Some of them may even be part of your daily routine without realizing it, but it is always good to know more about what we eat.
After all, well-being starts there. So, are you curious to know these allies? Read on and check it out!
What Are
Superfoods?
You can even imagine them in a cape fighting villain because that is more or less how superfoods are.
In addition to their capacity to nourish, like any other food, they have properties that help the body face and prevent health problems. But how is this?
Our body needs essential nutrients to survive - proteins, fats, and carbohydrates - which provide energy and serve as raw material for producing the most diverse cells.
Besides this, it also needs vitamins, minerals, and fiber that regulate the body, making it work properly. All these compounds are found in food, especially natural food.
The differential of superfoods is that they have a more significant amount of these essential substances for our body. This makes their benefits to other ingredients even more powerful.
For example, manioc and chia contain fiber. However, the latter and the higher content and the two types of fiber - soluble and insoluble - have omega-3, which is a very beneficial element for the body. Thus, chia is considered a superfood. Interesting, isn't it?
In short, superfoods are those that have more properties than others, such as preventing health problems, restoring the body, and promoting a better quality of life.
However, we must remember two factors: the first is that these items do not cure, and the second is that they cannot work miracles by themselves.
They must be part of a balanced diet and healthy habits to exert all their powers then.
What Are the
Benefits of Superfoods?
Now that you know what superfoods are, you must be interested in learning what all these benefits we talk so much about are. Well, rest assured that is what this topic is about. Check it out:
Prevention of
Health Problems
The saying goes that prevention is better than cure, and it is correct. Why wait until you get sick if you can prevent health problems? For this, we can count on superfoods, which act in several ways.
Antioxidants and omega-3s, for example, are substances that help keep the body healthy and, consequently, keep us away from diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Help in
Treatments
As we said, food does not have the power to cure, but it can help in health treatments. Want to know how? Oats have a sensational fiber that helps reduce the absorption of fats and sugars.
Thus, it is excellent for those who want to lower cholesterol and blood glucose levels. Good, right? We can count on a vast range of superfoods, each one with its properties.
Combats Premature
Aging
Have you ever heard of premature aging? The term is often used when talking about skin, but it can be applied to any other organ. The truth is that this condition occurs when the cells in our body die before the period considered normal.
Since cell renewal takes its time, this ages the tissue prematurely. Superfoods that contain antioxidants can slow down this process.
Improved Immune
System
The immune system is quite complex. And among some benefits that superfoods have for immunity are their bactericidal and anti-inflammatory powers due to substances such as allicin and omega-3.
They also provide extra strength for the immune system cells to work correctly, such as vitamin C.
Improved Quality
of Life and Well-Being
We have mentioned that superfoods also help improve quality of life and well-being for all these benefits we have mentioned. After all, good health is one of the prerequisites for these two factors.
Often, what is missing for us to have more personal satisfaction is to lead a healthier lifestyle and have a functional body.
In other words, one that meets all your demands with a lot of disposition. Therefore, these foods can help.
How Do
Superfoods Work in The Body?
The benefits of superfoods are excellent; you can say that. However, this creates a lot of doubt about how these items work in the body.
For this reason, we explain how the components present in work to clarify this question.
Probiotics
Probiotics are foods that contain good bacteria that populate the gut, aiding digestion and protecting the core from infection.
From there, probiotics can help us in several ways, such as improving immunity and intestinal transit, preventing and treating gastrointestinal tract problems. Who knew that microorganisms could be our allies, huh?
Prebiotics
The name similar to the previous one is no coincidence. If probiotics present beneficial bacteria, prebiotics serves as food for them to develop and work properly.
After all, microorganisms also need to eat well. In other words, these superfoods help to strengthen the intestinal flora, making it more resistant to aggressive agents.
Antioxidants
We have already talked about them in this post, but now you will understand how they act.
The truth is that antioxidants fight free radicals, which in turn are products of our metabolism.
Although everyone has these agents, they oxidize cells when they are in too much quantity, causing them to die first.
Fortunately, nature gave us antioxidants to balance this bill and prevent premature aging.
Omega-3
Omega-3 is a very famous substance lately. Who has never heard of omega-3 capsules? Many foods are sources of these essential fatty acids, which we do not produce but need.
This good fat acts as an anti-inflammatory in the body. In addition, it can protect the arteries from harmful fats. Thus, it is excellent for heart and brain health.
