The word “superfood” is tossed around quite a bit, but it is helpful to understand what this term actually means and how including these foods in your diet can improve your health. There is not a specific definition of what is a superfood and what is not. To be categorized as a “superfood,” a food simply needs to be packed with nutrients that help you get the vitamins and minerals you need to be healthy. Superfoods are not new, as people have been eating these foods for many years. However, the health benefits of superfoods are becoming more well-known, making the foods themselves more popular as well. Many people are wary of food trends because they seem to come out of nowhere and quickly get replaced by the next trendy item. The truth is, most of us have been eating superfoods all our lives without thinking about it. It’s possible that you even eat superfoods on a daily basis without realizing it. Below, find out some of the benefits of superfoods and learn ways to include more of these nutrients into your diet.
Health Benefits of Superfoods
Nutrition-packed foods have countless benefits. They help you maintain a healthy weight, feel energized and stave off nutrition-related diseases. Eating well also reduces stress levels, which can have toxic effects on your body over time. These benefits all go hand-in-hand. When you have more energy, you are more likely to exercise. When you stay at a healthy weight, you can avoid a variety of obesity-related conditions and illnesses. Obesity affects not only your risk for heart disease, diabetes, cancer and high blood pressure, it can also have a negative impact on your bones and joints. Being at an unhealthy weight for your height and body type can lead to back and neck pain as well as poor posture. These issues may increase your chance of becoming injured or developing chronic pain.
Many people do not realize that chiropractic care can make a significant impact on the health of people who are overweight or obese. Not only do adjustments help with pain and injuries, chiropractic care can help people facing obesity transition into losing weight through a combination of diet and exercise. Including more superfoods in one’s diet can oftentimes be the first step towards an overall healthier lifestyle.
Best Superfoods to Try
People who are unfamiliar with superfoods are often surprised to find that many of their favorite foods and healthy snacks are categorized as superfoods. For example, blueberries, avocados and salmon are all packed with nutrients. There are also plenty of superfoods that people are less likely to eat on their own without learning about the nutritional value, such as wheatgrass, spirulina or raw milk.
It is easy to add superfoods to many beverages, snacks or main dishes that you make on a regular basis. Almonds, acai berries and goji berries, for example, can be sprinkled on a salad or parfait as a topping. Flaxseeds, another superfood, can be added to smoothies, bread recipes, soup of baked goods. You can also swap superfoods for staple food items in your diet. For example, sweet potatoes can replace a side dish of regular potatoes, kale can be used instead of iceberg lettuce and broccoli rabe (actually part of the turnip family) can be swapped for regular broccoli.