Now the diet I am going to post about today is not really a 'diet' in the same sense. It is not about a bikini blitz or a six pack. Instead, it is all about the Superfoods!
I think I'm a bit late on this bandwagon (the book was first published in 2004) but I have been immersed in this book for the last couple of weeks. It is fascinating and yes, I am now convinced that these fourteen foods could change my life!
Basically Superfoods suggests that every time we eat, we are making a choice which added to our other earlier and later choices could make a very big difference in how we look, feel and actually are now and in the future.
The authors suggest that by incorporating superfoods in to our diet we may reach old age and remain very active while someone else less superfoody (dang, superfoody is not a word) could potentially struggle getting to the chemist to pick up their numerous pills and tablets each week.
When we eat something, there is a chain of reactions in our body and these over time can add up to something more. Superfoods suggests that by changing our eating habits and choosing one food over another, even one fruit over another, we could fight the onset of disease including diabetes, alzheimers and some cancers.
Fourteen superfoods are identified . . .
Now this diet is a lot easier (and tastier) then some of those slimming diets out there as it is not so regimented. Basically you just need to add the superfoods in and make sure you are eating them so many times a week.
And yay, for some items such as yogurt, I'm already easily fulfilling the quota. I eat so much yogurt!
However, there are other foods such as Salmon that I barely want to touch and that is where my work begins.
I aim to add all of the superfoods in to my diet but I will do it gradually. First of all, I will start with the three super duper Superfoods. Apparently, even, if all you do is add these three goodies to your diet then your current and future wellbeing will dramatically improve. The magical foods in question are Blueberries, Spinach and Wild Salmon.
- Blueberries have five times as many antioxidants as apples or carrots. These berries have both amazing health and antiaging benefits. Oh yes, they could help the undereye bags and get this, they may even help in reversing the effects of degenerative diseases.
I have been trying to have half a cup of blueberries each morning with yogurt and then throughout the day I have been picking at the berries.
- Spinach was easy to add in to my diet, I just started on the Green Monsters again which I often have after my main meal.
Unlike some of the superfoods with one particular nutrient or nutritional combination that pushes it forward, there are so many nutrients in spinach and this is what makes it a super (duper) food. One of these is vitamin K, a vitamin which can not be stored in your body and therefore needs replenishing as it helps the blood to clot properly. Spinach is also thought to help fight some cancers and to be of benefit to your eyes. Then of course, don't forget the iron!
Popeye anyone?!
Image from Google Image Search.
- Finally, there is Wild Salmon which contains good fats. It read a bit complicated but it seems one reason we need Salmon is because it is not necesarily the fats and things you consume but also the ratio in which they are consumed. For example ideally you should comsume omega 6 and omega 3, in a ratio between 1-1 and 4-1 but many people have a ratio between 14-1 and 25-1. This means our bodies will be reacting and causing less then optimal biochemical changes.
The authors suggest eating Salmon two to four times a week. At the moment, I am going for once a week and will hopefully go from there. The one good thing about this book is it identifies not only the Superfood but also some sidekicks who can do some of the good work instead. So maybe I will try to add a little bit of tuna in to my diet too.
I love this Superfood idea and while some benefits may be questioned. I can not see what harm it can do (although Blueberries quickly drain the pennies) and see it as an ideal basis to start from when planning my meals. As I said, I am going to concentrate on adding the super duper foods in and then hopefully I will follow with one or two of the other superfoods each week.
What do you think about Superfoods? Are you on a "diet"?
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