It’s not unusual for people to want a healthier life. I get messages from people all over Louisiana asking for help. Learning about the person’s dietary needs, personal preferences, goals, and lifestyle is important when identifying the healthiest diet. All healthy diets have one thing in common. They include several superfoods loaded with vitamins, minerals, healthy fat, and phytonutrients. The ones that have the most benefits are often called superfoods. They can provide more benefits per calorie than most food you eat.
This superfood doesn’t get as much praise as it deserves.
Are sweet potatoes on your list of superfoods to include in your diet? Probably not. Sweet potatoes are often underrated. Part of the problem may come from how they’re served. Sweet potatoes are a popular dish in Louisiana, unfortunately, many of the recipes include added sugar or trans-fat, like a sweet potato pie or deep-fried sweet potato fries. Baking sweet potatoes, grilling, and boiling them provides the antioxidants, fiber, manganese, copper, pantothenic acid, vitamins B6, A, and C, potassium, and niacin that make them a heart-healthy option that is also beneficial for eye health, boost memory and the immune system, and act as an anti-inflammatory.
Eat berries that are purple, blue, black, or deep red for the anthocyanins.
Probably the best-known superfood is the blueberry. It boosts brain health and is high in antioxidants that protect cells from free radicals that can cause premature aging, cancer, and other diseases. That antioxidant is anthocyanin. It’s a flavonoid in other fruits and vegetables and responsible for their color. Besides anthocyanin and other phytonutrients, they contain fiber, vitamins C and K, and manganese. Blueberries help lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol, improve brain function, and prevent heart disease. Some findings indicate they may aid in preventing diabetes and urinary tract infections, and improve recovery after exercise.
Popeye knew the value of spinach.
Don’t worry. Eating spinach won’t create flour-sack-style biceps like Popeye has. You will, however, get significant health benefits. Spinach has loads of nutrients, which include calcium, iron, folic acid, iron, calcium, vitamins A, C, and K. Like blueberries, spinach contains phytonutrients. They include lutein, nitrates, kaempferol, quercetin, and zeaxanthin. Including more dietary spinach can reduce oxidative stress, boost eye health, improve blood pressure, and reduce cancer risk. You can cook spinach or eat it raw in salads and smoothies.
- Salmon and fatty fish should be in most diets. It’s a good source of protein and healthy fat. The omega-3 fatty acids help prevent heart disease and increasing omega-3 can improve mood disorders like depression.
- Snack on nuts to boost your nutrition. If you’re eating nuts instead of sugary products, you’ve improved your diet. Nuts provide healthy fats, plant protein, and nutrients that aid all parts of the body, including the brain.
- Fermented foods, like yogurt, increase bacteria that improve health. Always check labels. Some yogurt contains no live bacteria and contains sugar, which eliminates many of the benefits. Sauerkraut, kefir, and kimchi are other fermented foods.
- Add spices to your diet. The benefits spices provide depend on the spice. Cinnamon decreases inflammation, lowers blood pressure, and is anti-inflammatory. Ginger regulates blood sugar, improves digestion, and like another superfood, turmeric, ginger is anti-inflammatory.
For more information, contact us today at Wellness On A Dime Coaching