If you have recently started a health-kick or you are just a generally healthy eater then you will be well aware of the type of foods that you should be eating and those that you should avoid. Something that you may not be aware of as much, is the power of certain types of foods when it comes to your general well-being, namely superfoods. Superfoods are certain foods that have incredible abilities to single handedly boost your intake of things such as vitamins, amino acids, fibre, minerals and omegas and here are some tips on things that you should be adding to your diet right now.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms have been an unsung hero for a long time now, many people eat mushrooms as part of a balanced diet but you should be eating more. Vitamin D is an important vitamin for your body, it helps with calcium production, cell growth and immune functions, usually we obtain vitamin-D from the sun, but not all of us have the luxury of hours and hours of sunshine. Step for mushrooms, the only fruit or vegetable that can provide you with vitamin-D. Mushroom varieties are vast with different flavours and textures so you can really mix it up if you plan to eat a lot.
Walnuts
The power of nuts is incredible, healthy fats, sources of protein and fibre and and healthy qualities in almost all of them, and walnuts take it a step further. Walnuts are high in ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) a heart-healthy omega oil that has anti-oxidant and anti-infammatory properties and the list of benefits is almost endless. You only need around 13-15 walnuts per day to get the most of their superfood qualities and furthermore they taste delicious. Get them in your diet now.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are an incredible versatile and super-healthy vegetable that you should be using in place of high-carb potatoes. Not only do they taste incredible but their health properties know no bounds. These little beauties are packed with vitamin-C, calcium and potassium and they are know to help you fight bad cholesterol, high blood pressure and age-related degeneration. Sweet potatoes also contain beta-carotenoids which help your immune system fight off colds and infections, a true superfood.
Blueberries
Blueberries are an antioxidant superfood that are high in potassium and vitamin-C. These juicy beauties have an incredible array of health benefits from boosting the immune system, aiding digestive function, improving skin conditions and have even been linked to reducing the risk of cancer. Because of their ability to reduce inflammation in the body, blueberries have also been linked to the reduction of chronic disease in general, and they taste absolutely delicious.
Dark Chocolate
My favourite superfood, dark chocolate, now of course, if you are dieting to lose weight then you should moderate your intake of dark chocolate but eating is recommended, it is wonderful. Dark chocolate has been proven to lower cholesterol and bloods pressure and to reduce levels of a certain type protein that has been linked to heart disease and type-2 diabetes. As if that wasn’t enough, dark chocolate is also packed with antioxidant flavonoids which are proven to reduce the risk of cancer and diabetes in some cases. If you are buying some dark chocolate to add to your diet make sure that it has a minimum 75% cacao content.