1-26-22_BTS_Episode#9 – Superfoods

Did you know that superfoods can greatly improve your health and lower your risk for all kinds of diseases and ailments? We'll talk about that and much, much more today on bending the spoon. But before we get to that, I'd like to remind you that if you like recipes, Go to bonicellicookingclub.com and sign up for my email list and check out all of the options for participating in the club. And if you like what you hear today, hop over to pod chaser.com and leave Bending The Spoon. A positive review. Also, for the video version of this podcast, subscribe to Bonicelli Cooking Club on YouTube. Now let's talk about superfoods. I am sure you've read the term superfood on packaging or heard the word used to describe certain foods. But what does super food really mean? There are no official guidelines in place for classifying super foods, but there are a number of foods that are generally agreed to be super. So what are super foods? Super foods are nutritionally dense whole foods that provide as much nutrition as possible in the least amount of calories possible. They're high in beneficial antioxidants and vitamins and mineral. And the term superfood is, well, it's a buzzword often avoided by nutritionist since it implies that the food in question has superpowers that will cure whatever ails you. However, nutritionists do agree that the foods typically included in the super food category have many health benefits and are a part of a great healthy diet. While super foods aren't a cure all they do contain more nutrition than average food. Eating a diet full of healthy foods is linked to many health benefits and a decreased risk of chronic disease. I'm mentioned antioxidants. Antioxidants are natural molecules that occur in certain foods. They help neutralize free radicals in our bodies. Free radicals are natural byproducts of energy production that can wreak havoc on the body. Antioxidant molecules decrease or reverse the effects of free radicals that have close links to many health problems like heart disease, cancer, arthritis, stroke, respiratory diseases, immune deficiency, emphysema, and Parkinson's disease. So let's dial in on one of the most recognized superfoods in this week's featured ingredient. This week's featured ingredient is the blueberry. Blueberries are very high in antioxidants and many people consider them to be the number one superfood, one of the only true blue foods. I actually can't think of any other ones. A single bush can produce over 6,000 berries. Consumption of blueberries can lead to so many health benefits, reduced risk of cancer, age-related memory loss, reduced blood pressure, and increased insulin response. The silvery sheen or bloom is naturally occurring and it actually protects the fruit and keeps it fresh. Store them in the fridge, wash them right before you eat. This week's featured ingredient blueberries. So I just mentioned blueberries in our featured ingredients. Here's another thing that's interesting about blueberries of all the berries, blueberries are highest in sugar, but they're considered a great snap for diabetics because of their low glycemic index and fiber, so they slow digestion and help prevent insulin. That's super right. Other berries that are considered in the super food category, berries like asai, cranberries, raspberries, and goji berries are also worthy of super food status. Leafy greens, dark greens like collared greens, kale, Swiss charred, and spinach are rich in vitamins A, C, and K, and are a good source of fiber, magnesium, calcium, and iron. They're low in calories and pound for pound, hard to beat for their nutrition. Include them in your diet, raw in salads, and cooked in dishes and soups. Fatty Fish. Salmons sardines, tuna lake, trout and mackerel are a great source of protein and are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which are thought to lower the risk of heart disease and stroke. While these fish are a healthy addition to your diet, be mindful that they can contain high levels of mercury. Nuts, especially walnuts and almonds are a good source of plant protein and are high in monounsaturated fats which may help reduce the risk of heart disease. However, they are high in calories, so moderation is key. A handful flu of snack will provide more nutrition and curb your appetite better than a handful of chips. Broccoli and cabbage. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage are terrific sources of heart, healthy fiber, and vitamins A, C, and K. They also contain phyto chemicals that may help prevent certain types of cancer. Enjoy the crunchy vegetables, raw tossed in a soup, or my favorite way roasted. Yogurt. Yogurt is a healthy source of protein and calcium. Yogurt also boosts probiotics that are thought to improve your gut health. Avoid the sweetened flavored varieties, and opt for plain, organic yogurt or keefer that contains live and active cultures. I am always stunned by how much sugar loaded yogurt there is on the shelves at the grocery stores. So just go with. Beans From chickpeas to kidney, to soybeans, legumes, and this also includes lentils, by the way, an excellent source of low fat, plant protein, fiber, iron, and folate. They also contain manganese, a trace mineral that is essential for brain health. Beans keep you feeling full, making them especially good for standing in for meat Whole grains. Whole grains are whole because they're left whole. Instead of being stripped of their fiber rich bran, making them much healthier than their refined counterparts. They're also a good source of B vitamins and have been shown to lower bad cholesterol, whole wheat flour, brown rice, oats, buckwheat, rye, spelt and and whole barley are examples. Quinoa is often lumped into this category for its health properties, even though it's actually a seed and not a grain So let's talk about seeds. Flaxseed and chia seeds are often included in health, food products and recipes. Flaxseed is one of the best