Each day there seems to be a new trendy superfood that is expected to change our lives for the better, but which ones actually hold up? Most superfoods, like fish, often have magnesium rates higher than what we’re meant to eat, which ends up negating any positive effect it may have. If you want to improve your diet, you should take advantage of these actual superfoods.
What is a Superfood and Why Should We Eat Them Daily?
In the past, a superfood was defined as a food rich in compounds (like fiber, antioxidants, or fatty acids) and is considered beneficial for human health. What removed a superfood from being in the “superfood” tier is its adverse effects when eaten more than a few times per week. That’s why the WHO recommends keeping meat, dairy, and eggs off the plate.
Why Meat Isn’t a Superfood
Meat, yes, even lean meat is incredibly high in saturated fat, which raises cholesterol and leads to coronary heart disease. Nutrients found in meat, like cholesterol, creatine, carnosine, and taurine, are nonessential nutrients in humans because we create them within our bodies. When we have too much of these nutrients, it leads to adverse, sometimes irreversible, health outcomes.
Although meat contains nutrients like vitamin B-6, iron, magnesium, and cobalamin, all of which are essential to the human diet, its adverse effects outweigh the positives. In the end, it loses its superfood status. Why? Because so many other foods do what meat can and more.
What Constitutes an Actual Superfood?
Unless you want to pay more in Australian private health insurance premiums, you should probably stay away from so-called superfoods that hurt more than they help. The best and most accurate definition of a superfood is one that provides ample benefits with little to no deficits. Unless you’re allergic to a certain food, they should help you lead a healthy, happy lifestyle free of disease.
The Top 5 Superfoods to Include in Daily Meals
The following superfoods, unless they’re contaminated by animal waste runoff, will help you achieve the healthy lifestyle you’re looking for. Never keep the following foods off your plate.
1. Broccoli
Most of us probably regret not eating our broccoli as children because it turns out this green vegetable is filled to the brim with nutrients. Broccoli is rich in minerals like calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, thiamin, zinc, folate, and vitamins A, B, D, E, and K. By itself, broccoli can help protect you against diabetes, cancer, and bone disease like osteoarthritis.
2. Kale
Next to dandelions, (seriously!) kale is the most super of superfoods. It contains practically every nutrient under the sun but is incredibly high in protein, fiber, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, folate, beta carotene, and vitamin A and K.
3. Quinoa
The number of health benefits found in quinoa trump’s most grains and seeds, except maybe chia. However, if you’re looking to watch your fat (especially if you’re eating a lot of beans), quinoa is both lean, clean, and delicious. In 1 cup of quinoa, you get fiber, protein, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, folate, copper, iron, zinc, potassium, and vitamins B and E.
4. Mangos
While mangos can be pricey when bought fresh, if you purchase a bag of frozen fruit, you’ll save big time in the number of nutrients you eat. In 1 cup of mangos, you receive ample amounts of vitamins A, B, C, E, K, copper, folate, potassium, manganese, thiamine, and magnesium.
5. Beans
If you have heart disease but you miss your protein, beans give ample amounts without any added cholesterol. In fact, 250g of black beans equals the same protein content as 100g of beef without the 12 g of saturated fat. Beans are also high in folate, antioxidants, fiber, iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, folate, and vitamins B, E, K.
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