The word 'superfood' is everywhere now but what exactly is all the fuss about and why should you be exploring these nutrient dense foods? This increased awareness has really opened up the opportunity for consumers and food manufacturers to discover new, less known foods which groups of people like the Incas and Aztecs used for centuries.
A superfood is typically considered to be extremely nutritious or beneficial to your overall health and wellness. Studies are now also developing links between superfoods and preventing disease.
Superfoods are whole foods in their most natural, complete, purest & rawest form, inherently designed by nature to provide super nutrition. They are most commomly plants, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables, with many ground into a powder for easy integration into recipes like our Mesquite Powder, Baobab Powder, Maca Powder & Slippery Elm Powder
The term superfood is not a regulated label like 'gluten free' for example but most foods that are labelled as superfoods have a combination of these nutritional characteristics:
- High fibre
- High in phytochemicals (also called anti-oxidants, flavonoids, carotenoids or polyphenols)
- High in amino acids
- High in vitamins and minerals
- High proportion of omega 3 fatty acids
- Low kilojoules
- Low GI (glycemic index)
With all the hype from the media about superfoods, it's not surprising that some people are led to believe that they contain all these nutritional characteristics. In reality no foods contain large amounts of all the vitamins and minerals available to us but many have a combination of large amounts of these nutritional properties e.g. Mesquite powder is very low GI but also high in protein - a winning combination. Quinoa is an interesting food as it's the only grain that provides all the essential amino acids our bodies need.
Given the nutrient density of superfoods, they provide busy people and families the best opportunity to maintain a healthy lifestyle and diet at a time when awareness for chemicals and toxins in the environment is rising rapidly. Superfoods can be used to supplement certain minerals and nutrients such as iron or magnesium, to support overall wellbeing and balance the negative environmental factors.
In combination with other aspects of a healthy lifestyle (like regular exercise and eating a healthy diet full of wholefoods overall), superfoods can easily be integrated into your diet. We have some great recipes to help you introduce more superfoods into your diet for all meals! Why not try our Mesquite & Coconut Chia Pudding, Turmeric & Matcha Green Smoothie, Hemp Protein Balls, Chickpea, Quinoa & Turmeric Curry or Banana & Lucuma Donuts with Lucuma Glaze.
Check out more recipes for inspiration.
