Top 5 Most Overlooked Superfoods 2013
In the US and the EU most of us get to eat pretty much whatever we want. We have supermarkets full to the brim with every kind of food imaginable, but increasingly people are moving away from the simple and healthy options in favor of prepackaged meals or processed delights. Whilst these modern marvels may taste good, most of them couldn’t be considered healthy, they might get the job done (just about), but in the long-term a lot of processed foods can actually cause health problems.
It’s amazing really that people don’t stop to consider they could actually get long-term health benefits from eating the right kinds of food, instead choosing to roll the dice on future heart disease and liver failure because of a gluttonous appetite for a poor diet.
Just take a look at some of the amazing benefits you can get by regularly eating the right kind of cheap and healthy superfoods:
5. Beets
These little red root vegetables are a great source of betaine and folate, two nutrients that work together to lower the risk of heart disease by reducing inflammation in the arteries. There are also indications that the plants betacyanins pigmentation may help increase the body’s ability to fight cancer cells.
4. Cinnamon
Most people have probably only encountered Cinnamon when it’s being used as a spice on top of some kind of pastry, but actually Cinnamon is a spice which has been used as a cooking additive for thousands of years and it can be added to almost anything. Cinnamon helps your body better metabolize sugar, which in turn helps to lower cholesterol.
3. Purslane
Purslane is a green leaf vegetable most commonly used in dishes in the Mediterranean and the Far East. It makes an excellent addition to most salads and it has the highest amount of omega 3 found in any other plant. It also contains a great deal of melatonin, which is believed to be a nutrient that can help prevent cancerous cells from growing.
2. Prunes
Unlike most superfoods Prunes aren’t avoided because people are concerned about the taste, but because they are seen as being a food for the elderly. In an attempt to make Prunes cool again marketers are now referring to them as dried plums (which they are) though still people aren’t as interested in them as they should be. Prunes are a great source of chlorogenic acids, another chemical which is thought to be key in the fight against cancer. They are also in high in fibre, which makes them a great natural way to encourage regular bowel movements and even to clear up constipation.
1. Cabbage
One of the most overlooked superfoods without a doubt has got to be the common cabbage. It’s cheap, low in calories, readily available and packed full of glutamine (which provides your body with anti inflammatory amino acids). It’s not as interesting or exotic as some of the superfoods, but as a source of indole-3-carbinol it can help prevent cancer growth and stimulate the repair of DNA.
Do you know of any great superfoods I’ve overlooked? Let me know in the comments below.
This is a guest post by Jessy Troy who blogs on Weight Loss Menus and Carb Diets
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bodyworkslubbock
February 6, 2012 at 6:54 am
Another spice which is good is cayenne pepper. You can mix it with lemon juice to boost metabolism. Also, Alfalfa sprouts, the Father of All plants. It is great addition to your salad or sandwich.
C.Kent - Medical Aesthetics
February 8, 2011 at 8:58 am
Don’t forget about water! I know it’s not really a food, but it’s definitely one of the most important things you can drink to keep your skin looking great.
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James
December 10, 2010 at 11:57 am
I must say that I have overlooked these superfoods, except for the cinnamon. I consume cinnamon because it is good for lowering blood glucose, which is an issue I struggle with. Glad I found your site and keep up the great work!
James Reno
Raw-Food-Repair.com
naturopath
October 18, 2010 at 9:00 pm
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Lisa
September 21, 2010 at 7:29 pm
I’ve gotten excited about beets since I started juicing. Someone told me it cleanses the liver and to be careful not to drink too much at one time. They weren’t exaggerating. Beets and cinammon are two essentials in my diet. Thanks for creating this list. I’m going to look into the others shortly.
Jessy Troy
September 22, 2010 at 3:03 am
Great plan! Good luck!
Jarret
September 27, 2010 at 5:39 pm
Hey Jessy, I just reviewed a recent clinical trial involving cinnamon. The study supported cinnamon being effective for improving glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes – and helping to lower their blood pressure too.
Tia
September 21, 2010 at 12:35 pm
Great list. I have shared it on Facebook. I knew about beets and I sort of knew about prunes and cabbage, but not cinnamon! Now I feel like going to allrecipes and finding a bunch of cinnamon-rich recipes.
Very cool. Thanks for this list and for your great commentary about each one. It’s very useful.
