Superfoods, regardless of how the term sounds, are not consumable items that guarantee to have you wearing a cape and leaping tall buildings. That said, a diet that is consistently filling your body with superfoods can certainly make you feel like you could stop bullets and run faster than a speeding train. When you add any of these foods to your efforts towards juicing recipes for health, you can be assured to get the biggest bang for your buck every time you fire up your super awesome juicer.
The term superfood is often used to denote foods with high phytonutrient content. Phytonutrients - or phytochemicals - are those happy little chemical compounds that are found in plants and certain vegetables, the ones that give us the edge on sickness and disease. They have been used for medicinal purposes since time began. Salicin - for example - is a phytochemical that has proven anti-inflammatory (thus pain relieving) qualities. It can be found in the bark of certain Willow Trees.
Now I'm not here to give you a history lesson, or wax philosophical on the wonders of homeopathy, (and no, there won't be a test later;)), but it is good to know that phytonutrients have been long held as a magic bullet in fighting the various physical problems we all face in life.
To hammer the benefits of phytonutrients home before I move on, it is worth noting further that the phytochemicals found in fruits and plants have been linked to a reduced risk of cancer - from the antioxidant, fibrous, and anti-inflammatory properties they can manifest in us kind and gentle folks. This is a smattering of phytonutrients, along with the food items that produce them:
- Dillapoile - Dill
- Carvavrol - thyme, oregeno.
- Quercetin - cranberries, apples, tea and wine, beans
- Apiole - parsley
- Myricetin - grapes, walnuts.
Of course the list could go on but needless to say; remember all those foods that people in the know have constantly recommended to you? Well the reason they keep on about it is - in large part - due to the phytochemical content found in such foods, and their knowledge of just how much your body can benefit from such a gift of nature. The bottom line when it comes to superfoods is this: they are loaded with good calories, often times packing an amazing amount of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, in a very small package. To make my point, a loaf of white bread is to superfood as etch and sketch is to art.
To get the most from your juicing for health program(s) I've compiled a list of potential superfoods that can easily be added to your vegetable/fruit juices. While they won't make you feel compelled to change into tights at the nearest phone booth, they will boost your immune system markedly and have you feeling an excess of good mental and physical energy.
Juicing Superfoods:
- Berries: this includes anything from cranberries to blueberries, blackberries, acai berries, goji berries. Basically if it's a berry and you can handle the taste, throw it in your next juicing recipes for health concoction.
- Greens: chorella, spirulina, spinach, turnip, collards, beets, anything you would consider as lettuce (romaine and green leaf) broccoli, broccoli (yes, I said it twice on purpose because it is that good for you), kale, alfalfa, barley.
- Sea Borne Veggies: kelp, wakame, kombu, dulce.
- Wheatgrass: Wheatgrass is in it's own category simply because as superfoods go, wheatgrass is a frikin rock star. Look for future posts where I will detail some awesome wheatgrass juicing techniques and juicing recipes.
- Honey: Again, on it's own for emphasis. If wheatgrass is the Bentley of superfoods, honey is the Lamborghini. I'm not talking about typically store bought and pasteurized honey, I'm talking the real deal RAW honey, that is sold in most organic stores worth a salt. It seems that Winnie the Pooh knew what he was on about, because honey has antibacterial qualities, and some honeys are known for antimicrobial properties. It's been found useful for digestion, bronchitus, and some even swear that honey can get you better gas mileage. (OK, that last bit was a joke) In juices, honey is the great equalizer, since it can make the most disagreeable vegetable tasty in it's own right.
Here's a few Juicing Recipes that incorporate superfoods. Try them, test them, augment them to fit your own taste, and most importantly, juice them all the time!
Akai Delightalicious:
- 4 ounces of fresh (frozen if necessary) acai berries
- juice from lemon
- 1 banana (peeled)
- 1 tablespoon honey.
Tropical Magic Medicine:
- cup peaches
- cup of pineapple
- 1 mango (peeled)
- 1 tablespoon honey.
- 1 teaspoon of ginger
- 1 scoop of blueberries (or goji berries)
