Health and Fitness Books and Products
Health and Beauty Articles
Search
Antioxidant Cardiovascular Disease Article
Super food
If, like I am, you are any kind of food lover, you will think of a phrase like super food and will have your own associations. When I hear or see super food, I think of pizza, juicy burgers on steamed buns, triple-dip, psycho rich chocolate mousse tortes, hearty stews and homemade spaghetti sauces packed with al dente veggies and meats. Super food to me is food that you indulge in when you have the munchies or food that in a way gives you the munchies…as you cannot stop eating it once you start.
But I suppose my version, my philosophy, and my interpretation are all telling here, as antithetical to what the Super Food line consists of and represents. That is, the Super Food line is not fast food or junk food or even gourmet. The Super Food line is a series of healthy, vitamin- and mineral-rich food sources for the health-conscious (and healthy).
One seller of Super Foods, online at EBay under the vendor name mlhbabe1, for instance, describes the benefits of such foodstuffs and food supplements as the Green Super Food Powdered Drink Mix as containing “forty-nine (49) superfoods, extracts, and concentrates.” Included in this drink with the potential of ten (10) servings of fruits and vegetables, for example, are “probiotics, antioxidants, soluble and insoluble fibers, herbs & spices, flavonoids, plant enzymes, and lecithin.” These super food ingredients are, she writes, ideal for increasing energy, raising metabolism, and burning fat, and as well assist in digestion, detoxification, immunity, repair, recovery, rejuvenation, and add to one’s longevity.
I am in no way affiliated to the above vendor, and am writing this not to help hawk trumped-up nutritional items for any particular company. Instead, I write to gain a better understanding of Super Foods in general and personal health choices in particular. I am new to the Super Foods product, though I do remember years ago educating myself on and practicing healthy living by eating well and exercising often. I shopped at a health foods store, was into whole grains and non-white, non-processed flours and sugars (which were once and are now again my addiction, my nemesis), and power-walked every day. I also had more time, or made more time, to focus on myself and my body. The Super Food concept may not be new, that is, but as a newer product line, provided it does not taste, look, or contain ingredients similar to Soylent Green, Super Food seems to be an effective and appealing way to go.
Animals are very smart and sometimes people could learn a thing or two from them. I passed a number of cows that reside on my neighbor’s farm. They were happily eating grass and enjoying the onset of spring. I also noticed a couple of dogs and cats munching on grass as well. People may turn their noses up but the animals partake.
These animals have got the right idea. Right now there is a surge in the popularity of wheatgrass. People are taking the lead of the animals and are hopping on the wheatgrass bandwagon. However, we are not eating it outright with our faces down in the dirt.
We are using juicers to create interesting concoctions that contain the valuable wheatgrass. Some of the younger generation is taking shots in a shot glass no less, of the wheatgrass. This is a great replacement for alcohol. Many morning stragglers go to local juicer joints to order wheatgrass shots.
Some of the popular combinations contain wheatgrass, ginger and garlic. This combination is wonderful for the body but bad for the breath. A great way to take the sting out of the wheatgrass shot is to chase it with a nice glass of freshly juiced carrots or apples. Celery is a natural breath-freshener that can work against the adverse effects of the wheatgrass shots.
Just a couple of years ago, the same trendy places that serve the wheatgrass shots used to serve espresso and cappuccino. Just like its rivals, wheatgrass has a reputation for giving takers a surge of energy upon consumption. However, espresso and cappuccino also have a reputation for filling bodies with caffeine.
Also, people do not claim that espresso or cappuccino give them relief from their ailments. Some claim that the wheatgrass elevates the symptoms associated with chronic liver disease. Others claim that the wheatgrass provides antioxidants that it helps to support the immune system and even lower cholesterol.
However, it is important to take note that wheatgrass is a supplement. It is not considered a food or a drug and it does not need to be pasteurized or go through any of the rigors dictated by the food and drug administration. The benefits of wheatgrass have not been established. However, excess consumption has been directly linked to diarrhea.
If you are going to belly up to the bar consider the effects of wheatgrass. You may want to take a second look at espresso and cappuccino or even whiskey, which is, from what I understand, made from wheat as well.
