We often think of different kinds of berries when we think of the superfoods. But many other foods can qualify as superfoods, as well. The humble and common tomato is one example. The lycopene in tomatoes is believed to be protective of prostrate cancer. In general, this phytonutrient is highly-antioxidant and generally fights free radicals. Tomatoes are also a good source of vitamin C, which boost the immune system. They also contain blood-pressure stabilizing potassium, as well as are a good source of vitamin E and beta-carotene, which is protective of the heart.

Since lycopene is best absorbed when tomatoes are cooked, but vitamin C is mostly destroyed by cooking, experts recommend you eat a mix of both raw and cooked tomatoes on a regular basis. I recommend organic, because the skins easily absorb the chemicals in pesticides, and that you either grow them yourselves or purchase only vine-ripened and/or heirloom tomatoes, which will be sweet and bursting with nutrition, unlike most store-bought tomatoes which are picked green and gassed in order to artificially ripen them.

Here is a great recipe to get tomatoes on the dinner table:

Fresh marinara sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 28-oz. cans of crushed or diced tomatoes or 4 cups fresh tomatoes, diced
½ cup fresh basil, chopped
½ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large pot, then add onions and cook until they begin to get clear 7-8 minutes. Next add garlic, cook for one minute more, then add remaining ingredients. Heat until mixture is simmering. Simmer uncovered 12-20 minutes until the liquid is reduced and you have a thick sauce.

You can also make a raw version of this sauce, blending fresh tomatoes with the herb, garlic and green (or dried) onion in a blender, and then dehydrating it on a low setting in the dehydrator for a few hours. (The Excalibur Dehydrator is the most suitable for this, as you can remove all the trays and have room to put an eight-by-eight-inch glass pan inside it.)

There are many kinds of foods that could technically go under the umbrella of “superfood.” One, however, is well beyond the idea of most Americans’ ideas of food. If you are caught eating it, or tell anyone you eat it, you may be in for some good-natured ribbing. But it is a food that you might consider adding to your lunch or dinner plate a few times a week.

I’m talking about seaweed. The following article from newstalk.ie explains:

Seaweed, although a staple in places like Japan and Korea for centuries, is a relatively new ingredient over here. It has been named as another ‘superfood’ with amazing health benefits. Even still you won’t find many supermarkets selling seaweed or many restaurants with seaweed in their dishes. It’s still seen as a bit of a hippy-heath-shop product.

It is a nutrient packed, cancer-preventing sea vegetable and is said to be an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. People who eat a seaweed rich diet are said to have lower risk of obesity, diabetes, depression, and cardiovascular disease.

It is one of the most nutritionally dense plants on the planet and also the most abundant source of minerals in the plant kingdom as they have access to all the nutrients in the ocean. Its benefits are far reaching:

• Blood Purifying: The chemical composition of seaweeds is so close to human blood plasma, that they are excellent at regulating and purifying our blood.
• High in Calcium: They can contain up to 10 times more calcium than milk and 8 times as much as beef.
• Alkalizing:They help to alkalize our blood, neutralizing the over-acidic effects of our modern diet.
• Have Powerful Chelating Properties: They offer protection from a wide array of environmental toxins, including heavy metals, pollutants and radiation by-products, by converting them to harmless salts that the body can eliminate easily.
• Contain Anti-oxidants: Seaweeds contain lignans (naturally occurring chemical compounds) which have anti cancer properties.
• Detoxifying: They are rich in chlorophyll (the pigment that makes some seaweeds green) which is a powerful, natural detoxifier that helps to draw out waste products.
• Boost Weight loss: Seaweeds play a role in boosting weight loss and deterring cellulite build-up. Their naturally high concentration of iodine, helps to stimulate the thyroid gland, which is responsible for maintaining a healthy metabolism. At the same time, its’ minerals act like electrolytes to break the chemical bonds that seal the fat cells, allowing trapped wastes to escape.

One easy way to eat seafood is to sprinkle crushed dulse into salads. Another is to wrap veggies up with nori leaves. While they won’t please the palate of anyone who absolutely cannot stand anything that smells or tastes the slightest bit fishy, seafoods are healthy and can act as a great nutritional supplement.

