What and why: Mackerel, salmon, tuna, herring, anchovies, sardines.
Whereas the oil in white-fleshed fish is concentrated in the liver, with oily fish it’s distributed throughout, making the omega-3 fatty acids readily available in their natural form. Omega-3 is essential for heart health and for brain and immune system function. Oily fish are also a good source of vitamin D, the
“sunshine” vitamin, essential for maintaining strong, healthy bones and for muscle function.
How: Oily fish is available fresh or canned, so it’s very easy to consume the optimum three servings a week without getting bored—a pan-fried salmon steak, baked mackerel stuffed with herbs, and a canned tuna salad, and you’re there.
Eat apples with the skin on to benefit from all the nutrients.
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Superfoods
Garlic
What and why: Garlic is a bulb in the allium family, made up of a number of individual “cloves.” Antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and an excellent general tonic, garlic is considered the king of the superfoods and has been found to be effective against a wide range of degenerative and infectious diseases, from cancer to the common cold.
How: Garlic is used as a flavoring in traditional cuisines around the world. It’s most efficacious in its raw state, however, and even more so when it’s crushed, chopped, or chewed to activate the sulfur compound allicin. The one downside to garlic is that it’s famously antisocial, the odor lingering long and noticeably on the breath. Look out for fermented black garlic, which has no pungent odor but twice the antioxidants of white garlic and a far more mellow flavor.
Cruciferous vegetables
What and why: Broccoli, kale, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, arugula, watercress. Crucifers contain antioxidants, which protect healthy cells from damage caused by free radicals (toxic molecules), and are therefore associated with preventing the development of cancers and heart disease as well as other diseases linked to oxidative stress, such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and Alzheimer’s.
Each crucifer also has many other benefits—for example, kale is a rich source of iron, calcium, vitamin K (essential for blood-clotting and wound-healing), and lutein, which promotes eye health.
How: Cooking destroys valuable nutrients, so eat raw or do no more than lightly steam these invaluable veggies.
It’s important to chew thoroughly, as this helps form glucosinolates, the anticancer compounds. If you have a powerful blender, you can join the Green Smoothie movement—raw kale is especially good for this, blended with fruit such as orange, banana, or mango. The blender does all the chewing for you!
Superfoods
Superfoods have exceptional nutritional qualities that both promote good health and help prevent disease. Here, we look at a handful of superfoods found in every grocery store, and a few more unusual ones.
Apple
What and why: An apple is a fruit—old-fashioned, pure, and simple. There’s an old saying that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, and this still holds true.
Apples contain pectin, which helps stabilize cholesterol levels and also binds to heavy metals such as lead and removes them from the body, which is helpful in our polluted modern environment. Apples also aid digestion and are therefore ideal accompaniments to fatty foods such as cheese or rich meats.
How: Choose organic apples where possible (or at least rinse non-organic apples), so that you can safely eat the skin, and eat them raw. It’s best to eat an apple whole, chewing it well, but if you have digestive problems, grate it and eat it immediately. Apple juice is delicious but deprives you of the pectin-rich fiber.
To avoid smelly garlic breath, chew fresh parsley, which neutralizes garlic odor—
and is another superfood.
Salmon is among the best sources of Vitamin D.
As well as providing super nutrients, Romanesco broccoli looks super, too.
Continued next page
Oily fish
What and why: Mackerel, salmon, tuna, herring, anchovies, sardines.
Whereas the oil in white-fleshed fish is concentrated in the liver, with oily fish it’s distributed throughout, making the omega-3 fatty acids readily available in their natural form. Omega-3 is essential for heart health and for brain and immune system function. Oily fish are also a good source of vitamin D, the
“sunshine” vitamin, essential for maintaining strong, healthy bones and for muscle function.
How: Oily fish is available fresh or canned, so it’s very easy to consume the optimum three servings a week without getting bored—a pan-fried salmon steak, baked mackerel stuffed with herbs, and a canned tuna salad, and you’re there.
Eat apples with the skin on to benefit from all the nutrients.
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54 Out and about: Shopping Superfoods 55
Seeds
What and why: Pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flax, chia. An excellent source of protein and plant-based omega-3 fatty acids, seeds provide many other nutrients—they are, after all, literally the seed of a new plant—including important minerals such as magnesium,
manganese, potassium, zinc, and copper.
Seeds are anti-inflammatory and antioxidant and assist in hormone balance. Flax and chia seeds become mucilaginous when soaked in water and are excellent for maintaining a healthy digestive tract. Pumpkin-seed butter makes a good alternative to butter, and sunflower lecithin is a GMO-free alternative to soy lecithin as a nutritional supplement.
How: Pumpkin and sunflower seeds are an instant snack, but the nutrients are more bio-available if the seeds are first soaked in water and then dried in a very low oven. Sesame seeds are tiny, so sprinkle them on salads or oatmeal or make hummus or dressings from tahini.
