Superfoods

Superfoods - foods that are high in nutritional value for their suggested serving, compared to other foods. Like: a fresh apple is more nutritious than those frozen "fish" sticks shaped like cartoon characters. Agreed? I've started adding lucuma, maca, and goji powders to my smoothies sometimes. What ARE these things, you ask? Tonight I went in search of an answer. These all seem to be part and parcel of the new term "superfoods." Here's a list of foods that I would say, IN MY OPINION ONLY, are superfoods:

• SEEDS: like flax, chia, (unhulled) sesame, sunflower, and hemp hearts.
• BERRIES: blueberry, raspberry, mulberry, goji berry, blackberry, huckleberry, black currants, rose hips, acai berries, noni berry, camu camu berry... the list could go on...
• DARK LEAFY GREENS: watercress, kale, chard, silverbeet, bok choy, spinach, collards, romaine lettuce, sorrel, dandelion greens... again, the list is long.
• SPROUTS: wheatgrass, alfalfa, radish, mung bean, lentil, garbanzo/chickpea... I love sprouts! Easy to grow, and really good for you.
• CACAO: in a word, chocolate. Raw chocolate. Blissful.
• ALGAE: whether spirulina, chlorella or Klamath Lake blue-green algae, these are nutritional powerhouses at a recommended dose of ~1 tsp/day.
• NUTS: walnuts, almonds, pecans, macadamias, cashews, and more...
• AVOCADO: For you naysayers, try it in a chocolate mousse. No guarantees everyone will like it, but I think most would. High in fiber, folate, potassium (more than a banana!), and monosaturated fats, and avocado's been shown to help lower LDL levels, raise HDL levels, and lower triglycerides slightly as well.

I guess that would round out my list, at this point in time (have I forgotten any you enjoy? Leave me a comment below) - sounds like a pretty good raw vegan diet, once you add in a variety of other fresh fruits and vegetables (think RAINBOW). Let me just go over the purported health benefits of some of these super foods.

For example, maca is a Peruvian plant, similar to a turnip or radish (it's a member of the potato family), and dates back to the Incas. Rumour has it that people who consume it daily are known to be very fertile. It has sexual enhancing effects, and is said to increase sex drive and strength, AND eliminate menopausal symptoms. It is said to improve energy and also to adapt to your body's metabolism, helping repair whatever needs to be repaired.

Or camu camu: The berry from this native South American bush is said to have 30 to 60 times more vitamin C than an orange. It is beneficial to healing and eliminating scar tissue. It is a source of iron, calcium, potassium, phosphorous and other minerals. It supports your immune system, eyesight, skin, it helps maintain clarity of mind during stress. It's a source of antioxidants and is an antiviral. The RDA? 1/8 tsp. This gem is truly packed with nutrients for the quantity you consume.

Hemp Hearts, at a recommended daily intake of 4 tbsps, provide a complete protein source and is high in protein. They contain all 20 known amino acids, including the 9 EAAs (essential amino acids) not produced by the body. Hemp increases energy, promotes vigorous cell development, is easily digested, lowers LDL cholesterol levels, lowers blood pressure, increases immune functioning, and decreases PMS symptoms. It is used for treating dry skin/hair, and contains more Omega-3 than fish. It has a 'perfect' 3:1 ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 (essential fatty acids) and also contains GLA: gamma linolenic acid. It is recommended to consume 4 tbsps at breakfast time and many have said doing so alleviates all hunger at lunch, so they snack in the afternoon, have salad for dinner and contribute their consumption of hemp hearts to weight loss.

Tonight I tried a little bowl with 1 tsp each of maca powder, goji powder, raw cacao powder, lucuma powder, and then 2 tbsps raw almond butter, with enough water to make it blend smoothly (using a spoon). DEEEEEElicious... actually, it was super. Just super.