I had a love-hate relationship with apples growing up. I loved eating them, but I hated being assigned to the chore of picking up the rotten ones that had fallen from the several apple trees in our country house yard. But I never lost my taste for them, which may be one of the reasons my health didn’t completely fall apart during my first twenty-five years of life when sweets and processed foods were the mainstay of my diet.

At the risk of being predictable, the old adage “An apple away keeps the doctor away” now has scientific research behind it. Even better, apples are easy to find (at least in the U.S.) and available year-round – although they are definitely tastier during the fall and winter.

Nutrients in apples

• Vitamin C. Although the amount is much less than in an orange, it’s enough to give your immune system a nice boost, especially if you eat more than one in a day.
• Fiber, which helps keep your colon clean.
• Phytonutrients, which give it a healthy antioxidant value.

Health benefits of apples

• Improve heart health. The fiber aids in regulating cholesterol levels, the antioxidants help keep the circulation healthy, and the flavonoids keep your blood and blood pressure healthy.
• Reduce cancer risk. Studies strongly suggest that people who eat apples have a much lower risk of developing certain types of cancer.
• Protect against asthma. Certain flavonoids unique to apples help to support lung function.

Knowing all this, do you think the apple would be a worthy supplement to your diet? Definitely yes, especially if it is used in conjunction with other superfoods that provide a variety of nutrients and health benefits.

The health benefits of apples are not huge compared with berries or certain other fruits, but they are affordable, lowish on the glycemic index (especially Granny Smith), and have versatile uses. They are also easily available, and add a great crunch to any snack.

If you’re looking for a superfood bar, you don’t have to look very far. The population of such snacks has exploded in the past few years, probably thanks in large part to the growing number of followers of David Wolfe, a raw vegan and strong proponent of the consumption of superfoods.

Of course, as with every culinary trend, junk food manufacturers have jumped on the bandwagon, so you need to read the ingredient labels and make sure there are no fillers or artificial anything.

“Organic” is another key work to look for. Yes, I know, the meaning of the term has been highjacked and diluted by money-grubbing food producers and distributors. But when you read the ingredients on a bar and see that they are mostly organic, you know you’ve got a company that really cares about your health.

Without further ado, here are a few options for you.

Superfood bar #1: Amazing Grass Organic Green Superfood Whole Food Energy Bar

Wow, say that ten times fast! Seriously, the ingredients, all organic, speak for themselves: wheat grass, barley grass, spirulina, alfalfa, chlorella, broccoli, aca’i, maca, carrot, beet, raspberry, rose hips, pineapple, green tea, flax lignans, acidopholus, digestive enzymes, and several kinds of nuts and natural sweeteners.

The only downside is that it is much higher in carbs than protein, which will cause a blood sugar spike. I recommend that you eat it with plain organic yogurt or additional almonds or walnuts. (They do have at least one bar that contains a better proportion of protein to carbs. Click here to check out the options.)

Bar #2: Living Fuel CocoChia Bar

This one you cannot find in stores. You need to visit the Living Fuel website to purchase it. It is not a green bar, but contains a bit more protein that the Amazing Grass bar, and spotlights organic coconut and organic chia seeds as its main ingredients.

Superfood Bar #3: Raw Revolution Bars

Raw Revolution carries a line of bars that are guaranteed to be close to 100% raw. They have a couple of bars that contain spirulina, as well as their Green SuperFood Bar.

There are, of course, more brands of bars out there that pack a nice superfood punch. The three mentioned here are a good place to start. And of course, you can always prepare your own healthy, convenient snacks without spending a lot of time in the kitchen. Click here to learn more.

The acai (or, properly spelled, aca’i) berry comes from the Amazon rainforest. Natives have been using it to enhance health and vitality for centuries, while the rest of the world is just discovering its power.

Brazilians take it to increase their energy levels, and athletes from that are use it improve their performance. Lately, it has been touted as the latest weight loss supplement. Although research is ambivalent in this respect, this superfood certainly is a powerful addition to any diet, for a number of reasons.

