5 Superfoods with High Nutrition

In an interesting Milwaukee Journal Sentinel piece on February 27^th 2011 in the Entr©e section, 5 superfoods with the most nutrition were the focus. The emphasis was not on the brightly colored ones though, the ones that stand out in the heat of summer because of the abundant antioxidant value of them. The 5 superfoods being touted are some neutral colored foods that even without the brilliant color pack a nutritive punch. These are more prevelant during the colder weather but are valuable nutrient sources nonetheless.

Blueberries

Armed with a plethora of potent nutrients that include anthocyanins, the substance that provides blueberries with their deep blue/purple color, this fruit has the ability to prevent specific eye problems that involve the miniscule vessels in the eyes. Blueberries are also helpful in providing prevention of macular degeneration as well as night blindness.

Frozen blueberries are a big treat for your family and make a great wholesome snack for the kids that won't cause a spike in their blood sugar.

Parsnips

Typically seen on the produce shelf in the winter months this blah colored turnip is great in the juicer from what I've personally experienced. It seems to have a sort of flowery taste after it's juiced. Mix it with some raw just juiced apples and perhaps some carrots and your good to go.

The nutrition in parsnips is of great abundance and includes things like folate, vitamin C and fiber. All of which are helpful in preventing heart disease, diabetes and a few specific cancers out there. The good fiber content will assist with prevention of heart disease as well as colon cancer prevention.

Kale

As an employee of Outpost Natural Foods here in Milwaukee, I spend a large amount of time juicing kale. It really doesn't make a lot of juice, but it's a food that packs a potent nutrient punch starting with the highest amount of antioxidants in a veggie, how's that for a great way to fight cancer? Asulforaphane, is one of those powerful antioxidants that according to the Milwaukee Journal article not only fights cancer but ulcers as well and constitutes a large part of this leafy green.

If you'd like a little more sweetness to your kale, freeze it first. After a frost, experts say that it tastes sweeter.

Lentils

I have found after spending some time working at Outpost Natural Foods, that lentils are quite versatile and can be used in a variety of recipes for things like various nut burgers, or included in many vegetarian types of meatless loafs soups and stews. That's great because these beans are high in some valuable nutrition that includes protein, fiber and folate and as a result are great in the prevention of diabetes, cancer and heart disease.

Sardines

The fact that these fish have short lives makes them a great way to gather nutrition for us as the next in line on their food chain. That's because they're unable to collect the toxins over time that other fish have the tendency to combined with the fact that they don't eat other toxin filled fish because they graze on plants. So their clean, but combined with that is the fact that their amid the fish that rank highest in omega 3 content. All of this being said, the result is some great disease prevention that includes heart health, anti-inflammatory benefits, as well bone health if you mash and eat the bones for a high quality natural calcium source.

Source:

The Milwaukee Journal's February 27th, 2011 Entree' section