Fiber
Fiber is not
only crucial for regulating the bowels and making us go to the bathroom properly.
They also have other unique functions that improve our health. For example:
- they are prebiotic
- increase satiety
- reduce the absorption of fats and sugars
In this way, they help maintain healthy body weight, treat cholesterol and diabetes, and all the benefits we have in the proper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
Isoflavones
Isoflavones are elements found in some foods, which resemble estrogen. During menopause, this female hormone is drastically reduced in the body, causing women to feel various discomforts, such as heatwaves, anxiety, insomnia, headache, and fatigue.
Therefore, superfoods that contain isoflavones can alleviate the symptoms of this phase of life.
What Are the Superfoods
List 2020?
Are you curious to know what these sensational foods are? The best thing is that they are within our reach; it is nothing miraculous.
Maybe you already consume some of them regularly, but you didn't know all the powers they offer. Let's find out what they are?
Yogurt
Yogurt is a delicacy with a taste of childhood. Besides being very tasty, the natural and healthy version of it (without sugars and preservatives) is a great probiotic.
It is also rich in calcium and a great source of protein. It can be used as a complement for breakfast or an afternoon snack and as an ingredient in many different recipes, both sweet and savory.
Chia
Chia is a very powerful seed. It contains soluble fibers that form a gel when in contact with water, helping in satiety and reducing the absorption of fats and sugars in meals.
It is rich in omega-3 and can be used as an egg substitute in bread and cake preparations.
For a good substitution for each egg, grind one tablespoon of chia into flour, mix it with three tablespoons of water, and let it soak for 30 minutes. Then use it in recipes.
Flaxseed
Flaxseed is also seed with powers very similar to those of chia. It contains omega-3s, protein, and fiber and can also replace eggs in recipes.
Flaxseed flour is widely used to enrich the most diverse dishes. It can be used in the dough of bread, cakes, and cookies, breaded meats or sprinkled on top of soups and salads.
Kefir
Just like yogurt, kefir is nothing more than a type of milk fermented by a group of good bacteria, in other words: a probiotic.
Its flavor is more acidic and slightly carbonated. Did you know that it is possible to make it at home?
To do so, you need to have colonies of the specific microorganisms. They look like little white grains, which feed on the sugar in the milk.
There is also the water kefir, which is produced with specific bacteria, water, and sugar. It is great for those who do not consume milk for some reason.
Kombucha
Kombucha is tea fermented by bacteria and yeast and is also a probiotic. It is usually made with black tea or green tea, but it can be made with any other sweet infusion and has no natural bactericide.
It is carbonated and slightly acidic, so it has fallen into the tastes of those who prefer a natural, healthy drink.
Sauerkraut
Another one for the probiotics group. Sauerkraut, a delicacy widely eaten in Germany, is made from cabbage fermented by the beneficial bacteria from the vegetable itself and the environment.
It is rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber because it keeps all these nutrients from vegetables, even after fermentation. It's a great accompaniment to pork and sausages.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal can do more for your health than just being a healthy food. The truth is that the whole grain of this cereal has great quality fiber, which serves both to help intestinal transit and to reduce sugar and fat in the blood.
Oats also contain vitamin E and minerals such as zinc, iron, and calcium. Thus, it is a rich source of carbohydrates that provides energy and brings many nutrients.
Cocoa
You did not read wrong. Cocoa, the same as chocolate, is also a superfood. After all, it has very important antioxidants called flavonoids, which bring all the benefits we have already mentioned.
Besides, it has caffeine, which is stimulating and helps concentration, and tryptophan, an essential amino acid for the production of serotonin (the hormone responsible for the sensations of pleasure and well-being).
For this reason, healthy chocolate is good food, as long as it has 70% cocoa or more.
Quinoa
Did you know that quinoa is considered one of the most nutritious vegetables? It contains all the essential amino acids.
This means that the body well uses its protein. It also has B vitamins, omegas 3 and 6, fiber, calcium, and more iron than beans.
Its consumption is effortless; cook it with vegetables or rice, or add it to salads and soups. It's delicious!
Brazil Nut
It is tasty and great to eat when you are hungry. As an oily fruit, it is rich in good fats, such as monounsaturated fats and omega-3.
It contains fiber, which helps satiety, and vital minerals, such as magnesium and selenium.
It is one of the most significant known sources of the latter mineral, a super-powerful antioxidant.