Cheers,
Tia
Jarret Morrow
September 21, 2010 at 4:17 pm
Tia, yeah this was a super popular guest post here. Thanks for sharing it too! I’ve never done much with cinnamon myself—need a recipe for cinnamon toast? Just kidding… ;) Hopefully I’ll learn how to cook one of these days…
Project Swole
September 21, 2010 at 7:58 am
For those who like cinnamon and want to waste about 15 minutes of their time (that’s about how long it will take to get sick of the concept), check out the “cinnamon challenge”. Google it. I’m not posting a link in my comment because I’ll get flagged as spam, like I somehow seem to have been on Doug’s blog healthhabits.
Jarret
September 27, 2010 at 5:40 pm
Steve, the cinnamon challenge doesn’t sound like very much fun. ;)
Jennie Excell
September 21, 2010 at 6:33 am
Great post! I’ve also never heard of purslane and couldn’t find it in my local supermarket but I’m going to look into growing it next summer :-) Love that beet-root’s included – it tastes lush roasted with vegetables such as courgettes, peppers and red onion then mixed with couscous and taken to work for lunch, so sweet and much healthier than a packaged sandwich!
Jessy Troy
September 21, 2010 at 9:41 am
Great recipe here! Thanks! I’ll definitely try it out!
Jarret
September 17, 2010 at 2:02 pm
Jessy, I’m not much of a cook or chef myself, so I’ll have to track down the recipe that’s been passed on to my mother and sister as well.
Several years ago, I did a great job at putting my foot in my mouth while visiting my sister who lived in Toronto at the time. I said something along the lines of , “wow, this is the best borsch I’ve ever had!” I could see smoke coming from my mother’s ears… Big mistake.
Valerie Sage
September 17, 2010 at 2:48 am
I love posts about superfoods, vegetables, and gardening. I recently read something about beets I didn’t know but can’t recall what it was! I do know that beet greens make a great addition to collards and spinach and I put some radish greens in there too.
Have you ever sliced some cabbage into soup? Yummy.
I have never seen or heard of purslane except in blog posts recently. It is apparently not that common. I don’t recall ever seeing it in the produce section of a grocery store.
Jessy Troy
September 17, 2010 at 4:39 am
Borsch! Have you ever tried cooking Russian / Ukraining borsch! It has cabbage in it and it is delicious!
Jarret Morrow
September 17, 2010 at 9:24 am
Jessy, my paternal grandmother passed on a killer Borsch recipe. I thought of applying for a patent for it as a natural cure for constipation, lol. :) I do love Borsch!
Jessy Troy
September 17, 2010 at 11:19 am
LOL You do need to make the recipe public here are Hive Health Media! Pretty please :)
Ted
September 15, 2010 at 6:59 pm
Jessy, your article is right on target. I’ve never heard of purslane, but thanks to you I’m looking into it. And I know cabbage is one of the best things you can eat. I’d like to add blueberries to the list. They are so rich in antioxidants…
Thanks again for the informative article.
Ted
Jarret Morrow
September 15, 2010 at 7:59 pm
Ted, I wanted to thank for your candor. I was reluctant to be the first one to admit that I’d never heard of purslane either. :)
As for blueberries, I’m a huge fan and have written about them at my blog. Jessy, thanks as well for this great article.
Jessy Troy
September 16, 2010 at 2:30 am
Thanks, Ted! Blueberries are great addition!
Cori
September 13, 2010 at 11:50 pm
Cabbage has a lot of health benefits. I remember that my grandmother was using the cabbage leaves to make poultice to treat her rheumatism. She was also cooking a cabbage stock to treat constipation.
Jessy Troy
September 16, 2010 at 2:33 am
Yes! Cabbage is used by breast-feeding moms as well if they feel pain. Thanks for the comment, Cori!
Jarret Morrow
September 13, 2010 at 5:22 pm
Hey Jessy, thanks again for your article contributions!
My grandmother used to use cabbages in several recipes, so I’ve been eating cabbage for years. Great stuff!
Jessy Troy
September 16, 2010 at 2:32 am
Thank you, Jarret! It’s a pleasure to join this blog’s friendly community!
See ya at MBG :)
Jarret Morrow
September 16, 2010 at 8:41 pm
Jessy, thank you so much I’ve enjoyed reading your articles. MBG’s been the greatest thing for blogging since sliced bread, I think… Accepting and submitting guest blog posts has been a fun way to meet and interact with other bloggers for sure.