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Hello World!  Do you ever wonder what foods are really good for you?  The ones we call Super Foods.  Here is a list to see what you already eat and what you should add to your diet.

Top Super Foods

Some of these foods may take a little longer than others to hit your grocery store, but here are my picks for your top 10 super foods (mostly found in spring, but many markets will have these year round)  and lots of reason to start enjoying them as part of your regular diet.

ARTICHOKES

A medium-sized artichoke is loaded with fiber (about 10 grams) and

vitamin C. It also contains plentiful amounts of your heart- and muscle-health minerals magnesium and potassium. It’s also high on the ORAC list of foods that have high antioxidant values. High amounts of antioxidants translate into reduced free radicals linked to aging and disease.

Artichoke leaves have been found in research to help you regulate your cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Artichokes contain a nutrient known as cynarin which helps to increase your bile production in your liver and may be helpful in your reduction of cholesterol and heart disease.

ASPARAGUS

An excellent source of nutrients for you,  like vitamin K, which is necessary

for your bone health, and folate, asparagus also contains good amounts of vitamins C, A, B1, B2, niacin, B6, manganese, potassium, magnesium and selenium. Its high folate content makes it especially good for pregnant women who have higher folate needs than most people.

Next to onions, asparagus is your highest source of the plant nutrient known as quercetin—a potent nutrient that is beneficial for your allergies, asthma, bronchitis, cancer, lung conditions, rhinitis and sinusitis. That makes it the perfect food for you to eat to help you cope with allergies and allergy related asthma.

Asparagus is also rich in asparanin-A which is an anti-inflammatory compound that helps you to improve your immune system health. As if that wasn’t enough reason for you to start eating more asparagus, the vegetable contains several other anti-inflammatory compounds to help you boost your overall health. When you consider that everything from arthritis to cancer, diabetes to heart disease, and even depression are increasingly linked to inflammation, you’ll want to make anti-inflammatory foods like asparagus a regular on your dinner plate.

CHIVES

Potent in antibacterial, anti-yeast and antifungal compounds, chives have

many similar properties to its relatives garlic and onion. Chives also helps you boost glutathione levels in your body. Glutathione is a powerful detoxifier and anti-cancer compound. Chives have been found in multiple studies to be beneficial for your cancer prevention and in your treatment of the disease, particularly for gastrointestinal cancers.

Researchers at the National Cancer Institute and the US Department of Agriculture believe that the sulfur compounds found in chives are most likely responsible for the herb’s anticancer effects.  The herb has been found to stop your proliferation of cancer cells as well as halting or slowing the spread of cancer. Like other members of the allium family, chives is also highly antibacterial. Research shows it has antibacterial activity against many strains of bacteria, including Staphylococcus, Listeria, Salmonella, Campylobacter and E. coli.

COLLARDS

Research shows that collard greens are among the best foods for lowering

your cholesterol levels due to its superior ability to bind to bile acids in your intestines. Collards also show excellent anti-cancer properties thanks to its naturally-occurring components, including: glucoraphanin, sinigrin, gluconasturtiian and glucotropaeolin.

Collard greens were found in a study of a dozen vegetables to have your fourth highest amount of antioxidants that help us slow aging and fight disease. Research by the US Department of Agriculture found that collard greens are your most economical of all the cruciferous vegetables when compared by price per cup of vegetable. So, if you’re looking to maximize your nutritional value while on a budget, collard greens are a great way for you to go.

KALE

Proven to lower your risk of bladder, breast, colon, ovary and prostate

cancer, kale is among your best superfoods available. Great for building healthy bones largely due to its high calcium content, kale also improves your body’s detoxification systems by increasing isothiocyanates (ITCs) made from the vegetable’s glucosinolates. Researchers have identified over 45 phytonutrients in kale, including kaempferol and quercetin, giving it impressive antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties for you.

If you are suffering from eye problems or simply want to eat to preserve your eye health, you’ll want to make kale a regular addition to your diet. That’s because research shows that kale has your highest amount of lutein out of 5350 foods tested. Lutein is a potent carotenoid that helps protect your eyes and is beneficial in your treatment of glaucoma and macular degeneration, two common eye conditions that tend to be linked with aging, but are also likely linked to long-term nutrient deficiencies, in my opinion.

RHUBARB

High in fiber, vitamins C and K, calcium, potassium, magnesium and

manganese, rhubarb stalks (not the leaves which are poisonous), rhubarb is an excellent food for you, but most people don’t know what to do with it. Sorry, dumping cups of sugar into it for jams and pies wrecks any super food qualities this food might otherwise have. I enjoy it stewed or added to chutneys with a touch of your natural herbal sweetener stevia for taste.

SPINACH

Not just for Popeye anymore, spinach is high in iron, calcium, beta carotene

(which turns into vitamin A in your body) and vitamin K, which is important for your bone and blood health. The chlorophyll gives spinach their green color and is a powerful blood cleanser. High in neoxanthin, which is proven to aid prostate health, spinach also contains the phytonutrients lutein and zeaxanthin, which strengthen your eyes and helps you to prevent macular degeneration and cataracts.

Spinach is also one of your best sources (3rd highest) of vegetables tested for their folate content. Spinach is also high in natural compounds called thylakoids, which help to regulate ghrelin in your body—a compound that helps us feel full longer and encourages us to eat less, making spinach your ideal food for those of you looking to lose weight. While grains and seeds are often cited as rich sources of vitamin E, spinach ranks second highest in some nutrition studies.

SPRING GREENS

Spring greens contain high amounts of vitamins A, C, vitamin K, folate,

calcium, potassium and iron, as well as lutein and zeaxanthin needed for your strong bones, muscles, a relaxed nervous system and your healthy eyes and vision. Like spinach, they also contain your blood cleansing phyto-nutrient chlorophyll. Eating more salads on a regular basis has been found to help you fight breast cancer and boost your heart health.

STRAWBERRIES

Just eight strawberries pack more vitamin C than one orange. That’s

because strawberries are among your richest sources of this essential antioxidant nutrient that helps to protect our bodies from free radical damage linked to aging and disease. Whether you want to evade heart disease, arthritis, memory loss, or cancer, these berries have proven their ability to help. Research also shows that strawberries help to regulate your blood sugars, making it a good food choice if you have low blood sugar, high blood sugars or diabetes, metabolic syndrome, or are trying to lose weight.

WATERCRESS

If ever there was a vegetable made for smokers, watercress is it. In a study

published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers found that eating raw watercress daily increased the ability of your cells to resist free radical damage to DNA, which reduces your risk of cell changes linked to cancer. Their research showed that this protective benefit was pronounced in smokers. But, anyone can benefit from this nutritional powerhouse. It is also high in beta carotene (essential for your skin and eye health), B-complex vitamins (important for your nerves, energy and mood balance) and vitamin E (critical for your skin and immune system health).

Watercress is one of the vegetables that contains a group of nutrients known as isothiocyanates, which have your anti-cancer properties. Watercress also appears to disrupt signals from cancer tumors to grow new blood vessels that feed them. Halting this process is critical in your treatment of cancer, suggesting that watercress may offer hope in your treatment of this serious illness. In animal studies an extract of watercress was found to regulate your blood sugar and blood fat levels, offering potential help for those suffering from diabetes or heart disease.

This is a great list of Super Foods for you to eat, enjoy and get healthy with. How many do you currently consume? I must admit, I only eat a few of these, and probably should add some more to my diet…  Eating healthy is not always so easy and I’m sure you’ll agree with me on that, but I certainly do try…

I would love to here your opinion about super foods by leaving a message below.

Have a great healthy day!