vegetarian sources of omega-3 fatty acids, and also a good source of fiber and antioxidants. You can best absorb the nutrients from flax when it's ground. To try adding it to baked goods, or if you do smoothies, add it to your smoothie. Chia seeds contain all nine amino acids and can be sprinkled in a variety of dishes, or used to make vegan pudding. Tomatoes. Tomatoes are high in vitamin C and beta keratine, as well as lycopene a powerful antioxidant. Cooking and processing tomatoes increases the body's ability to absorb its lycopene, but decreases the effectiveness of vitamins and other minerals. So enjoy a mixture of raw and cooked tomatoes in your diet. Other superfoods that are often associated with the word superfood include red wine. Dark chocolate also. Yay green tea and more dark chocolate and cocoa. Also high in antioxidants as long as you stick to a high chocolate percentage to keep the sugar down. And I'm gonna call out two spices and they are turmeric and ginger. The list of benefits serve both of them is quite long. Okay, we've identified the foods. Now. What are we gonna do with all this information? It's time for the tip of the week. This week's tip of the week is get obsessed with super foods. You just heard the list. How many of them are you incorporating into your diet? I think the best way to do that is to make a plan, like I'm going to eat leafy greens every day. Maybe a salad one day and some soup with kale for a couple of lunches. Here's another. Get rid of the chips and snack crackers and reach for some roasted chili chickpeas or some spicy edamame Cooking club members. You have recipes for those in the cooking club. The point is, if you know that eating a mere quarter cup of mushrooms a day reduces your chances of getting cancer by up to 30%, why wouldn'tyou? Get obsessed with Super Foods and improve your health deliciously. That is our tip of the week. You are listening to Bending the Spoon, the podcast dedicated to making you a better cook. I'm Chef Laura Bonicelli and I want to remind you that if you like recipes, go to bonelli cooking club.com and sign up for my email list and check out all of the options of participating in the club. And if you like what you hear today. Hop over to pod chaser.com and leave bending the spoon of positive review. Also, for the video version of this podcast, subscribe to Bonicelli Cooking Club on YouTube. Now back to our episode. We have a program in the cooking club called the Mindful Mediterranean. We run live sessions for four weeks, once a quarter, and the program is a year and a half old now, and it gets more participants every time we run the live sessions. Anyway, I was talking in one of the live sessions about the role that food plays in our lives, food as comfort, food as a reward, food as celebration, food as fuel, and one of our members, we'll call her. Karen said, food is medicine. Now. That stuck with me so much. I kept thinking about it because even though I do use some foods as medicine, you know, like chicken soup and honey and lemon for colds, that type of thing, but really, So many foods, especially those with the super food distinction, can have a profound impact on your health. Of course, everybody's body and situation is unique, but I can't think of any reason that you wouldn't stack the healthy deck in your favor by really using those medicinal qualities to your advantage. Now, one thing to remember. Is that you do need to have a variety of foods in your diet. So don't eat just kale or just salmon or just legumes. A diet is a recipe. It's all about the ratio of this food to that food. You need to find your personal recipe. What's makes you your healthiest self? Now, I love the Mediterranean diet because the ratios make sense to me and it's full of superfoods. My top tool this week is one of my favorite food storage containers. These are the rubber made fresh works produce savers. They keep produce fresher longer. The fresh vent technology filtered naturally regulates the flow of oxygen and carbon dioxide to create. The perfect environment for your fresh produce. The filter lasts the lifetime of the container, so no refilling. And I've had these for several years and they are in constant use. The raised bumps on the bottom of the container lifts the produce away from moisture and promotes proper airflow to prevent spoilage. And the base stack nicely in your refrigerator and for storage nest inside of each other, and one lid fits multiple bases. These plastic contain. BPA free and dishwasher Safe for easy care, and that is my top tool. Rubbermaid FreshWorks Produce savers. For an example of too much of a good thing, Tony Robbins, the philanthropist and motivational speaker, got mercury poisoning from shifting his diet to fish in a big way. He has recovered from it and is definitely telling the world to be careful because it can be totally life-threatening. We have a big problem with pollutants on our planet, largely from industry, and they are leaching chemicals into our food. I just read an article this morning about lead and root vegetables and how difficult it has been to get it banned in baby food. How can banning lead from babies be difficult? So, Keep an eye out for reports on food so you can be as healthy as possible. And a great source for that is the E W G Environmental Working Group. So check out their website. They will ask you for money, I promise, but their work is worth it. And the newsletter is full of information that you need to know about your food. So eat, variety, incorporate those super foods and tune in next week for our next episode of Bending the Spoon. Thank you so very much for listening to this episode of Bending the Spoon. If you like this episode or if you think someone else would find it useful, please leave a review on pod chaser.com, and if you have any questions for me, find me on Instagram or YouTube or go to bonicelli cooking club.com and leave me a message. Thank you, and go and make some magic in your kitchen.