Superfoods are nutrition dense food that provide energy and help to sustain healthier life. Humans have always craved for superfoods that are powerhouse of energy and nutrition. The million-dollar question remains- Do they really exist? What’s in a name
Superfoods: Myth or Fact
Food items that are nutrient dense and filled with appropriate goodness of carbs, proteins, fats, vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals can be termed as superfood. Food items that help prevent metabolic syndrome and offset the development of cardiovascular diseases and type II diabetes mellitus along with providing nutrition are real superheroes. A few categories of food fall into this category, rest the phrase is a marketing jargon!
For a food to be superfood, it should offer distinct nutritional benefits like-
- Reduce inflammation in the body
- Gut-friendly
- Boost heart health
- Promote a strong immune system
- Lower cholesterol
- Lessen the risk of cancers
Some power packed foods that boost health
- Pulses or Dal
Indian cuisine is tasteless and deserted without the dal tadka. Dals make fantastic Indian cuisine – tasty and healthy. Some Indian favourites include Arahar dal aka Toor, that are loaded with nutrients like potassium, magnesium, folic acid, Vit B, and iron. Arahar dal helps boost immunity and provide nourishment. The rich fibers in the Arahar dal helps to restore cardiovascular health. It is highly beneficial for pregnant women as it avoids neural tube and congenital birth defects in the newborn.
Masoor dal is another dal commonly found in the Indian kitchen. It is one of the stomach friendly and easy to digest dals. Owing to its high fibre content, it is a good option for weight loss. It promotes skin health and fights ageing. It also strengthens bones and teeth.
Next in line, Bengal gram or Channa dal is another famous member of the dal family. It helps blood sugar regulation and is a natural immunity booster.
Split Black lentil or Urad dal is a star ingredient in dal makhani. It is good source of energy and has anti-inflammatory properties.
Moong dal the earthly flavored dal is rich in taste and flavour. It is commonly used in sweet making and has good nutritional content.
Moth dal or Matki is widely used in the Maharashtrian thali. This dal makes the famous dish of Mumbai aka Missal pav. It has great anemia combat properties. Super tasty and healthy!
***Protein deficiency is common in India and moreover there is lack of awareness of protein relevance in our diet. Nutrients like protein are essential for the proper growth and maintenance of human body. They are the building blocks of tissue. For people who follow a plant-based diet, foods like pulses, millets, broccoli, beans and nuts like almonds, they can be good sources of natural protein.
- Veggies
Since time immortal veggies have become our inherent diet friends. The raw baby forms of veggies like radish, cabbage, and broccoli can be higher sources of vitamin C and E than their mature counterparts. Collard greens or Haak Saag mostly grown in Kashmir valley have notable amounts of vitamin K and C, and beta-carotene to boost daily nutrition.
Popeye the famous cartoon character was right about spinach leaves– dark green, leafy vegetables that are the healthiest food on the planet. This green has rich amounts of vitamins C, A, and K as well as manganese.
Yellow/ Red Bell Pepper – You think of it as veggie but it’s actually a fruit filled with goodness of vitamin C, B and beta carotene. Bell pepper contains numerous antioxidants, like violaxanthin, lutein, Quercetin, capsanthin, and luteolin. These antioxidants are abundant in the unripe green and yellow variety of bell pepper. Red bell pepper contains carotene that are rich source of anti-oxidants.
Broccoli is a cruciferous veggie rich in antioxidants and other beneficial plant-based compounds. The veggie is good for eye health, heart health and disease prevention. Broccoli has high levels of glucoraphanin, a compound that is converted into a potent antioxidant called sulforaphane during digestion. Sulforaphane may offer multiple health benefits, including reduced blood sugar, cholesterol levels, oxidative stress and chronic disease development.
Moringa- The common Indian name Saijan Saag or Drumstick. Moringa provides significant amounts of protein, essential amino acids and a wide range of vitamins and minerals.
Jackfruits– A tropical fruit but commonly used as vegetable meat. Jackfruit is rich in nutrients including carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. Both the seeds and the flesh of jackfruit are consumed as curries and boiled forms.
