What is so super about superfoods? Also a few superheroes hiding in your spice cupboard.

 

            S U P E R F O O D – yep, we have all heard this word many a time. It is a beautifully catchy marketing word but what does it really mean?

Oxford Dictionary defines it as:

            - ‘a nutrient-rich food considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being’

            Essentially it is a whole food that contains a high level of a vitamin, mineral, nutrient, phytochemical (ie. Antioxidant), they also are often low calorie and high fiber, which help support our bodies to function at an optimal level, and then some. As many people believe that some of the properties found in these foods can combat ailments like heart disease and cancer.

            The superfood label is just that. It is a really smart label that the food industry has gotten a hold of and run with it. So as long as you see past a lot of the sneaky marketing ploys, superfoods are a great addition to your diet. They don’t replace a healthy balanced diet full of whole foods, but they can give you a boost here and there, if you know what kind of boost your looking for.

            So I have decided to give a little explanation behind a few of my favourite superfood powders that I have incorporated in my diet, and what effect they can have in your body. I have also included a few my favourite spices that I use almost everyday, as they can also have medicinal effects on the body and can be a lot easier to incorporate into your diet than a few of the superfood powders.

I decided not to discuss herbs here, just superfood powders you can buy as well as spices. I am planning on writing a herb and herbal tea post if that’s something you are interested in? Let me know in the comments below.

Anti-clockwise from the Top: Maca, Acai, Mesquite, Lucuma, Camu Camu, Carob and Cacao.

Superfood Powders

Maca Powder-

           

This was the first superfood that I brought into my diet and has to be my favourite. Maca is a small root like vegetable that looks similar to a walnut and has been used for thousands of years by the Incas in Peru. I find it doesn’t have a strong flavour to it and blends well in smoothies or cereals, or in baking. It just has to be incorporated slowly into your diet to begin with, as some people can have reactions to it in large amounts.

            It has high levels of calcium and potassium, which help the nervous system, and muscle and vascular functions. Also incorporating B and C vitamins, phystosterols and alkamides, to increase energy, boost immunity, and strengthen the body’s endocrine system, enhancing processes like metabolism, mood, growth and sexual functions.

So it helps increase endurance and stabilize your energy levels, while balancing out your hormones and assisting with stress, anxiety and fatigue.

Acai Powder- (pronounced ah-sigh-ee)

           

            Acai can be found in a few different forms, powder, juice, capsule or in frozen puree. I personally use the powder because I find it easier to add into my smoothies and acai bowls, but the frozen puree is also really delicious. It is a sour tasting berry that tastes so amazing when paired with cacao or carob.

            Acai is a small dark berry that is native to the Amazonian rainforest, and is absolutely jam-packed with antioxidants. Antioxidants are compounds that neutralize the free radicals that are floating around our bodies that can damage our cells.

            Acai also contains high levels of B vitamins, as well as vitamins C and K, which help increase our energy levels, combat fatigue and strengthen out immune system.

Mesquite Powder-

            Mesquite is an edible pod of a plant found in dry regions of North and South America. It has a sweet caramel malt taste to it and is delicious in smoothies and baking.

            Mesquite powder is low on the glycemic index, even though it has quite a sweet flavour to it. It has significant levels of calcium, magnesium and contains the amino acid, lysine. Which plays a large role in calcium absorption, building muscle protein, and the body’s production of hormones, enzymes and antibodies.

            Mesquite has also been found to have the potential to aid in the management of diabetes, as treatment with the powder has been found to boost the beta cells of the pancreas, which are responsible for producing and secreting insulin.

Lucuma Powder-

            Lucuma is a Peruvian fruit that is similar to a persimmon, with a subtle sweet, citrus and caramel flavour. This powder can be added to many foods, cereals, smoothies, juices, desserts and baked goods.

            This fruit is an amazing all-rounder superfood powder; it’s low GI and contains high levels of beta-carotene, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and vitamin B3 (Niacin).

            Vitamin B3 or Niacin is a compound that participates in metabolic reactions in the body, and are key in energy-transfer reactions, especially the metabolism of glucose, fat and alcohol. So, niacin can be utilized in the body to mobilize fat and remove toxic substances stored in your fat cells. This is a vitamin that can become toxic if you constantly consume too much though, so keep that in mind when portioning out your serving size of the superfood powder.

Camu Camu Powder-

            This is another Peruvian fruit that grows in the shallows the Amazon River. Camu Camu powder has a really strong citrus taste, and I use it in juices and smoothies.

            With such a strong citrus taste its not surprising that this powder is known for its really high Vitamin C content. The powder is essentially the fruit flesh dehydrated and ground into a powder, with vitamin C content 30 to 60 times higher than that of an orange.

            A few of Vitamin C’s rolls in the body are to act as an antioxidant, assist in the absorption of iron, strengthen the resistance to infection, in amino acid metabolism, as well as the synthesis of collagen and thyroxine.

