Super foods: fact or fiction?
You can't have failed to escape the press
coverage over the last few years about 'super foods' and all of the good things
that they contain. The idea is simple; these foods are
supposedly healthier than their counterparts because they contain
high levels of a wide variety of substances, including:
• Vitamins
You're probably thinking, they all sound very
fancy, but what are they and what do they do for me? Well, without getting
too complicated, here's a brief description of each and their importance.
Vitamins
These are a diverse range of organic compounds
that the body needs to get from diet to be able to work properly. They help
your body do everything from grow and repair to producing energy and
boosting your defences against disease.
Minerals
These are different to vitamins as they are
inorganic, that is they have never been alive. The body still needs them to
function and stay healthy though. They are always solids and made up a range of
chemical elements. Sodium and potassium are examples of minerals, and roles
include maintaining fluid balance in your body, ensuring your heart
pumps effectively and building strong bones and teeth.
Isoflavones, flavonoids
phytoestrogens and polyphenols
A range of compounds that you get from things
that were alive, namely plants and animals, the latter containing them
because they have eaten plants. These compounds have a lot in common with
vitamins; in fact flavonoids up until the 1950s were often referred to as
vitamin P. Today you'd probably only use that term in relation to the colour of
your wee when you've taken your effervescent vitamin c tablets!
Collectively, any nutrient that comes from a
plant is called a phytonutrient.
Antioxidants
Have you ever watched Star Wars? It's the
classic battle of good versus evil, light versus dark. Inside your body there's
an interstellar war going on every day to keep you in balance. An army of Antioxidants, think
of them as Jedi Knights, defend you against Free Radicals, or Darth
Vader's army, hell bent on destruction.
As you know, your body needs oxygen to survive,
that's why we have to breathe to live. Unfortunately, oxygen is a highly
reactive substance. We know this as we can see the effects it has on cars and
boats over the years. As they are exposed to air and water, they begin to rust,
and there is a process that occurs in your body every day known as oxidation, which
is effectively internal rusting. It is one of the things that causes you
to age.
This process occurs as a result of using
oxygen to produce energy for life. As a consequence, free radicals are
produced. These are atoms that have effectively lost an electron and as a
consequence go a little bit haywire, or to use our earlier analogy, have gone
over to the dark side. They search around the body looking for
another electron to get back into balance and back to the light. In
their efforts though they can leave behind a path of destruction.
Your antioxidant defence system come armed
with spare electrons, which they donate to any free radicals that
they meet, turning them back into stable atoms that function normally.
Remember when Darth Vader becomes good again in Return of the Jedi? This happens
in your body every day, as long as you have the right amount of antioxidants
available to defend you. And this is where the notion of 'super foods' comes
from, with some things that you can find on the supermarket shelves containing
a wide range of these healthy substances.
It certainly cannot be argued that some
foods contain a massive amount of these health-promoting goodies and it is
worth having them in your diet. The truth is though that your body
needs a wide range of these nutrients to function at its best; as
with everything it's about balance. You can eat tonnes of blueberries,
knowing that they're packed full of antioxidants, but if this is all you eat
you won't be getting many of the other substances that you need. Instead
of thinking about super foods, focus instead on Super Diets,
consuming a wide range of plant substances to give your body everything it
could possibly need to stay healthy, grow and function at its best. Remember
here that the word diet simply means the foods that you eat; it has absolutely
nothing to do with restricting foods or calories.
How are super foods measured?
One helpful measurement is the ORAC value of a
food, or the Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity. This tells you how many
free radicals a food can turn back from the dark side, stabilising them
and decreasing the risk of damage to your body. So which food is the Yoda or Luke Skywalker of your diet? Learn about the ORAC values of different foods here.
Below I've provided you with ten foods that can
contribute effectively towards a Super Diet. You'll notice that there a
wide range of colours on show here and a great little rule to remember is the 'Rainbow
Rule', ensuring that your shopping trolley always contains foods
that are a wide range of colours. Sorry to disappoint you here, but
Skittles don't count!
Image courtesy of Kangshutters/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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Super Food
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What’s in it?
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What can I eat it with?
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Broccoli
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Extremely
rich in vitamin C, as well as good amounts of vitamin A, B6 and calcium. All
dark green vegetables are a superb source of folic acid too, particularly
essential for women during pregnancy
|
Perfect
with stir-fries or traditional roast dinners
|
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Blueberries
|
Rich
in flavonoids called anthocyanins, blueberries have been shown to be
effective in reducing blood pressure and managing blood sugars to help
control diabetes
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Perfect
as a healthy snack or in yoghurts or porridge
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Tomatoes
|
High
in levels of lycopene, an antioxidant that has been strongly linked with
cancer prevention. Also a good source of vitamin C
|
A
food that pretty much goes with anything, from salads to sandwiches, or even
roasted and served with fish
|
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Kale
|
Just
50 grams will give you your daily requirements of vitamin A and C, helping
with your immune system, eye health and a host of other benefits
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Perfect
steamed with meat or fish, or as part of a warm casserole on a cold night
|
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Ground
cloves
|
Spices
and herbs are packed full of antioxidants, in fact they contain more than any
other food on earth. Cloves are particularly rich in manganese, a mineral
important for healthy bones and skin
|
Perfect
in game recipes, try one of these instead of the usual Sunday roast.
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Dark
chocolate
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The
cocoa, or cacao plant is packed full of antioxidants and linked to heart
health, blood sugar control and brain function
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Opt
for 70% dark chocolate and have one or two squares as a snack
|
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Raspberries
|
Another
food that provides lots of vitamin C and manganese, they are also rich in
fibre for bowel health
|
Mix
into a salad with sunflower seeds to add extra flavour, or add to porridge
for additional sweetness
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Raw
ginger
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Another
spice packed with a massively high ORAC score, reported to help with
digestive health and as an anti-inflammatory
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Add
one or two slices of raw ginger to hot water with lemon and honey
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Walnuts
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Rich
in Omega-3 fats that are vital for energy production, brain health and in
preventing inflammation
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Mix
with berries and take to work in small Tupperwear pots for mid-morning and
mid-afternoon snacks
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Turmeric
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A
rich yellow-orange spice related to Ginger, rich in curcumin, an antioxidant
linked to relief from stomach problems and arthritis
|
A
great addition to curries to add vibrant colour and flavour
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Hopefully this has given you some thoughts and ideas about what to put in your shopping basket next time you're in the supermarket. Remember the rainbow rule and you'll go a long way towards boosting your health. Also bear in mind that a healthy body is much better to able to process energy, build lean muscle to boost metabolism, and remove waste.
Focus on a healthy diet and a healthy weight is far more likely.
Balance your life, balance your scales
Paul
PS, if you're keen to know more you can now follow me on Twitter @paulw_fitness
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