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“Super Foods” Are They Super?

One of the things that really bothered me during my health issues was the lack of knowledge and/or concern from doctors when it came to discussing nutrition or diet in combating disease. It is so neglected that for many people (including myself) wonder if there is some type of conspiracy, but seriously.  Since my cancer surgery I made a decision that I would include foods that I thought provided me the best opportunity for a healthy life.  I did a lot of research and my first question is what makes a “superfood” a super food.  Here is a definition, based on a citation in the Oxford English Dictionary:

Superfood: A food that is considered especially or otherwise beneficial to health and well-being.

Now there is much debate about the use of this term.  In fact, the  EU is mandating that the use of this term is banned unless the claim can be substantiated by credible scientific research, but I have a slight problem with this.  Why haven’t governments done research on these foods that have been hailed as especially nutrituous and definitely stated whether they are what they say they are.

Here are some of the foods that I eat on a daily basis in some form or fashion:

  • Blueberries:  The primary claim to fame for blueberries is as an antioxidant.  What benefit is an antioxidant?  Antioxidants are believed to prevent damage from free radicals.
  • Salmon: This is one of my favorites.  Its claim to fame is the Omega-3 fat that is in it.
  • Spinach: Another one of my favorites.  Spinach is believed to be an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, manganese, folate, magnesium, iron, vitamin C, vitamin B2, calcium, potassium, and vitamin B6. It is a very good source of dietary fiber, copper, protein, phosphorous, zinc and vitamin E. In addition, it is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, niacin and selenium.
  • Broccoli: Broccoli is believed to be high in vitamin C and soluble fiber and contains multiple nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties including diindolylmethane and selenium
  • Quinoa: Of all the foods that I consider “super foods”  this one has to be the king.  I found out about this when I began using a nutritional program recently. Listen to the benefits of this food. It is high in protein. It contains a complete set of the essential amino acids for humans.  It is gluten-free.  If you are working out.  You gotta include this in your diet.
  • Avocado: This fruit is high in potassium.  It is rich in B, E and K vitamins.  And it is high in fiber.
  • Oranges: The primary claim to fame for this fruit is very high in vitamin C, which is considered an antioxidant.

Now there are a lot more foods that are called superfoods, but these are some of the ones I eat personally.  One of the things I can say with some level of certainty is that eating well does have a direct impact on my energy level, which now that I am over 40, has become an issue with me.  Because I haven’t done any scientific research in a controlled environment I can’t make any definitive claims about whether these foods are super, but what I will say is that eating well has resulted in a significant quality of life improvement for me.  So what am I saying?  I am saying that eating foods such as the one listed above in a well balanced diet may result in the significant improvement in your health.  After all of the health challenges I have been I can testify to the benefit.  Find a good nutritional program that fits your health needs and stick with it.  I can promise you, you won’t regret it.  Please leave comments.  It is my primary way of knowing whether this blog thing is doing any good.

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Posted under Diet, Nutrition

This post was written by admin on December 2, 2008

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