Superfoods
WHAT AMERICA EATSSix Superfoods to Know
By Nina Planck
PARADE, March 30, 2008
Whether you use them for seasoning, sweetening or snacking, the foods you choose can function as health-boosting agents. And some vital nutrients come in surprising packages! These six superfoods are packed with benefits - and flavor.
COCONUT MILKThe coconut is an unusual fruit: It's rich, and the fat is mostly saturated. In the South Pacific, traditional diets use copious amounts of coconut oil, yet studies there have shown that people don't get heart disease. In the U.S., research to support the heart-healthy claim is still being conducted. [PARADE editors added this note! I'm confident coconut oil is heart-healthy.] But we do know that coconut flakes, coconut milk and cream, and coconut oil contain lots of an antiviral, antibacterial fatty acid called lauric acid-one of the immune-boosters babies get from breast milk.
COOKING TIP
Mix a can of coconut milk with a pint of chicken stock and
some grated ginger for a coconut chicken soup.
GRASS-FED BEEF
All beef is a great source of iron, B vitamins and
zinc-three nutrients many Americans don't get enough of. About 50 years ago, we
started to fatten cattle on grain instead of grass. But grass-fed beef has many
virtues. According to Loren Cordain, a professor in the Department of Health
and Exercise Science at Colorado State University, grass-fed beef resembles the
wild game our ancestors ate. It contains less fat, less saturated fat, more CLA
(an anti-cancer fat) and more omega-3 fatty acids than grain-fed beef.
COOKING TIP
Grass-fed beef is very lean. Use it ground for spaghetti
sauce, chili and meatloaf.
NUTS
Almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts andhazelnuts are all rich
in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and antioxidants. Walnuts are one
of the best vegetarian sources of the omega-3 fatty acids that fight obesity,
diabetes and heart disease. Meanwhile, Brazil nuts are incredibly rich in the
antioxidant selenium-essential for sperm health, says fertility expert Dr. Marc
Goldstein of Cornell University.
COOKING TIP
Put nuts in a blender with a little olive oil, milk or water
for fresh nut butter.
CINNAMON
Here's one superfood that's easy on the waistline and
popular with kids. The bark of the cinnamon tree, native to Sri Lanka, turns
out to have extraordinary health benefits. Various research conducted by the
U.S. Department of Agriculture suggests that cinnamon regulates blood sugar,
inhibits cancer cells and is anti-inflammatory.
COOKING TIP
Sprinkle it on French toast, oatmeal, hot buttered bread or
a cup of hot chocolate. Cinnamon is great on sauteed bananas.
RAW HONEY & MOLASSES
If you have a sweet tooth, try these whole, natural
sweeteners instead of sugar. Unfiltered, raw honey contains many phytonutrients
and enzymes to aid digestion. Molasses is the nutritious byproduct from boiling
sugarcane down to white sugar. Blackstrap molasses is from the third boiling,
which concentrates nutrients and, unsulfured, is a surprisingly good source of
iron and many other minerals.
COOKING TIP
Unlike honey, which is best unheated, molasses already has
been boiled, so there's no reason not to cook with it. Think spicy baked goods
like muffins and pumpkin pie.
OLIVE OIL
Olive oil contains monounsaturated fats (which reduce
inflammation), phenols (cancer-fighting antioxidants) and vitamin E (which
lowers the risk of heart disease, protects skin from damaging agents, and
prevents nerve damage). Cold-pressed, extra-virgin oil contains more phenols,
and its vitamin E is undamaged.
COOKING TIP
Gently saute vegetables in it, drizzle it on salads or use
it in pesto.
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