Health benefits of the superfood acai berry

• It has a high concentration of nutrients. Because of that, it can aid in combating any health challenge.
• It boosts the immune system.
• It is an excellent source of anthocyanins, compounds which – together with the polyphenols – are thought to give red wine its great health benefits. Consuming aca’i additionally offers none of the usual dangers of consuming alcohol.
• The acai berry has twice the antioxidant value as blueberries.
• Because of the last two points, researchers believe that this superfood may prevent cardiovascular disease, diabetes and all kinds of cancer, including leukemia.
• It has actually killed cancer cells under microscopes, triggering those sick cells to self-destruct.
• Its high levels of omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids likely can assist in lowering cholesterol levels in the blood.

But does the acai berry lose nutritional value on its long journey from the Amazon to other parts of the world? Not when frozen immediately after harvest, and not when it is converted from its fresh-frozen state into a juice. Be wary of any super-berry supplements in powder form, as most will have lost at least half of their antioxidant value.

Knowing all this, do you think the superfood aca’i berry would be a worthy supplement to your diet? Definitely yes, especially if it is used in conjunction with other superfoods that provide a variety of nutrients and health benefits.

A superfood recipe that is going to be the most powerful is one made from freshly-harvested ingredients. But unless you grow a large variety and quantity of nutrient-dense foods in your own backyard, such a recipe will be out of your reach. While the produce at the grocery store is not completely devoid of nutrients, it is much lower in nutritional value than it was when harvested a few days ago. What might be a “superfood” fresh from the garden (or pasture or ocean, as the case may be) is not so by the time you buy it.

So, what is a health nut to do? If you are looking for a power-packed superfood recipe, why not take advantage of a greens supplement? They are not all created equal, but there are several great options out there, like Amazing Grass, Sun Warrior greens, and Garden Of Life’s “Perfect Food Raw.”

Since I am holding a canister of the last one in my hands right now, allow me to list just a few of the ingredients (all organic): barley grass juice, alfalfa grass juice, pineapple, beet root, carrot root, spinach leaf, kale leaf, parsley leaf, ginger root, amaranth sprouts, lentil sprouts, sunflower seed sprouts, chia seeds.

Altogether, there are thirty-four whole-food ingredients, freeze-dried in a way that maintains the plants’ nutritional value. In addition, it contains probiotics and enzymes, and absolutely zero sugars, fillers or artificial anything.

Making a smoothie using such a great food would make your body very happy! So why don’t we do so? Here are a couple of recipes to get you started.

Superfood Recipe #1: Tropical Delight

Serves 1.

• 1 cup water
• ½ cup fresh pineapple or mango cubes
• ½ medium banana
• ¼ cup cashews (get them from eatraw.com or sunorganic.com if you want them to not taste stale)
• 1 scoop your favorite green powder

Blend all until smooth. If you like it cold, add some ice cubes or freeze the fruit in advance.

#2: Berry Delicious

Serves 1.

• 1 cup organic yogurt
• 1 cup organic frozen strawberries, blueberries, or a mix
• 1 banana
• 1 scoop greens

Blend all until smooth. Freeze bananas or add ice for a thicker, colder smoothie.

By the way, smoothies are not just for breakfast! They make a convenient lunch, and a healthy and delicious after-school snack for even the pickiest growing child. To help increase your creativity and variety in the world of smoothies, check out this e-book.

A smoothie superfood recipe is packed full of nutrition that will increase your energy levels, improve your mood and boost your immune system. Why not make it a regular part of your daily routine?

CLICK HERE if you are looking for info on Masaji

Can the nutrition in eggs defeat the bad rap they’ve been given over the last half-century? Do we dare consider them superfoods? Absolutely! The truth is, dietary cholesterol has little to nothing to do with high LDL cholesterol or heart disease. First, you need to understand that LDL cholesterol is not “bad,” but the way your body attempts to repair damaged blood vessels. High levels of LDL is not the problem, but a symptom of a problem, usually of overconsumption of unhealthy fats.

Second, back before the age of processed foods, people ate high amounts of dietary cholesterol and any kind of heart disease or arteriosclerosis was rare. In addition, among “primitive” peoples today whose diet is void of processed food and rich in dietary cholesterol, such conditions are non-existent, even among the elderly.

So now that you understand that the cholesterol in eggs won’t kill you, let’s talk about the right kind of eggs to eat. The best are those that come from your own backyard, pasture-fed hens. Second best are eggs that come from a local farm that allows their hens to free range.