Walnuts
So traditional at Christmas, Walnuts are not only good for making food even more delicious and crunchy. They have many nutrients that contribute to good health.
Since they are oleaginous, we already know that they provide good fats, besides fiber.
The difference here is the higher amount of manganese, a mineral that acts as an antioxidant and protects the heart.
Soy
Soy became very famous after its power to help relieve menopausal symptoms was discovered.
But that's not all that makes it a superfood, see? It is widely used in vegetarian and vegan diets because of its high protein content.
The legume also has iron, fiber, and omega-3. Its derivatives are great to include in the diet, such as milk, textured soy protein, and tofu.
Garlic
Garlic is not only good to make your food tastier, although it fulfills this function very well. It offers incredible health properties, including prebiotic properties.
Part of its fibers favor the growth of good bacteria, and allicin, a natural bactericide, helps eliminate harmful microorganisms.
The spice also has substances that help reduce bad cholesterol.
Lentil
If you are one of those people who only eat lentils on New Year's Eve, you'd better revise this habit.
The truth is that this legume is very nutritious and deserves to be on the menu all year round.
It is rich in iron, fiber, protein, and vitamins. It is a great option to vary the menu and not just stick to beans, you know?
In addition, it can be added to rice, soup, salad, and many other preparations.
Tomato
The tomato is a very present fruit in our gastronomy, either as a salad, sauce, or stuffing.
But did you know that it is also a superfood? In addition to fiber, vitamins, and minerals, it contains lycopene.
Lycopene is nothing more than the pigment that gives tomatoes and other red vegetables, such as strawberries and watermelon, their reddish color.
It is a potent antioxidant that even helps in the prevention of cancer. Do you want to activate its properties even more? Eat tomatoes cooked, as in sauces and stews.
Avocado
A cold avocado vitamin is always good. Even more so when we know that this fruit is very good for our health.
If in the past, it was avoided because it contained too much fat, today we know that this characteristic is what makes it more nutritious.
Avocado fats are the good kind, such as omegas 3 and 6, which we have already talked about their benefits.
About the other nutrients, the avocado has few sugars, lots of fiber, and vitamins, such as folic acid, B6, E, and K.
Eggs
You probably have them in your refrigerator right now. Eggs are a source of high biological value and easily digestible protein, especially the whites.
On the other hand, egg yolks contain choline, a fundamental substance in the maintenance of cell membranes and good vision, in addition to calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamins.
Forget the story that they raise cholesterol because their benefits are greater than that.
Extra Virgin
Olive Oil
In salads, on pizza, or even on bread. Olive oil is delicious and has heart-protective powers. It is rich in omegas 3 and 6 and other important fats for the body.
Regular consumption of this food can increase good cholesterol, which protects the arteries from bad cholesterol.
It is said that it is not good to hear it, but this is not so. You can cook with it, as long as you don't heat it until it goes up in smoke.
Use olive oil to saute the spices, grill meat, or finish a dish. Just don't abuse it. Moderation is always the keyword for a good diet.
How to Include
Them in The Diet?
As we said, it is very likely that you already consume some of these superfoods, but don't think that you need to fill yourself up with them to obtain superpowers and become immune.
Everything on our menu must be in moderation and fit into our nutritional needs.
In addition, it is necessary to combine superfoods and a healthy diet with regular physical activity and other good lifestyle habits.
After all, food can't do the job alone. Well, that said, let's get to the practical part?
Throughout this post, we have already given some tips on how to consume some items; you can take this into account when preparing your food.
Another tip is to provide preference to superfoods whenever you can, but this doesn't mean that you should live only on them.
For example, instead of a milkshake, how about mixing yogurt with fruit? You can even add oatmeal, chia, or flaxseed. Tasty, nutritious, and healthy.
Do you like chocolate milk, but know that the conventional ones are not good options? You can use 70% cocoa chocolate powder as a great substitute, both in milk and in recipes.
In other words, the idea is always to put a superfood wherever you think it may fit as long as it is within the nutritional values of your diet, of course.
By the way, when we eat a healthy diet, rich and varied in vegetables and natural foods, we consequently consume superfoods regularly.
Therefore, if we take care of a balanced menu, we will already enjoy all the benefits mentioned in the post.
Superfoods are those that go beyond the normal function of food, which is to nourish.
By having greater amounts of beneficial substances, they collaborate with our body, improving our health, quality of life, and well-being.
That is why we should include them in a balanced diet combined with a healthy lifestyle.