feed the entire vegetable through your machine.

Must-Try Recipes:

The Huffington Post has curated 30 Beet Recipes from around the web that includes Beet, Goat Cheese and Honey Tarts, Roasted Beet Balsamic Mustard and Ginger Beet Sorbet.

Superfood # 16: Beans

Because of their versatility, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Guide Pyramid classifies beans as both a high-protein food and a vitamin-dense vegetable. With the exception of soy beans (which have high levels of MUFAs) these superfoods are low in sodium, calories and fat yet are packed with protein, complex carbohydrates and fiber. Beans’ nutritional composition means you’ll feel full and energized long after eating them.

Add This Superfood To Your Diet:

You can add beans to soups, wraps, salads. To bulk up their nutritional values, stir black beans into taco filling or use bean paste instead of mayo sandwiches.

Must-Try Recipes:

Try Flourless Peanut Butter Chickpea Pancakes and Black Beans and Mushrooms Balls.

Super food # 17: Pumpkin

That festive orange hue is the result of carotenoids, fat-soluble compounds shown to decrease the risk of breast, lung, bladder, colon, cervical and skin cancers as well as heart disease. And while carotenoids can be found in a number of fruits and vegetables, their concentration in pumpkin is higher than almost any other source.

Add This Superfood To Your Diet:

When adding pumpkin to your diet you may find it’s easier to bake with the canned product, which can also eliminate the need for oil. Don’t discount pumpkin seeds or pepitas, either. They make a great addition to baked goods or can be enjoyed as a stand-alone snack. Pepitas are high in protein and fiber and have a mood-boosting effect.

Must-Try Recipes:

Want more recipes that feature pumpkin? Here are 20 Creative Pumpkin Recipes. They include Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookie Bites, Whipped Pumpkin Ricotta and Pumpkin Parfaits with Coconut Whipped Cream.
Tip: You can substitute pumpkin for oil in recipes cup for cup. The ratio for replacing butter is one cup butter equals 3/4 cup pumpkin puree.

Super food # 18: Apple

In addition to its nutritional qualities, there may be another reason to add apples to your diet. A recent study tested three groups of grocery shoppers. Groups were given either an apple, a cookie or no food before shopping. The apple group bought 28 percent more fresh produce than the cookie group and 25 percent more than the control group. Enjoy an apple before grocery shopping and you’ll also be supporting your brain, heart and digestive health.

Add This Superfood To Your Diet:

Keep an apple in your desk at work and snack on slices with peanut butter or yogurt for dipping. You can also add diced apple to many sweet and savoury dishes. Try them in your morning oats or in Kollath breakfast.

Must-Try Recipes:

Try the 15 Easy and Healthy Apple Recipes that you can find here and you’ll check more than one superfood off your list. Both the One Bowl Greek Yogurt Apple Oat Bread and the Four Ingredient Flourless Apple Pie Blondies are chock full of nutritious superfoods.

Super food # 19: Cranberries

A study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry showed that six common berries, cranberries included, interfered with the growth of human breast, colon, oral and prostate cancer cells in vitro. Cranberries are also anti-bacterial, killing gut bacteria that causes ulcers and stomach cancer, and they boost the immune system.

Add This Superfood To Your Diet:

When adding cranberries to your recipes, compliment their tartness with something sweet. Try honey and cranberries in yogurt or cook the berries in a saucepan with orange sections and a little agave or sugar for a tangy topping.

Must-Try Recipes:

Don’t have any of your own cranberry recipes? You can borrow these 20 Healthy Cranberry Recipes. Then go ahead and take credit for the Cranberry & Feta Orzo Pasta Salad, the Baked Apples with Cranberries and Pecans or the Pita Bites with Horseradish Cheddar at your next get-together.

Super food # 20: Garlic

Garlic may protect you from E. coli, salmonella and staph, according to a new study. Researchers have found that an average serving of garlic has 1% of the potency of penicillin. Garlic also has antioxidants that prevent cancers, inhibit signs of aging and protect the liver. Making garlic a regular addition to your diet can even lower your blood pressure.

Add This Superfood To Your Diet:

Garlic is most powerful when eaten raw but makes a flavourful addition to almost any savoury dish. To maintain the health benefits, add minced garlic to your food at the end of cooking. For raw garlic, try scraping toasted bread with a clove before topping.

Must-Try Recipes:

If you want to try something new, these 10 Great Garlic Recipes include Zucchini Fries with Garlic Chipotle Aioli, Garlic Mashed Cauliflower and Roasted Garlic Hummus.

Super food # 21: Cauliflower

Speaking of cauliflower, research suggests that the white variety of this super vegetable may protect cells from DNA damage while orange cauliflower leads with 25 times more vitamin A. In addition, all cauliflower varieties contain antioxidants that promote a healthy metabolism and glucosinolates that support the cardiovascular, digestive and immune systems.

Add This Superfood To Your Diet:

Of course you can snack on raw cauliflower but you can also add it to sautés, scrambles and stir fries. For a simple side dish, roast a full head of cauliflower drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and fresh herbs in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Must-Try Recipes:

You can use cauliflower to make bread sticks, rolls, tots, bagels and pizza crust with these 23 Insanely Clever Ways to Eat Cauliflower Instead of Carbs.

Super food # 22: Leeks

Not only does the sulfur in leeks reduce your chance of blood clots, but this vegetable also blocks conditions in the body that are shown to cause cancer. If that weren’t enough, leeks have been proven to lower cholesterol, improve blood pressure and strengthen immunity. They’ll also boost your eye health with lutein and zeaxanthin.

Add This Superfood To Your Diet:

You can add the mildly sweet flavour of leeks anywhere you’d normally use onion – but leeks require careful cleaning since they’re grown in sandy soil and collect dirt between their layers.

Must-Try Recipes:

These 27 Leek Recipes include Potato and Celery Root Gratin with Leeks, Buckwheat Crepes with Creamy Leeks and Baked Eggs and instructions for fire-pit leeks, perfect for your next camping trip or bon fire.

You might have found that you’re already eating superfoods – or maybe you don’t eat any. Little tweaks to your diet, like adding ingredients to your smoothies and exploring new side dishes, can help you incorporate a full range of nutritional benefits.

 

yogaesoteric
November 30, 2018

 

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