No matter where nutrition experts differ in their theories, almost everyone agrees that the health benefits of garlic make it one of the greatest superfoods of all. And while not everybody can agree on the optimum strength of garlic flavor, most everyone appreciates the savory bitterness to some extent, however slight.

Nutrition in garlic

Garlic has three main nutrients.

1. Manganese. This mineral is a powerful antioxidant; it also activates the enzymes needed for the body to use several nutrients, including vitamins C and B; and it helps the body to metabolize fat, carbohydrates and protein.
2. Vitamin B6. This vitamin supports the nervous system and helps to break down sugars and starches.
3. Vitamin C. An antioxidant nutrient that improves iron absorption and regenerates vitamin E supplies in the body.

Health benefits of garlic

1. It contains allicin, which is at once antibacterial and antiviral, and can help prevent weight gain.
2. Regular consumption can lower high blood pressure and decrease LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Therefore, it protects against heart disease and strokes.
3. Reduces inflammation.

How to grow garlic

This herb is a no-brainer for any beginning gardener. Plant bulbs in the fall, about four inches apart. Keep watered (if the soil is dry three inches down, it needs water), and watch them grow. Around July, the leaves will begin turning yellow and droop. At that point, you have two choices.Either pull them out of the ground and separate and clean off the bulbs.

Or, you can leave the garlic in the ground another year. If you do, then you may never have to plant garlic again. Simply dig down and pull the cloves out from where they are underground, and the garlic plant will continue to grow new bulbs year after year.

You can also harvest the green leaves to use fresh in salads any time.

How to prepare garlic

The nutrition and healing power in garlic is lost to a significant extent when cooked. The healthiest way to eat it is raw, chopped up or put through a garlic press and served over a salad or cooked food that has already been removed from the pan.

The health benefits of garlic make it an easy addition to anyone’s superfood menu! To find out how to add this and many more everyday superfoods to your diet, check out the e-book The Simple Superfoods.

Ever had almond butter? If not, you owe it to yourself to try this sweet, creamy superfood. Yes, superfood. The almond’s health benefits are numerous enough to give it this prestigious culinary label.

Important things to note before you bite an almond

Before you chomp into that crisp delight, you should be aware of a few things that will make it even healthier to eat.

First of all, the fat in roasted almonds has had its molecular structure changed from its natural form. This structural change can create problems for the body, such as increased risk of heart disease, as well as lead to weight gain. However, the natural fat in raw or lightly toasted almonds is actually good for you and helps your body burn fat.

Next, a few years ago a law was passed that requires stores to sell only pasteurized almonds. This was based on a handful of people who had contracted salmonella from eating non-organic raw almonds.

Note, those were NON-organic almonds. Organic almond eaters never complained of getting sick from the food.

So if you see the label “raw” on a package of almonds in a grocery store, this does not mean they are really raw, but that they have not been roasted. While the pasteurized almonds have not been exposed to heat nearly as high as the roasted almonds, the nutritional value has probably been compromised and the life-giving enzymes have died. Unless you’re a die-hard raw foodist, this is probably not of great importance. But you will get more nutrition whenever you select organic almonds.

Want the greatest effect of the almond’s health benefits? Soak really raw nuts (they can be found at  rawfromthefarm.com or organicpastures.com) for twelve hours with some salt, drain them then dehydrate them on high for four to six hours, then turn the dehydrator to low and keep the almonds drying for about four days.

Health Benefits of Almonds

• Almonds are full of several trace minerals, necessary for proper functioning of many body processes.
• The nuts are high in vitamin E, which helps to stop LDL  - “bad” cholesterol – oxidation.
• Consumption of raw or lightly toasted almonds can reduce the risk of atherosclerosis because of the reduction of LDL.
• Colon cancer risk is reduced due to the fiber in the nut.
• Studies have shown almond eaters lose more weight, body fat and body mass index than another group consuming the same amount of calories and protein.

What are superfoods? They have become all the rage among health-conscious people during the last decade or so. You can hardly have a discussion about healthy eating or visit a health-related website without hearing or seeing the term.

You know that whole foods are superior to processed foods in both nutritional value and health-giving benefits. What makes a particular food “super”?

Generally speaking, superfoods are foods that have a high phytonutrient content. Phytonutrients, such as lycopene in tomatoes, beta carotene in carrots and anthocyanins in blueberries, are highly anti-oxidant – therefore anti-degenerative disease and anti-aging – and each specific phytonutrient is thought to have a specific health benefit.

For example, the lycopene in tomato is believed to reduce the risk of prostrate cancer. The many phytonutrients in blueberries are linked to cardiovascular health and memory. Pomegranates contain ellagic acid, which is protective of overall health.

(A great resource for incorporating superfoods into your diet is the Simple Superfoods e-book .)

“I thought superfoods were exotic, hard-to-get products”

When you hear the term tossed around, it’s often in the context of such foods as the berries acai, goji, and maqui and other fruits like noni and mangosteen.

Not something you find in your local grocery store.

While these kinds of foods are “super” and can be particularly helpful and supportive if you are experiencing a major physical challenge, more easily found foods are often just as good, if not better, than the exotic ones.

Such foods include the ones listed above, as well as the dark, leafy greens (kale, spinach, broccoli), red bell peppers and organ meats.

“So, I don’t need the exotic fruits to be healthy?”

That all depends. Are you eating a strictly whole foods diet that includes a wide variety of fruits and vegetables – especially at least two servings of dark, leafy greens per day? Are you, in addition, taking a high-quality multivitamin/mineral supplement (there aren’t too many of those around)?

If you are, then superfoods such as the berries mentioned above can probably help you to lose weight or boost your immune system a bit more, but aren’t really necessary.

Chances are, your diet isn’t that great. In that case, you may want to seriously consider adding some of the more exotic power-foods to your diet.

Masaji is a juice that combines several of the highest anti-oxidant and health-giving fruits – including apple, blueberry, maqui, acai, goji and pomegranate -without any of the hidden stimulative ingredients most other companies add to their juices to give you a false burst of energy that ultimately depletes your adrenal function.

In addition, it is chock full of an array of vitamins and minerals that come from all the different fruits, as well as spirulina and marine phytoplankton. I found myself happier than ever after drinking it for one week – then found out that Masaji is loaded with the “happy” B-vitamins!

Did I mention it has helped many people lose weight because it contains the maqui berry?

To order Masaji, visit this page. And begin to enjoy a greater level of health than you ever dreamed of!

Or, you can use the the Simple Superfoods e-book to get more common but powerfully nutritious foods into your diet.