We’d all like to be at the top of the ladder when it comes to health and one way to do this is by eating super foods. What exactly are superfoods? They are super-concentrated whole food sources of essential nutrients, especially nutrients that our bodies don’t make themselves. These foods are super rich nutrition sources for vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and polyphenols.
Super Foods
We know that eating a diet of whole grains, lean proteins, vegetables, fruits and healthy fats is the best way to eat for optimal health, but there are some foods in these categories that deliver an extra nutritional punch. These include foods like:
- Sprouts – loaded with antioxidants to repair damaged cells due to free radicals
- Tomatoes – that contain the antioxidant lycopene that can aid in the fight against free radical damage to white blood cells, help protect skin from sun damage, lower cholesterol levels, and is an anti-cancer agent.
- Hot Peppers – that contain capsaicin which can help to speed up your body’s metabolism for a short period of time, improve digestion and provides the antioxidant abilities to fight off free radical damage.
- Blueberries – full of antioxidants that can lower risk of cancer and conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s.
- Kale – that contains phytonutrients believed to stimulate the liver to make enzymes that can lower the risks for cancers to develop.
- Chia Seeds – full of antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and fiber, with significantly more calcium than milk and as much omega-3 as wild salmon.
- Broccoli – provides folic acid, vitamin B9, for healthy skin, aids the brain in producing serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine which are all brain chemicals affecting mood, help red blood cells stay healthy, reduce the risk of death from stroke and reduce the risk of heart disease. It also has cancer reducing properties and is loaded with Vitamin C.
- Black Beans – are full of antioxidants, iron, fiber and one cup gives you 15 grams of protein without the unhealthy fats from meat protein sources.
- Oats –a rich source of magnesium, potassium, phytonutrients and fiber, this superfood helps lower cholesterol levels, lower the risk of heart disease, and help stabilize blood sugar levels.
- Salmon – loaded with omega-3 fatty acids that the body must get from foods, selenium, bioactive peptides (small proteins), vitamin D and tryptophan, a nonessential amino acid that helps in producing serotonin. Is good for fighting inflammation, balancing cholesterol levels, brain and heart health, mood stabilization and improving circulation.
AFA Bluegreen Algae at the Top of the Super Foods List
According to Christian Drapeau, MSC, author of Primordial Food, AFA bluegreen algae is uniquely structured to be especially beneficial to the health of humans with its broad spectrum of phytonutrients like chlorophyll, carotenoids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. As other plant and animal life has come and gone, algae has survived over 4 billion years remaining one of the premier sources of chlorophyll and a true superfood. Bluegreen algae has a cell wall of glycogen which we use as food and much like cells found in animals and easier to digest than the cellulose cell walls of most plants. Some of the unique properties of bluegreen algae that qualify it as one of the top super foods are:
- 22 amino acids, providing a complete source of protein in an amino acid profile nearly identical to human breast milk, including 8 essential amino acids meaning the body can’t produce them and they must come from food sources and 10 non-essential.
- essential fatty acids, including the right balance of Omega-3 and Omega-6
- phenylethylamine (PEA), the mental energy activator
- powerful antioxidants, such as chlorophyll, superoxide dismutase, glutathione, and phycocyanin
- more than 65 vitamins (including B12), minerals, enzymes and trace elements
- an ideal balance of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, complex sugars, and fiber
- loaded with chlorophyll
- contains around 3% nucleic acids which aids in cell repair and growth, supports the immune system, helps manage stress and supports memory function
- has amino acids that are able to pass through the blood-brain barrier to help build neurotransmitters and support other brain functions
- has glyco-proteins which are extremely absorbable by the body as they need very little digestion
As you can see, Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, AFA wild bluegreen algae is truly a super food by the definition of being super concentrated nutrition. The AFA harvested from Klamath Lake in Oregon is a sustainable food and a raw wholefood as it comes from a natural wild environment. Alage grown in artificial ponds can’t compete nutritionally with the rich nutrients found in Klammath Lake and this environment with no pollutants or artificial chemicals. Studies on this form of algae over the years have recorded results of the superfood nutritional benefits for health including the support in fighting off damage from free radicals, the overall nutritional value and brain function support.
In this same category of superfoods are other wild foods including mushrooms, sprouted foods and other types of algae. An easy way to get the super food nutritional punch of AFA bluegreen algae along with these other wild foods is with supplements such as this one with 5 powerful organic mushrooms, this nutrient-dense formula that includes The WGP™ Beta Glucan, six mushrooms with medicinal properties shown to specifically support the immune system, astragalus, and AFA blue-green algae and this combination of kale sprouts, red clover sprouts, wheat sprouts, concentrated wheat sprouts, and Dunaliella salina algae. So no matter how busy you are, you can still get all the superfood nutrition and benefits.
Sources:
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20306775,00.html
http://www.rawfoodlife.com/natures_first_raw_superfood.html
http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/benefits-of-blue-green-algae/
