Superfoods!

Ellie

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So, I just chowed down on about a cup and a half-worth of kale leaves/stalks, and thought I'd start this thread. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my less healthy food - nachos and salsa, juicy burgers, pizza - as much as the next girl, but I have a real thing for food that, after eating, makes me FEEL healthy*. As in, I feel rather a bit high right now.

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=38

Some other recent faves include a wild blueberry/avocado/protein smoothie, and sweet potato fries done up with extra virgin olive oil and cayenne power.

* I am not a committable health nut.
 
I'm big on my blue super foods. When I'm at home I'll post up a picture that shows how many blue and black berries I eat.
 
Oooh, can't wait for this. I would eat blues hourly, if I were rich. ;)
 
Big fan of healthy eating. I try to limit my carb intake to 200g a day, and only lean proteins. So therefore the rest of my diet is veggies, and superfoods are yum. I like to augment my protein shakes with wheat grass and some no-sugar added juices for a healthy post workout boost. Pomegranate juice is wonderful, as is acai berry.
 
Just consumed an avocado salad. So pleased. Earlier was a red grape/blueberry/soy/kale/baby spinach and arugula protein smoothie. Also, some 70% dark chocolate. Today has been superfood day!
 
AMAZING. *books a flight to there, to eat*

You want a flight to Maine about mid-July.

Blueberries are the easy choice, though. Otherwise I'm a sucker for cherries and beans. Beans are the best though.
 
I really like berries, blue berries in particular are my fav.

Other than that I don't really know what you mean by "super foods". But I try to eat resonably heathy, I usually have a salad a day, and/or a plate of veggies. I try not to pig out on snacks and frozen foods and stuff... but sometimes it's tough, just for convenient's sake.
 
So, I just chowed down on about a cup and a half-worth of kale leaves/stalks [...] As in, I feel rather a bit high right now.

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=38
... I like Kale. I like it a lot. And the Season has just started for Kale here ... I?ll be eating a lot of it the next 2 months.
But it doesn?t make me high. It may give me Flatulence at times. But that?s not such a happy sensation ... and doesn?t make me feel healthy. It rather makes me feel like I?ve just eaten something my body can?t break down and absorb completley ...
 
What we had the other day was this particular vegetable (NOTE, NOT MY PICTURE!)

800px-Bittermelonsambal.jpg


This is bitter melon. Pavakai in Tamil, Kakarakai in Telugu, deliciousandhealthy in English. But what's so great about it? Here are the facts:

Wikipedia said:
Bitter melon contains a bitter compound called momordicin that is said to have a stomachic effect.

Stomachic doesn't mean "stomach ache" but something that tones the stomach, improving it's function and increasing appetite.

Wikipedia said:
  • Like most bitter-tasting foods, bitter melon stimulates digestion
  • Bitter melon is traditionally regarded by Asians, as well as Panamanians and Colombians, as useful for preventing and treating malaria. Laboratory studies have confirmed that various species of bitter melon have anti-malarial activity, though human studies have not yet been published.
  • Laboratory tests suggest that compounds in bitter melon might be effective for treating HIV infection.
  • The other realm showing the most promise related to bitter melon is as an immunomodulator. One clinical trial found very limited evidence that bitter melon might improve immune cell function in people with cancer, but this needs to be verified and amplified in other research. If proven correct this is another way bitter melon could help people infected with HIV.
  • Folk wisdom has it that bitter melon helps to prevent or counteract type-II diabetes. A recent scientific study at the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, India, has proved that bitter melon increases insulin sensitivity.[6] Also, in 2007, the Philippine Department of Health issued a circular stating that bitter melon, as a scientifically validated herbal medicinal plant, can lower elevated blood sugar levels. The study revealed that a 100 milligram per kilo dose per day is comparable to 2.5 milligrams of the anti-diabetes drug Glibenclamide taken twice per day.[7]
  • Bitter Melon contains four very promising bioactive compounds. These compounds activate a protein called AMPK, which is well known for regulating fuel metabolism and enabling glucose uptake, processes which are impaired in diabetics.

wikipedia said:
It is very popular throughout India, where it is often prepared with potatoes and served with yogurt on the side to offset the bitterness, or used in sabji. It is stuffed with spices and then fried in oil, which is very popular in Punjabi cuisine. This is also a very popular vegetable in Orissa, called 'Karela', mainly consumed for health benefits. It is a popular food in Tamil Nadu and in the South Indian state of Kerala. They use it for making a dish called thoran mixed with grated coconut, theeyal and pachadi. This is one common medicinal food for diabetics.

Bitter melon is increasingly used in mainland Japan. It is a significant component of Okinawan cuisine, and is credited with Okinawan life expectancies being higher than already long Japanese ones.
 
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