We are looking for increasingly healthy ingredients that protect us and even cure diseases. Superfoods meet these requirements. Inclúyelos in your diet!
Our hectic pace of life generates a lot of stress and anxiety, and prevents us from taking time to exercise regularly, or relax.
We try to recover the balance through food, so every time we look for healthier ingredients, with curative and preventive properties. That’s why superfoods have become fashionable macro greens reviews.
Pre-cooked and industrialized food may be healthier than a few years ago. But the processing of the food causes that it loses part of the nutrients and the vitamins, what favors the appearance of chronic illnesses, the incorrect nutrition, and the chronic tiredness. We fight this fatigue with tons of coffee and energy drinks that add other problems, when we could prevent it by consuming superfoods like Bimi or Kale.
We, as consumers, and the food industry, as another marketing strategy, have looked for ways to recover the purity of food. First was light food , then organic foods, and the most trending now are the superfoods : vegetables, fruits and seeds that do not get fat, provide us with nutrients, minerals and vitamins and, very especially, have qualities that balance the body, cure diseases or prevent them.
It must be made clear that the term superfood is artificial, because medical or scientifically there are no superfoods. They are healthy foods such as olive oil, garlic or avocado, but they were discovered a few years ago in Western cuisine, and that’s why they attract attention and are fashionable.
The Edamame has been used for centuries in countries such as Japan, the longest living country in the world, with a low rate of obese people. Another more recent, the Bimi (a hybrid of broccoli and cabbage), is giving a lot to talk about in the culinary webs. Until recently they were unknown in the West, but thanks to the Internet and globalization, they are easy to find in supermarkets.
What are superfoods?
The Superfoods are antioxidants very high in nutrients, vitamins and which have been used in cooking for thousands of years. The influence of oriental cuisine during the last decade has brought new superfoods to our tables.
To be considered superfoods , they must meet these three requirements identified by the prestigious Mayo Clinic:
- That has a high concentration of nutrients and antioxidants
- Containing minerals, vitamins and fiber
- Having a low caloric density
Some stand out for the high phytonutrient content, which helps eliminate toxins, and prevent and even cure diseases.
Bimi
Surely you know broccoli, a vegetable so famous for its beneficial properties as for its strong flavor, which some people do not like, especially children. Broccoli has been superseded by the bimi a natural hybrid resulting from the mixture of broccoli and Chinese kale. The cabbage brings a smoother and more pleasant flavor, as well as new nutrients. It is grown in Spain, although most are exported to other countries.
The bimi has ten essential nutrients. It has more zinc, folic acid, antioxidants and vitamin C than green asparagus, traditional broccoli, kale and spinach. It is rich in glucosinolates, an anticancer agent. It contains sinigrin, which favors the elimination of precancerous cells. According to several studies, Bimi helps prevent cancers of the stomach, colon and lung.
Quinoa
It is another of the seeds of fashion, although it was already consumed in Bolivia and Peru 5,000 years ago. The quinoa a great source of minerals and proteins (other cereals twice), and also has healthy fats and carbohydrates, which provide energy. It contains lysine, vital for the development of the brain , as well as arginine and histidine, basic components in child development . It also has many minerals, and it does not contain gluten. It’s such a complete food that NASA has included it on its food list for a possible trip to Mars.
Kale
If we call it cabbage, it would lose all its glamor, but that is exactly what it is. The kale is the vegetable that in Spain we know as cabbage or kale . But it has reached the diets of the whole world for its low caloric intake and nutrients. Cabbage has more iron than beef and more calcium than milk.
The kale stands out for its high fiber content, which makes it very digestible. It has a large amount of vitamins A, C, B6 and K, as well as iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium or phosphorus. Also antioxidants.
Vegetarians consume it raw, in the form of juice with other fruits and vegetables, but its flavor is bitter so it is more flavorful if it is cooked. In some places they also consume it fried or in salad , because the oil enhances its flavor. Undoubtedly one of the healthiest superfoods.
Edamame
The edamame is a culinary preparation that you have surely seen in Asian restaurants. These are tender soybeans, boiled with water and salt. They are eaten as is, but condiments and sauces can also be used. The edamame is rich in proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, omega fatty acids, folic acid, manganese, vitamin K, carotenoids and micronutrients.
Ginger
On the outside it looks like a potato, but do not ever think of eating a piece of ginger with bites. It is extremely spicy. That’s why you have to use it in small quantities, previously prepared. It is taken as an infusion, and also in the form of juice, previously scratched and mixed with lemon and sugar. Being spicy, it is also used as a spice in many recipes that include seafood or rice. Also in cookies and sweets. It is easy to find in almost all greengrocers and supermarkets.
The ginger is great for curing gastrointestinal disorders, from colic and diarrhea and respiratory problems: sore throat, bronchitis, fever, cough, etc. It contains vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5 and B6, C, and E, and abundant antioxidants. Calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, sodium, zinc…
Chia seeds
The chia is a source of fiber, calcium, proteins, antioxidants and omega 3. As superfood there are better, more nutrients or more important properties, but have listed because Chia seed are highly valued in the time to lose weight. The reason is that when they are submerged in a liquid (water, juice or any other) they swell up to ten times their size, so they satisfy a lot with a small amount.