What are superfoods and do they benefit | Live2ahundred; Health and Longevity

5 Superfoods and Their Super-Benefits

With a busy and fast-paced lifestyle, it gets hard to watch out for our diet sometimes. Avoiding fast food means preparing and cooking our meals ourselves. We think preparing healthy takes a long time, when in actual fact we just need to prepare ‘smarter’.

I want to introduce you to five superfoods that are easy to incorporate into your everyday diet. They range from earthy seeds to green leafy veggies that are low in calories and high in nutrients.

This will help you get the best nutrition with less preparation.

Coriander

Coriander is known as Coriandrum sativum. It is part of the family of celery, parsley, and carrots. This aromatic plant is long known for culinary and health benefits and it is a common food additive.

Some confuse coriander with cilantro and even use the words interchangeably. Both terms refer to the same plant but their uses in the kitchen cannot be a substitute for one another.

Cilantro mostly refers to the green, refreshing leaves. It has higher levels of nutrients relative to the coriander seeds. The medical field recommends this aromatic plant in healthy food prep. You can incorporate this in your everyday meal, starting with simple ones:

Salsa
Curry
Masala
Guacamole
Soups

Coriander seeds are earthly in flavor. It is so easy to add to the diet as it is perfect for:

Meat rubs
curries
Pickled vegetables

A study found that it could be an alternative to antibiotics, and coriander extracts may be effective for the following conditions:

Pain relief
Easing cramps
Convulsions
Nausea
Antibacterial
Lower blood sugar
Rich in antioxidants
Cardiovascular benefits
Promotes brain health
Gut health
Better digestion

Kale

Kale is a leafy vegetable. Its uses vary from decorative garnish to an indispensable element in a healthy meal. Out of all the superfoods, it is by far the most nutritious. (But watch out for pesticides. It is heavily sprayed, so buy organic or wash really well)

Kale is also a relative of broccoli, and is classified a cruciferous vegetable. All parts of this veggie, including the leaves and the stem, are edible. Growers highlight the adaptability of this cruciferous vegetable to harsh weather.

Kale is popular because it contains various nutrients and a low-calorie content. Here are the numerous nutrients in detail:

Rich in vitamin A, C, K, B, B1 and B2
Carotenoids, lutein, zeaxanthin
Beta Carotene
Folate, Calcium
Fiber, Copper
Manganese
High in Minerals
Omega 3 fatty acid
Lutein and zeaxanthin protecting the eye

It comes in wide varieties and has unique characteristics:

Curly,
Lacinato,
Redbor,
Red Russian,
Siberian,
Chinese kale (Gai Lan)

We can incorporate kale into various dishes and simple menus such as:

Soup
Sautees
Kale chips
Pesto
Salad

This vegetable boasts cancer-fighting properties such as sulforaphane. It is said to fight cancer cells at the molecular level. It may also reduce cholesterol and promotes heart health.

The vitamin K in kale helps the blood to clot. If you are on blood thinners, the medical field advises consumers to eat a relatively consistent amount. So don’t go wild as it will upset the balance of your blood thinning medication.

Beetroot

Like kale, beetroot offers a multitude of nutrients that strengthen the body. It also has a low-calorie content. Although beetroot is higher in vegetable sugar, it is very fibrousy so the sugar is not released quickly in to the blood stream.

You can find the following nutrients in this pink superfood. (Note though, that you may have pink urine after eating beetroot.)

Vitamin B1, B2, and B3
Vitamin C
Beta-carotene
Folic acid
Phosphorus
Potassium
Iron
Manganese
Zinc
Nitrates
Copper
Selenium

It is not a superfood for no reason. Studies have shown that eating beetroot results in a plethora of health benefits such as:

Lower blood pressure
Heighten exercise performance
Reduces the risk of dementia
Promotes better blood flow
Fever
Constipation
Skin problems
Inflammation
Improves digestion

You can prepare beetroots and their leaves in a simple, yummy meal. Add them to your diet through:

Preparing a beetroot juice
Process it into pickles
Roasting
Steaming
Adding to the salad, sometimes to coleslaw
Beetroot leaves are also nutritious.

Cabbage

The next superfood you can easily find in supermarkets is cabbage. It is also a cruciferous vegetable, high in Vitamin C and K. It belongs to the Brassica genus of vegetables, the same family as kale, broccoli, and cauliflower.

In modern cuisines, cabbage is a vital component of:

Sauerkraut
Kimchi
coleslaw

It is famous as a digestion and gut health booster. Cabbage has a component that counters radiation. It contains the following nutrients, too:

Vitamin K, C, B6
Calories, protein, fiber
Folate, manganese, calcium
Potassium, magnesium

By eating cabbage, you can experience the following health benefits:

Less inflammation
Low blood pressure
Boost heart health
Lower cholesterol
Cancer
Low risk of heart disease
Obesity
And maybe a bit of wind

Rosemary

We associate rosemary with improving memory. This is why some parts of the world use it as a natural medication for dementia. Rosemary protects the memory through its active ingredients: Carnosic acid and Rosmarinic acid.

It reduces estrogen, which is why women use it to balance estrogen and aside from memory, rosemary also improves the following:

Indigestion
Joint pain relief
Hair loss treatment
Blood circulation improvement
Increased production of nerve growth
Relief for breathing problems

We can consume rosemary in various forms, including:

Spice
Essential oil
A component in soaps and perfumes
Tea
Rub
Dressing/ marinade

Takeaway

Save time in preparing healthy meals using these five superfoods. They are rich in nutrients while maintaining a low-calorie content. They are perfect ingredients for a balanced diet. They also produce other health benefits that our body needs.

References

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110823193857.htm

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/cilantro-vs-coriander