Then come store-bought organic eggs from cage-free hens. While you will get some nutrition from conventionally-raised hen eggs, it will be much less than from an organic egg and the hens that laid them are forced to live under horrendously unnatural and stressful conditions.

Nutrition in eggs

Eggs are a great source of the following nutrients:

• Tryptophan,
• Selenium,
• Iodine, and
• Vitamin B2.

Health benefits of eggs

If you want a healthy source of animal protein but your food budget is tight, you can’t beat farm-fresh eggs. This foods, due to its high iodine and selenium content, promotes a healthy thyroid as those two minerals are essential for proper thyroid function.

Eggs also contain choline, which is a critical part of three different components of the brain. In addition, a deficiency of choline leads to a deficiency of folic acid, another nutrient necessary for proper brain function.

The nutrition in eggs also helps with eye health, because it contains lutein. Don’t avoid the egg because of the cholesterol issue. Instead, eat the right kind and it will prove to be a valuable superfood in your diet.

The Paleo Diet, also known as the hunter-gatherer diet (which I prefer) is accelerating in popularity. For a while, some considered it to be just one of those passing fad diets, but now even medical doctors who previously advocated more grains and less meat in the diet are changing their tune. In the next few paragraphs, I will briefly describe this way of eating and some of the many health benefits that are coming out of it.

What is the Paleo diet?

A strict Paleo diet forbids any grain, legumes, dairy or processed foods, and restricts the consumption of natural sugars, such as honey and fruit. Some people follow the diet in a modified form, perhaps consuming legumes sparingly or drinking raw milk.

This lifestyle came about from the realization that our bodies are adapted to meat, vegetables, nuts, seeds and low-glycemic fruits because that was our primary food for millennia. Only recently did the human race begin to grow and consume grain, and Paleo fans believe that this is when people began to lose their stature and longevity.

Health benefits of a Paleo diet

Does this theory hold water? Well, so far I have heard nothing but good from people who have cut grains and other sugars from their diet. Some testimonies are more powerful than others, as some people went from the Standard American Diet to the Paleo diet, while others went from a whole foods diet that included grains and more fruit and simply cut out the starch and sugars and increased their meat intake.

Here are some of the results I have heard or read about:

• Terry Wahls, M.D., healed herself from Multiple Sclerosis.
• Weight loss and a more even temperament.
• No more PMS.
• Longer-lasting satiation after eating (this is my testimony, as well as that of many others).

As grains – even whole – are very inflammatory, their consumption can lead to arthritis, nerve dysfunction, and hormone disruption. The glucose it eventually breaks down to can lead to obesity and diabetes.

Now, you may be asking yourself, “What about all the rice the Asian people – who are traditionally very healthy – eat?” According to Sally Fallon in her book, Nourishing Traditions, Asian bodies have adapted to grains consumption with a larger pancreas than non-Asians, and therefore their systems can handle more starches and sugars without causing disease.

But if you are not of Asian descent, you would be wise to find out more about the Paleo diet. It may end up saving your life – if not giving you many more disease-free years of it.

Most people don’t think of mushrooms as superfoods, but shiitake mushrooms are worth putting into that category!

Nutritional benefits of shiitake mushrooms

Eight ounces of this precious food delivers:

• 10% daily value of vitamin C,
• 10% DV of protein, and
• 20% DV of iron.

The vitamin C gives it a nice antioxidant punch, and the amount of iron makes a great protector against anemia.

While the food has little else in the way of nutrients, its health benefits have been known by the Chinese for thousands of years.

Health benefits of the shiitake mushroom

This superfood contains a compound called lentinan, which strengthens the immune system, and has been found to be very effective against the flu. Lentinan is also anti-cancer, calling forth the body’s defenses when the disease is present.

In addition, shiitake mushrooms contain another compound that lowers LDL cholesterol levels. Consuming this food could, in turn, reduce your risk of heart disease.

Shiitake mushrooms are certainly not the cheapest on the market, but when you consider that they bring such health benefits, they may be worth more than what you pay for!

Click here to learn how to integrate all kinds of common superfoods into your diet.