My Favorite Superfood Ingredients

My Favorite Superfood Ingredients:

• Alliums Leeks, onions, garlic and chives have potent health-enhancing qualities.

• Research shows that they can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, inhibit the growth of prostate, stomach, and colon cancer cells, and have antibiotic and immune-boosting properties.

Asparagus

• Asparagus is very low calorie (only 21 calories in a serving) but is a very good source of folate, vitamin K, vitamins A and C.

• It is also high in lycopene, a phytonutrient that helps protect cells and other structures in the body from oxygen damage and has cancer-preventing properties.

• In addition, asparagus is a prebiotic food because it contains inulin, a fiber nourishing to good gut bacteria that line our intestinal tract.

Avocados

• Avocados contain the best kind of fats and are extremely good in blocking the absorption of bad fats. Adding them to your diet will aid the body's blood and tissue regeneration, will stabilize blood sugar levels and help prevent heart disorders.

• In addition to good fats avocados are high in fiber, folate. potassium, vitamin E, and magnesium. They're also high in lutein, which aids eyesight.

Beans

• Beans are pretty much the perfect food - high in protein and loaded with fiber, low in cholesterol, and high in folate, iron and magnesium.

• Eating beans can help lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of certain cancers. And because beans are naturally low fat and low calorie, adding them to your diet can cut down the calories without making you feel deprived.

• Even one of the more calorific bean varieties, contains only 33 calories per ounce.

Beets

• The pigment betacyanin, which gives beets their distinctive hue, is just one of several disease-fighting phytonutrients found in this root vegetable.

• Beets are also a good source of folate, which guards against birth defects, colon cancer, and osteoporosis. They are also high in fiber and beta-carotene.

Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower 

• Cruciferous vegetables cabbages, cauliflower, broccoli contain a powerful range of disease fighting nutrients.

• They all contain chemicals which have been shown to reduce the risk of lung, colon, breast, ovarian, and bladder cancer. Cruciferous vegetables provide significant cardiovascular benefits as well.

• Red cabbage stimulates the immune system, kills bacteria and viruses, and is a good blood purifier. It is rich in anthocyanins which are the same pigment molecules that make blueberries blue and are another powerful antioxidant.

• Eating broccoli is great for your hair, skin, and teeth as the vegetable contains more vitamin C than an orange and as much calcium as a glass of milk.

• It is also a good source of folate which is necessary for the production and maintenance of new cells. Broccoli is also a great source of fiber, potassium, iron and vitamin K. Vitamin K is known to be important for blood coagulation and for maintaining proper bone density. It also plays a key role in the proper development of the fetus.

Buckwheat 

• While many people think that buckwheat is a cereal grain, it is actually a seed like quinoa. That's why it is a suitable substitute for grains for people with celiac disease, gluten allergies, or anyone trying to avoid gluten.

• Buckwheat tastes great - nutty and buttery, it is low on the glycemic index, has more protein than rice or wheat and is high in the amino acids lysine and arginine, both of which are essential for a healthy heart and strong immunity. Because it is also high in insoluble fiber, including buckwheat in your menu will help normalize cholesterol levels and reduce hypertension.

And there is more:

• buckwheat has high triptofan levels and will help ensure a sound night’s sleep.

• Magnesium and a natural flavonoid called rutin in buckwheat help to extend the activity of vitamin C and other antioxidant nutrients.

Dark, Leafy Greens

•  Dark, leafy greens such as spinach, kale, and Swiss chard are incredibly healthy. Low in calories and extremely high in nutrients, they have extraordinarily high levels of antioxidants and are therefore among the best cancer preventing foods.

• In addition, dark leafy greens are chock-full of vitamins A, C, E and K, Potassium , Magnesium, Iron, Calcium, Folate and many B-vitamins.

• Dark green leafy vegetables are also very high in fiber, therefore, adding them to your everyday menu is a great way to decrease calories without constantly feeling hungry.

Eggs

• Eggs are the best protein source on the planet and outstrip milk, beef, whey, and soy in the quality of protein they provide.

• They are versatile, economical and nutritious. Egg yolks contain choline, which helps protect heart and brain function, memory, and prevents cholesterol and fat from accumulating in the liver.

Fish

• Eating fish helps cut the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, Alzheimer's, diabetes, and arthritis.

• The fatty fish varieties may also help alleviate depression. Wild-caught salmon, herring, and sardines, are the ones that have the most superfood qualities.

Olive Oil

• Olive oil is high in monosaturated fat, which has been found to lower blood cholesterol levels, decreasing the risk of heart disease.

• This type of oil keeps insulin levels low and improves the control of blood sugar. In addition, olive oil contains vitamin K, which aids blood clotting, and vitamin E, an antioxidant important in the creation of red blood cells.

• The Mediterranean diet, rich in olive oil, creates a lower incidence of heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, asthma, and atherosclerosis.

Poultry

• Poultry is the world's primary source of animal protein. Chicken and turkey offer a rich array of nutrients, particularly niacin, selenium, vitamins B6 and B12, and zinc. These nutrients are essential for a healthy heart and are also valuable in helping lower the risk for cancer.

Tomatoes

• Some studies have indicated that incorporating tomatoes in your daily menu may help decrease the risk of prostate cancer, as well as breast, lung and stomach cancers.

• The reason tomatoes have these miracle qualities is the lycopene – a phytonutrient that has the ability to help protect cells and other structures in the body from oxygen damage and has been proven to have antioxidant and cancer-preventing properties.

• Lycopene is also good for preventing heart disease. Red tomatoes are the best, because they're packed with more lycopene; and processed tomatoes are just as potent as fresh ones, because it’s easier for the body to absorb the lycopene.

Quinoa

• Quinoa is the only exotic superfood in my list but I recently fell in love with it and I cannot stop experimenting with different ways to prepare and eat it.

• It is also one of the healthiest foods on the planet and I think that everyone should give it a try. Quinoa is a small gluten free seed that is extremely high in protein, fiber, iron, zinc, vitamin E and selenium.

• It is the only plant-based protein that contains all nine essential amino acids we need for tissue development. These nine essential amino acids are the ones that your body cannot synthesize in quantities sufficient to sustain good health, so they need to come from food sources.

• Recent studies have more great news for quinoa eaters. It seems that the processes of boiling, simmering, and steaming quinoa does not significantly compromise the quality of its fatty acids, allowing us to enjoy its cooked texture and flavor while maintaining its nutrient benefits. Food scientists have speculated that it is the diverse array of antioxidants found in quinoa that contribute to this oxidative protection.

Walnuts

• Walnuts are rich in fiber, B vitamins, magnesium, selenium, and antioxidants such as Vitamin E.

• They are also contain more plant sterols and omega-3 fatty acids than any other nuts. Walnuts contain the most alpha-linolenic omega-3 fatty acids, which lower bad cholesterol and may reduce inflammation in arteries.

• Yogurt Like the milk it's made from, yogurt is loaded with calcium, iodine, riboflavin, and vitamin B2. Real yogurt also contains probiotics, the good bacteria your digestive system needs to process and benefit from all the other things you eat and fortify the immune system.

• Eating yogurt has the added benefit of lowering the bad cholesterol levels and preventing yeast infections.