Super - what? Part I
I was raised relatively health conscious. I ate kale & couscous as a child, I did yoga. I lived with peacocks for several months. I had green juice. My mom ate flax seeds (which I thought were SO beautiful). I hit my twenties and did a terrible job of taking care of myself. School, my own convoluted beliefs & society's took a toll on what I ate. I still ate relatively healthily - the key word being relatively. It was an unconscious, though. Perhaps the only conscious effort was to eat things (semi) local. Leading up to joining the TIU nutrition plan, I became more conscious of what I was eating, as well as where it was from.
After joining TIU, my efforts intensified and then the grocery stores in Switzerland suddenly started carrying health conscious food - hello, different types of quinoa, nut milks, chia seeds, acai, protein powder. I was thrilled. Seriously, the timing was perfect.
As any health conscious gal (or guy or human, for that matter!) knows, though, there is plethora of superfoods & additives. The media always touting the newest health craze from some "exotic" location. Some of the pros & cons that are supposedly in these powders, nuts, etc were so clear to me & some of which I had never heard (I mean, yacon, really?! Even my laptop thinks that's supposed to read "bacon").
Here is my breakdown of those golden, nutritional wondrous treats. This list is NOT (nor will it ever be) complete; it is also a summary & by no means a comprehensive summary of the current research/knowledge surrounding these superfoods. I am not suggesting you add these to your diet, nor can I give general recommendations as each person is an individual. If you have specific health questions, please speak with a nutritionist and/or your doctor.
I do promise to avoid "packed with nutrients" (seriously, what does that even mean?) and other vague concepts.
Acai
Pronounced ah-sigh-EEE, this superfood is harvested from a palm tree found in the Amazon. The small purplish berries (reminiscent of blueberries - or perhaps, more accurately, a cross between a blueberry and a red/purple grape) are traditionally used for host of medicinal treatments (diarrhea, parasitic infections, ulcers). These claims have not been researched/substantiated by modern medicine. I have never had the pleasure of trying a fresh acai berry (they're quite perishable), but apparently the taste is reminiscent of wild berries (how fitting considering it is a wild berry) with a nutty/chocolatey flavor.
Acai (or more commonly, acai bowls) have been touted as the weight-loss secret - this statement has yet to be supported with sufficient scientific evidence, though. I'm naturally wary of any one who claims that one ingredient is the key to weight loss. Each individual is exactly that, an individual and we our nutrition is complex and multifaceted. No two nutritional plans should be exactly the same. That said, you can follow guidelines, like those in the TIU nutrition plan with modifications that work for you. Please personalize your nutrition!
Back to acai berries. They are high in oxidants (similar antioxidant properties to cranberries; more than what is in blueberries). Let's take a minute, here. Antioxidant is frequently batted around the health world and by the more nutritionally aware. Do you know what it means, though? An Antioxidant - a substance that inhibits oxidation. I know what you're thinking - well, suuuuure, I got that from the name. Okay, okay, that's fair. Do you know what oxidation is or what they're talking about though? Let's brush off that high school chemistry information that you put in a box in your mind labeled "never to be used again." Yeah, that's right, that box - the one covered in dust. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that produces free radicals that are harmful to cells. These free radicals can cause premature aging due to cellular damage and destruction. Our bodies have a complex system of antioxidants (mainly glutathione and several enzymes [catalases, among others]) to balance this oxidative state and thus act as a sort of "net" for free radicals.
There are also a whole host of dietary antioxidants (in addition to acai, think vitamin C and E, selenium etc). The research surrounding antioxidants is controversial. There are a host of randomized, controlled trials (read: medically speaking the most reliable kind of study, in theory) that do not exhibit an increase in health or disease prevention.
ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) has the highest value (10x more than in a red grape).
Good source of iron, calcium, fiber and vitamin A, while being low in sugar. They contain(anthocyanin containing compounds) resveratrol and cyaniding, as well as ferric acid (responsible for the color). In combination with flavonoids they are helpful as an free radical defender (antioxidant?). Also contain beneficial fatty acids (like oleic acid [also in olive oil]) plus high levels of fiber.
Nutrition facts: serving size 3.5 oz (100 g) Cal 70 (from fat 50), Total Fat 5g (Saturated 2g, trans 0g), Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 10mg, Total Carbs 4g (Dietary Fiber 2g, Sugar 2g), Protein 1g, Vitamin A 15%, Vitamin C 0%, Iron 0%, Calcium 2%
I'll be adding more to this subject, if there is a superfood you want to know more about it, lemme know! I'm not even going to attempt collagen yet - Twist of Lemons has a great post on that & that girl does her research! Do you have any good resources for nutritional info? What do you use and why?
xx.