Unsoaked flax and chia seeds can also be sprinkled, but because they are so mucilaginous it’s essential to drink plenty of water.
New superfoods on the block
“New” superfoods are introduced on a regular basis, although usually their usefulness has been known to the local population for centuries. Those listed below are currently enjoying a high profile.
Name Origin What and why How
Quinoa (keen-wah) Andes Tiny pseudo-cereal grain; contains
all nine essential amino acids;
gluten-free
Serve as a side instead of rice;
add to soups; cool and use in salads
Goji berries Himalayas Bright red dried berries; contain B and E vitamins, minerals and carotenoids
Mix with pumpkin seeds for an instant snack or whiz them in smoothies and desserts
Moringa Africa, Asia Powdered leaves of the Moringa
oleifera tree; high-protein, low-fat, and carbohydrate; rich source of vitamins and minerals
Blend into green smoothies or add to water or juice
Cacao powder Amazon Seed of Theobroma cacao (“cacao,
the food of the gods”); good source of minerals, fiber and essential fatty acids; stimulates endorphin release
For optimal health benefits, add raw cacao powder to smoothies and raw desserts
Goji berries are a quick and convenient snack food.
Use mashed avocado in place of mayo or butter in sandwiches.
Avocado
What and why: Avocado is a fruit that’s more usually used in a savory context than a sweet one. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, avocado is a good source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, promotes absorption of nutrients, and contains generous levels of fiber, potassium, and B vitamins.
How: Avocados are the ultimate healthy fast food—simply halve lengthwise and season with a little sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; blend into a guacamole dip; or crush onto crispbread and sprinkle with sunflower seeds. To make an instant superfood “ice cream,”
blend avocado with frozen apple slices;
no sweetener required.
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54 Out and about: Shopping Superfoods 55
Seeds
What and why: Pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flax, chia. An excellent source of protein and plant-based omega-3 fatty acids, seeds provide many other nutrients—they are, after all, literally the seed of a new plant—including important minerals such as magnesium,
manganese, potassium, zinc, and copper.
Seeds are anti-inflammatory and antioxidant and assist in hormone balance. Flax and chia seeds become mucilaginous when soaked in water and are excellent for maintaining a healthy digestive tract. Pumpkin-seed butter makes a good alternative to butter, and sunflower lecithin is a GMO-free alternative to soy lecithin as a nutritional supplement.
How: Pumpkin and sunflower seeds are an instant snack, but the nutrients are more bio-available if the seeds are first soaked in water and then dried in a very low oven. Sesame seeds are tiny, so sprinkle them on salads or oatmeal or make hummus or dressings from tahini.
Unsoaked flax and chia seeds can also be sprinkled, but because they are so mucilaginous it’s essential to drink plenty of water.
New superfoods on the block
“New” superfoods are introduced on a regular basis, although usually their usefulness has been known to the local population for centuries. Those listed below are currently enjoying a high profile.
Name Origin What and why How
Quinoa (keen-wah) Andes Tiny pseudo-cereal grain; contains
all nine essential amino acids;
gluten-free
Serve as a side instead of rice;
add to soups; cool and use in salads
Goji berries Himalayas Bright red dried berries; contain B and E vitamins, minerals and carotenoids
Mix with pumpkin seeds for an instant snack or whiz them in smoothies and desserts
Moringa Africa, Asia Powdered leaves of the Moringa
oleifera tree; high-protein, low-fat, and carbohydrate; rich source of vitamins and minerals
Blend into green smoothies or add to water or juice
Cacao powder Amazon Seed of Theobroma cacao (“cacao,
the food of the gods”); good source of minerals, fiber and essential fatty acids; stimulates endorphin release
For optimal health benefits, add raw cacao powder to smoothies and raw desserts
Goji berries are a quick and convenient snack food.
Use mashed avocado in place of mayo or butter in sandwiches.
Avocado
What and why: Avocado is a fruit that’s more usually used in a savory context than a sweet one. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, avocado is a good source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, promotes absorption of nutrients, and contains generous levels of fiber, potassium, and B vitamins.
How: Avocados are the ultimate healthy fast food—simply halve lengthwise and season with a little sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; blend into a guacamole dip; or crush onto crispbread and sprinkle with sunflower seeds. To make an instant superfood “ice cream,”
blend avocado with frozen apple slices;
no sweetener required.
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5 easy ways to cut fats not fl avor
1
Mix mashed cauliflower and chicken broth with your mashed potatoes, not butter.2
Use applesauce and cinnamon or mashed bananas in your cake or muffin recipe instead of oil.3
Use two egg whites instead of one egg for baking or your omelet recipe.4
Use fat-free chicken, vegetable, or beef broth for your rice instead of water and oil.5
Chill your soup or stew, then remove the fat layer on top before reheating and serving.Out and about: Shopping