healthy habits
A Superfood Spectrum Enjoy a rainbow of foods and a wealth of nutrition
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ale, dragon fruit, avocados … The list of superfoods goes on and on. But that’s not a bad thing. There is no quantitative, enforced definition of a superfood: All that matters is the nutritional and health value you get per calorie. For instance, some people consider the everyday raw carrot a super food because a cup of them contains 3.1 grams of dietary fiber and an astounding 428 percent of your daily recommended value of vitamin A, which helps the immune system, red blood cell development and eyesight. “A lot of time guests [who join the Mayo Clinic’s Healthy Living Program] will ask questions about ‘What are the new superfoods?’” Mayo Clinic dietitian Angie Murad says. “We don’t necessarily use that [term] because it changes over time and it may be more trendy-type foods. Those types of foods typically have a lot of health benefits; it’s just they may change over time.” Superfoods are chock-full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Besides vitamin A, vitamin C is most known for its longterm benefits to immune system health. Vitamin B has a host of types and health benefits, including digestive aid, muscle and nerve functions, and metabolism and hormone regulations. Its different forms can be found in a wide variety of foods such as almonds, cauliflower, whole grains and berries. Vitamin K is another frequent superfood nutrient, and it helps with blood clotting and metabolism and efficiency. While you may be familiar with minerals like calcium and potassium, other common superfood minerals include manganese, which helps boost metabolism and build connective tissue; magnesium for energy and muscle and nerve impulse functions; and zinc, which is involved in almost every chemical reaction in the body. Many minerals are found in protein-rich foods, and zinc is the same. It is most prevalent in oysters, but you can also find it in chicken or red meat as well as beans, seeds, mushrooms, whole grains and fortified cereals. Magnesium is often found in
18 real food fall 2018
green leafy vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds. Manganese is found in a variety of similar plant foods such as spinach, nuts and beans plus foods like raspberries and sweet potatoes. One of the key words you hear related to superfoods is “antioxidant.” Antioxidants mainly come in the form of vitamins, enzymes and phytochemicals such as carotenoids and flavonoids, and they are most common in plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, spices and even whole grains. They help the body combat conditions such as inflammation, high blood pressure, and even heart disease and cancer that occur as cells age. While you can think about healthy eating more within this superfood framework, the bottom line is to eat natural, whole foods. Do that, and you’ll find yourself eating plenty of superfoods. Or, if it’s easier, start adding superfoods, and you’ll start eating natural, whole foods that will improve your diet. Superfoods are still a relatively new concept—Murad says they started gaining popularity in the 1990s—but even if, say, turmeric doesn’t prevent or treat Alzheimer’s disease or alleviate arthritis pain as much as it has been hyped up to do, it still has proven antioxidant capabilities and, by sprinkling it on your foods, you can also cut down on your salt intake.
REACH FOR THE RAINBOW An easy way to increase your intake of superfoods and healthy foods is to “eat the rainbow.” “Whenever you have brightly colored fruits and vegetables, those are indicators that there are different phytonutrients in them, or antioxidants, so they can all help decrease incidents in chronic diseases,” Murad says. Blue/Violet: Believe it or not, we do have blue and violet foods, or at least blue and violet enough for the rainbow. The former mostly consists of blueberries, which are rich in antioxidants, fiber, manganese, and vitamins C and K. Violet is loosely
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BY LIANNA MATT
