Nutrition is one of the most crucial pillars of health you definitely want to focus on if you’re seeking to live a long and healthy life, as it has such a profound impact on your well-being.
What you fuel and nourish your body with on a daily basis not only says a lot about the current state of your overall health, but the way it performs and survives once the going gets tough.
If you’re used to eating pre-packaged processed and junk foods, which more often than not are deficient in essential nutrients and smothered with artificial chemicals, for the sake of convenience, then easily going down with a cold or infection every now and then may be a familiar scenario for you.
On the contrary, a diet of natural wholesome foods, densely packed with an array of remarkable vitamins and minerals, such as super foods, can give you a well-nourished physique that is strong enough not only to fend off diseases, but to also help you live your life to the fullest.
To help you get started, I’ve listed down 10 of my favorite super foods. Check them out:
KALE
Probably one of the healthiest leafy green vegetables you can munch on, kale has been around since the Roman times. Because kale is very easy to grow and even thrives very well during thecold season, its cultivation is highly encouraging
There are countless ways to enjoy kale. You can cut the smaller, paler green leaves to anchor or mix into fresh garden salad, while the larger, dark greens are great for stir-fries or soup. I personally love my kale juiced
What Makes It a Superfood?
A single cup of kale can trump whole week’s worth of other foods as it contains:
• 684 percent of the daily value of vitamin K
• 206 percent of the suggested daily amount of vitamin A
• 134 percent of vitamin C
Kale has been compared to beef, which is known as a “go-to” food for iron, protein, and calcium. It has anti-inflammatory properties linked to the prevention and reversal of
certain diseases, which includes arthritis, heart disease, and several autoimmune diseases, at levels not seen in other green vegetables.
TOMATO
There are over a hundred of varieties of tomato – tiny types like grape, plum, and cherry for snacking pleasure; firm, petite Romans good for cooking;
These plump mouthwatering superfoods can be used in many ways: sun-dried, fried green, stew, sauce, paste, ketchup, juice, veggie soup, salad… the list goes on and on.
What Makes It a Superfood?
Tomatoes are rich in flavonoids and other phytochemicals that have anti-carcinogenic properties. One of them is lycopene, a carotenoid antioxidant that gives fruits and vegetables like tomatoes and watermelons a pink or red color. More powerful than other carotenoids, lycopene may significantly reduce your risk of stroke and prostate cancer.
Other lesser known phytonutrients found in tomatoes include:
• Flavonols: rutin, kaempferol, and quercetin
• Flavonones: naringenin and chalconaringenin
• Hydroxycinnamic acids: caffeic acid, ferulic acid, and coumaric acid
• Glycosides: esculeoside A
• Fatty acid derivatives: 9-oxo-octadecadienoic acid
In daily value, tomatoes provide 38 percent vitamin C, 30 percent vitamin A, and 18 percent vitamin K – minus the fat and cholesterol
Broccoli
Broccoli is perhaps the most popular member of the cruciferous group of vegetables. The word “broccoli” means “branch” or “arm” for the cross-shaped stems,like mini trees bearing the blossoms.
While there are many ways to prepare and enjoy this superfood – it can be steamed, roasted, baked, sautéed, or stir-fried – broccoli is best eaten raw, as cooking tends to destroy some of its antioxidant components.
What Makes It a Superfood?
Broccoli has twice the vitamin C of an orange, almost as much calcium as whole milk (with a better rate of absorption), and offers anti-cancer and anti-viral properties with its selenium content. Just one cup of broccoli provides over 100 percent of your daily need for vitamin C and vitamin K, and is also a good source of vitamin A, folate, and potassium.
Some of the most sought-after health benefits of broccoli include:
• Anti-cancer
• Anti-inflammatory
• Improved digestion and natural detoxification
• Cardiovascular support
• Protection from chronic diseases
• Enhanced bone health
Cucumber
Considered the most widely cultivated vegetable in the world, cucumber is technically a fruit from the Cucurbitaceae family of gourds, alongside different varieties of pumpkins and melons. Cucumber offers a refreshing flavor that blends beautifully with otherfruits and vegetables.
To get cucumbers into your diet, you can try pickling them or adding them to your
salads, juices, and other cooked recipes. Infusing your water with slices of cucumber is another must-try.
What Makes It a Superfood?
Cucumbers are used as a traditional medicine to treat headaches. The seeds have found a niche as a diuretic, and the juice is used as an acne cream and a soothing remedy for tired, puffy eyes. These early uses led scientists to investigate cucumber fruit, seeds, and extracts as an effective treatment in other areas of medicine.
Although it’s actually 90 percent water, cucumber doesn’t
skimp on nutritional value. It’s an excellent source of:
• Anti-inflammatory vitamin K
• Infection-fighting vitamin C
• Energy-producing pantothenic acid (vitamin B5)
• Bone-building manganese
• Heart-healthy potassium and magnesium
Recent studies also reveal that cucumbers also have lignans, the unique polyphenols in
crucifers and alliums, such as cabbage and onions, known to lower heart disease risk.
In cucumbers, these powerful lignans bind with estrogen-related bacteria in the digestive tract, contributing to a reduced risk of several cancers, including breast, uterus, ovarian, and prostate cancers. Other phytonutrients in cucumbers called cucurbitacins – part of a larger group known as triterpenes – are also known to strongly inhibit cancer cell development.
Gboyega Olorode. M.D.
FB: Adegboyega Olorode.
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