4 Superfoods You'll Find In Any Healthy Persons Kitchen

4 Superfoods You'll Find In Any Healthy Persons Kitchen

Avocados:

Ah, the ever so wonderful Avo. Abundant in Australia at this time of year, a well sought after green nugget of health. This versatile "superfood" is packed full nourishment, including but not limited to: 

Monounsaturated fat, or "good fat" which can help decrease levels of LDL ("bad" cholesterol) in the blood.

Vitamins B, C, E and K - aiding in energy production (essential for those of you who are active), supports immune function, fights free radicals which in turn boosts skin, nail and hair health, and promotes healthy blood plasma production for healing, respectively.

Potassium - an electrolyte that aids in replenishing  those lost through physical exertion and natural secretion.

Protein - a medium sized avocado contains 4g of protein, as well as...


Fibre - 11g of the good stuff!

Moreover, avocados have been proven to protect against prostate, breast, and oral cancers, and the high levels of lutein may protect your eyes from macular degeneration and cataracts, according to a study by Medical News Today (1)

The last, but possibly most interesting point I'd like to share with you is that a study in by Li et al. (2013) (2) reported that consumption of hass avocado with a hamburger decreased vasoconstriction compared with those participants that consumed a hamburger alone. The anti-inflammatory properties of avocado may have a significant impact on general vascular health.

Overall, avocados rank in there with the top foods found in any healthy individuals fridge. There prowess over a lot of other fruits (yes, avocado is a fruit!) means you should start eating half an avocado a day. 

Berries:

Gram for gram, berries of all kinds pack in more antioxidants than most fruits typically consumed in the western diet. Antioxidants, as mentioned before, help fight off free radicals produced in the body (which enhance ageing, among other negatives), and blueberries in particular have one of the highest levels of antioxidants.
Incorporating a handful of blueberries (or any other berry really) into your smoothie, yoghurt, porridge or whatever can help in overall health. Consuming food that can help decrease the amount of free radicals may help stave off cancer and heart disease too.

Nuts:
Nuts of many kinds are to be found in any healthy individuals cupboard. Almonds, walnuts, pistachios... you name it, we've got it! Apart from a being a fantastic source of protein, nuts provide many benefits:

Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated fats - these fats, in particular omega-3 fatty acids, which also are found in fish, can help decrease the risk of heart disease.

Decrease LDL Cholesterol - and can reduce the risk of blood clots.

Vascular health - consumption of nuts can promote healthy artery walls.

Innumerable studies have been conducted on the health and wellness benefits of nuts, and many have shown that body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, diastolic blood pressure; blood concentrations of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglyceride; and fasting blood glucose are all improved in those who consume almonds in particular (3).

It is to no surprise then that healthy individuals are throwing nuts in to anything they can. Smoothies, yoghurt, protein bars and as a snack, to name but a few.

Fish:

If you don't eat fish, this part isn't for you, but I highly recommends that you start (unless you're vegetarian or vegan, of course). The health benefits of consuming fish, even just once or twice a week (4) are clear as mud. A bountiful source of protein, fish is also ranking in the top 10 health foods due to the following:

Vitamins D, B2

Minerals iron, zinc, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium

Low fat - but fish contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids (docosahexaenoic [DHA] and eicosapentaenoic [EPA]), which can help prevent cardiovascular disease, promote healthy brain function and may decrease the pain of arthritis. 

These are just a few of the main health benefits of fish consumption. The best sources of these nutrients are to be in salmon, sardines, anchovies, tuna, trout, herring, and mackerel in particular.


There we have it. These foods (so called "superfoods") are a few examples of what can be found in any healthy persons kitchen. The variety of foods provided a plethora of choices, some portable and others to keep frozen for long life. The lesson you should learn is that through clean eating, comes a clean body and a clean mind.

Remember - true health comes from 20% exercise, 80 % nutrition, and 100% mind set!

Enjoy your food, folks!

Dom

References:

(1) Medical News Today, 2013. Available from: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/270406
(2) Li Z, Wong A, Henning SM, et al. Hass avocado modulates postprandial vascular reactivity and postprandial inflammatory responses to a hamburger meal in healthy volunteers. Food Funct. 2013; 4 (3): 384–91.
(3)  Abazarfard Z, Salehi M, Keshavarzi S. The effect of almonds on anthropometric measurements and lipid profile in overweight and obese females in a weight reduction program: a randomized controlled clinical trial. J Res Med Sci. 2015; 19
       (5): 457–64.
(4) Australian Dietary Guidelines, Eat For Health, 2014. Available from  https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/five-food-groups/lean-meat-and-poultry-fish-eggs-tofu-nuts-and-seeds-and