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When it comes to superfoods,
berries tend to top the list.
www.wrightsvillebeachmagazine.com WBM
Enter the superfoods.
While there is no magic bullet that
will cure all of our physical ills, certain
foods have been shown to accomplish
amazing feats. They can reduce blood
pressure, inflammation, pain levels
and cholesterol, and protect the body
against heart disease, cancer, diabetes
and the ravages of a slow metabolism.
High in antioxidants, replete with vita-mins,
rich in fiber and low in calories,
these unassuming items hold a wealth
of nutritional value — and you can
find most of them at your local grocery
store.
Sherry Jegtvig, nutrition columnist
for About.com and a former chiroprac-tor,
says, “There are many excellent
superfoods, but since it looks like the
price of food is going up in 2011, I’ll
focus on affordable ones. Legumes
like dry beans and lentils are inexpen-sive,
and you can buy them in bulk
because they store well. They’re a good
source of protein, folate and other B
vitamins and fiber without saturated fat
or cholesterol — perfect to substitute
for red meat a couple of times per week.
Legumes also contain phytochemicals
that work as antioxidants to keep you
healthy by fighting heart disease and
cancer.”
Dry beans and lentils are particularly
good choices in the winter season, when
they can be readily incorporated into
soups or stews. “Dust off the crockpot
hiding under the counter,” says Jegtvig.
“There are many easy recipes that
center around meat or poultry, broth
and vegetables. Start the crockpot in
the morning and dinner is ready when
you get home from work.” She adds,
“Keeping your kitchen stocked with all
the staples helps too. Cooking is much
easier when you don’t have to make a
list and go shopping first.”
For kids, parents and busy profes-sionals
on the go, creating healthy
snacks can be a challenge — but it
doesn’t have to be. Walnuts, pump-kin
seeds, almonds and flax-seed
are all high in Omega-3 fatty
acids, which can play a valuable role in
reducing inflammation and maintain-ing
cardiovascular health. “In general,
raw nuts and seeds are really healthy
for you,” says Carl Stephens, produce
manager for Tidal Creek Cooperative
Food Market. “Blend them with dry
fruit, and they make a good snack.”
Jegtvig concurs: “Buy raw nuts and
toast them on the stove before you serve
them. Your best buy is to go with nuts
still in the shell — they keep well. And
having to crack the shells helps to keep
your portions under control — which
is important because nuts are higher in
calories than most other superfoods.”
When it comes to superfoods, ber-ries
tend to top the list. In fact,
a recent study conducted by two
University of Rhode Island scientists,
Scott McWilliams and Navindra
Seeram, shows that a select group of
migratory birds — including sparrows,
thrushes and warblers — alter their
diets to include berries as they prepare
to fly south for the winter. These birds,
which typically eat insects or seeds, con-sume
as much as three times their body
weight in berries prior to migration.
Specifically, they target dark-skinned
berries — those highest in antioxidants
— leading researchers to conclude that
the birds are instinctively stocking up
on fruits that will reduce stress and
inflammation during their long flight.
Berries may be for the birds …
but they are also great for people.
Blueberries, raspberries and
blackberries are a fantastic choice,