Pumpkin and Beetroot are good options for healthy appetite, only precaution is keeping their high glycemic index in mind by diabetics.
*** Eating locally available, in-season produce not only benefits our health but also supports local farmers and producers. In contrast, out-of-season goods are often preserved in refrigerators with harmful preservatives, which can harm both human health and the environment. By opting for seasonal options, we contribute to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly food system.
- Fruits
The king of fruit nutrition BB aka Berries (avocado) and Banana. Fruits enrich our lives and plates by unique components like antioxidants, anthocyanins, flavonoids, and carotenoids that protect cells from damage due to stress radicals and helps further reducing risk of chronic diseases. Citrus fruits like orange rich in vitamin C facilitates iron uptake by the body. Vitamin C is not stored in the body as it is water soluble so needs constant replenishment.
Avocado– A type of berry, Avocado contains high amounts of potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, folate, vitamins E and K, and two carotenoids known as lutein and zeaxanthin which promote eye health.
Lychee– Chinese cherry aka Lychee is a rich source of vitamin C, potassium, fiber and many polyphenols with anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. They contain catechins (anti-oxidative) and gallic acid (anti-inflammatory and anti-neoplastic) that fill the fruit with goodness.
Oranges– Citrus-derived secondary metabolites in oranges and lemons, including flavonoids, alkaloids, limonoids, coumarins, carotenoids, phenolic acids, and essential oils, are of vital importance to human health due to their active properties.
Berries– You name it and there is a berry name- blueberry, blackberry, cranberry, strawberry, etc. Every bite of the juicy fruit may bestow nutritional oomph and health benefits. The queens of phytonutrients are anthocyanins that provide natural bright colours like red, blue, purple colours to berries. Plenty of fruits and vegetables contain anthocyanins, but berries boast extraordinarily high concentrations, which is why they often pop up on lists of super-nutrients.
4. Spices
India is proud producer and consumer of some important spices like pepper, cardamom, ginger, turmeric, and chillies. Spices are super-taste givers and they enhance shelf life of the food by preventing and delaying the spoilage and by preserving the sensory attributes of the food products. Spices contain several important phytochemicals like aromatic compounds, essential oils, phenolics and pigments which imparts characteristic flavour and aroma and gives an herbal appeal to the food and beverages. I am a great fan of the flavouring agents and can write pages after pages in praise for them.
Today, I will write about two species of spices that have flavouring as well as possess medicinal properties. The various parts of a plant like bark, stem, root, rhizome, leaves are used as spices.
Rhizome: Turmeric, ginger and galangal
Bark: Cinnamon and cassia
TURMERIC (Haldi)- The Golden Spice of India
Turmeric rhizome contains 5% essential oil and the colouring substance present in it is known as curcumin which has been used as medicine since ages because of the several pharmacological properties like anti-inflammatory, antineoplastic, and anti-angiogenic. With its anti-inflammatory properties it is often used in cuts and wounds. On all auspicious occasions, haldi is used as purifying agent.
CINNAMON (Dalchini)- The bark having 1% essential oil and the active compounds present in the oil are eugenol, cineole and cinnamaldehyde. It is used for making garam masala powder. It is also act as antioxidant due to presence of methyl hydroxyl chalcone polymer. Cinnamon having many important chemical components provide many promising health benefits such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, anti-microbial, immunity boosting, cancer and heart disease protecting abilities. The use of cinnamon with ginger stimulates blood circulation and digestion.
5.Eggs
They are the richest source of proteins and vitamins like vitamin A, B, and folate. Of course, one needs to be careful with the cholesterol levels in the egg. When people age they start losing muscle mass. Hence, eggs are an excellent food for them as it is a rich source of protein, which can help them with the issue. For kids, it can help them in their growth and development during their initial growth years. Choline is an essential nutrient for brain function and memory. Eggs are high in it. Eating eggs can ensure that you get enough choline, which is linked to better cognitive performance.
The mantra for healthy living is eating right and nutritious. The long and sustainable life requires persistence efforts for wellbeing. Keep eating right!