Nutritional Lifestyle Consultant and Private Chef Talibah Simone delves into the food fads of health. When you hear superfood you think, matcha, spirulina, maca powder or even moringa but really what makes them so super? These are the questions that the adverts do not answer! I love reading and researching about food, its nutrients and origin because I am simply intrigued to know what foods do for my body.
I’ve pitched my tent on ‘the Superfood’. A superfood is a food with interesting nutrient properties, most commonly foods that contain high amounts of antioxidants and usually a food that is not regularly consumed – something exotic. They’re loaded with high levels of vitamins and minerals too. They can be quite pricey in the U.K however when you take a holiday to those bright, hot and sunny countries, you’ll find that they’re as cheap as a chocolate bar!
The term ‘superfood’ is more of a marketing tactic as it sounds uniquely nutritious which is appealing to the health fanatic. Scientifically, we can measure the nutritional strength by the number of ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) units the food contains, this measures the level of antioxidants in food. The FDA recommends 3,000-5,000 ORAC rating foods per day for optimal health. The average person would only get about 1,200 ORAC units per day (which is well below the recommended levels). Here in this article, I will introduce you to the uncommon superfood. Fruits and vegetables produce lots of antioxidants, especially the dark and green ones.
Here is an example of ORAC ratings:
(Per gram)
Matcha – 1,384
Matcha powder is very popular, it became one of top trendy coffee shop pictures across world via social media. The bright green colour accompanied by plant-based milk made this a ‘Superfood King Pin’. Everyone wanted Matcha because “it’s healthy for you”, totally oblivious to the fact that combining lots of milk and sugar depletes its high nutritional value. However, matcha is very potent and high in beneficial antioxidants.
Leafy greens come under the superfood category, although it may not have a high ORAC as spirulina. For example, dark green leaves contain the highest levels of vitamin C within them. I often make leafy green smoothies with a teaspoon of spirulina to accompany the great works of the spinach.
Blueberries, dark chocolate, artichokes, elderberries, even dry roasted pecans and cilantro are high in antioxidants which qualify them to be categorised as a superfood however it is less likely that we will find these advertised amongst products as one. To get the best out of a food for its properties to really get working inside of you, is to buy in season. Seasonal produce is fresher and taste its best because they are naturally ripe in their own time and not genetically modified nor irradiated to kill off germs; thus, containing a higher nutritional value. When you buy foods within their season it is actually cheaper because the farmer harvests plenty of produce, therefore production becomes cheaper. Here’s a list of seasonal ingredients for June and July:
June:
Asparagus, Aubergine, Beetroot, Blackcurrants, Broad Beans, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cherries, Chicory, Chillies, Courgettes, Cucumber, Elderflowers, Gooseberries, Lettuce, Marrow, New Potatoes, Peas, Peppers, Radishes, Raspberries, Redcurrants, Rhubarb, Rocket, Runner Beans, Samphire, Sorrel, Spring Greens, Spring Onions, Strawberries, Summer Squash, Sweetheart Cabbage, Swiss Chard, Tayberries, Turnips, Watercress
July:
Aubergine, Beetroot, Blackberries, Blackcurrants, Blueberries, Broad Beans, Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower, Cherries, Chicory, Chillies, Courgettes, Cucumber, Gooseberries, Greengages, Fennel, French Beans, Garlic, Kohlrabi, Loganberries, New Potatoes, Onions, Peas, Potatoes, Radishes, Raspberries, Redcurrants, Rhubarb, Rocket, Runner Beans, Samphire, Sorrel, Spring Greens, Spring Onions, Strawberries, Summer Squash, Sweetheart Cabbage, Swish Chard, Tomatoes, Turnips, Watercress.
In addition to buying seasonal produce, I’ve started taking these nutritional capsules both with water and in smoothies. When taken regularly it’s a huge help for the busy lifestyle, where we often get tired, run down and in need of an energy boost. You can get this in Holland and Barrett or online retailers.