Carob Powder-

            This is one of the most delicious tasting superfood powders. Carob comes from the pod of the Carob tree, which is then crushed to form the carob powder. It tastes like chocolate. Enough said.

            It contains less fat than cacao powder, tastes sweeter, and unlike cacao it is also caffeine free! I often use this in place of cacao powder in many recipes, smoothies, desserts and in baking.

            Carob has antiviral and antibacterial properties, can assist in digestion, while it can also play a role in regulating blood glucose and lowering cholesterol.

F U N  F A C T - it is also not poisonous to dogs, unlike cacao.

Raw Cacao Powder-

            With all of the above superfood powders I try to buy them in raw form, as often vitamins and minerals can be effected by temperatures and light, but I always choose to have the raw form of cacao powder as it has twice the amount of antioxidants as the cacao made from roasted beans.

            With a name that means ‘food of the Gods’ in Nahuatl, where could you go wrong? Made from the bean of the cacao tree, it contains high amounts of antioxidants, as well as manganese, fiber, vitamin C that helps the immune system and magnesium that contributes to heart and muscle health.

            It has been shown to improve your mood, blood circulation, enhance metabolism as well as increase brain function. Even with all these benefits, if you have difficulties with caffeine or have problems with adrenal fatigue try and stick mainly to carob powder for your chocolaty hit.

From Left to Right: Maca, Acai, Mesquite, Lucuma, Camu Camu, Carob and Cacao.

Spices

Cinnamon-

            Ohhh cinnamon. So I do love this spice, but apart from tasting absolutely amazing and making it into my diet daily, it is made from the dried bark of two types of Asian evergreens.

            This spice can be added to both savory and sweet foods or drinks, and can help relieve gas and bloating. While also having antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, it has also been found that it may reduce the discomfort for those suffering from heartburn.

Turmeric-

            Turmeric is a relative of ginger and was first found in India. It has a mustard yellow colour and is most often used in savory foods.

            It is an ingredient that is highly prized in Ayurvedic medicine, and is becoming more popular recently due to the antioxidant flavanoid, Curcumin, which is found in turmeric and shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. This makes it beneficial to the circulatory system, helping to keep red blood cells from clumping and increases circulation. It is also known to aid in digestive disorders.

Ginger-

            This delicious warming spice can be used in many different ways, in sweet desserts and baking or savory dishes and curries or even in drinks and teas. Ginger is most commonly used as an ingredient to help alleviate nausea and vomiting, weather it be from motion sickness, morning sickness, food poisoning, gastroenteritis or chemotherapy.

            Ginger also has anti-inflammatory properties that block a pro-inflammatory, hormone like chemical, called prostaglandins. This may help with the pain suffered in migraines if taken at the first signs of symptoms, as migraines are thought to be caused by the inflammation of the blood vessels in the brain. Similarly, it is thought to help with the swelling and inflammation of those suffering with arthritis when ingested.

Chilies - Capsasiniods -

            Chilies or hot peppers can add flavour and heat to many dishes, I use chili flakes or cayenne pepper in almost all of my savory dishes, and I usually add a pinch to my chocolate dishes, as I find it just gives the chocolate a lift and a warmth and tastes amazing. I have learnt though, as much as I like chili, adding too much to a chocolate dish isn’t that nice…

            The heat in chilies is from substances called capsaicinoids, which actually have no smell or flavour to them, and are found in the seeds and white ribs of the chili. Capsaicinoids can be used topically as pain relief, while consuming them can help relieve the discomfort and sinus congestion cause by allergies, colds and flu.

            It has also been thought that consumption of chilies can stimulate the productions of endorphins, boosting your mood, while also acting as an anticoagulant, helping to prevent blood clots.

Red varieties of chilies have been found to have a higher nutritional content than green varieties, with high levels of beta-carotene, vitamin C, and bioflavonoids, which are plant pigments that are thought to help prevent cancer.

Nutmeg-

            I could go on forever about spices but the last one I have included today in Nutmeg. Nutmeg is the shelled seed of a small plant; the hull of the seed is called mace.

            A substance in nutmeg called eugenol, is thought to prevent heart disease by preventing blood clots. Nutmeg also has antibacterial properties, and may destroy the food-borne bacteria E. coli.

F U N  F A C T - Very high doses of a compound found in nutmeg oil, myristicin, causes hallucinations.

Let me know below, if you have any more interesting properties for these superfoods and spices that I have missed!

‘Every thought I think is creating my future’ – Louise L. Hay

Source:

- Foods that Harm, Foods that Heal – Readers Digest & Dr Rosemary Stanton

- The Beauty Detox Foods – Kimberly Snyder

- The Whole Pantry – Belle Gibson

- Loving Earth

- Nourish, Vol.3 No.1 2015

- Understanding Nutrition (Australian and New Zealand Edition) – E. Whitney, S. R. Rolfes, T. Crowe, D. Cameron-Smith & A. Walsh

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