Superfoods also tend to have high antioxidant ORAC (oxygen radical absorption capacity) values. In other words, they have more nutritional punch per ounce and calorie than other foods.
Here are five superfood groups that subdivide into specific items from which you can choose.
Green superfoods: Algae superfoods such a blue-green algae, spirulina, and chlorella bypass the depleted mineral soil issues because they are primitive simple cell foods cultivated in water that were the earth's first foods. Their high nutritional value is extremely compact.
Wheat grass is sprouted, making it more veggie than grain, eliminating gluten issues. Barley grass was added to a "cancer diet" by Dr. Lorraine Day to cure her breast cancer. All these greens come in powders or tablets.
Powders are the most economical, but they pose a taste challenge. Creating smoothies or simply using whole limes or lemons in water mixed with those powders work well.
Bee superfoods: Since ancient times, bees were cultivated for their honey and other products they generate. They offer compact nutritional energy. Honey should be raw and ideally locally produced. Avoid those little plastic bear pasteurized honeys.
Bee pollen is used by many for energy. It comes as granules formed from bee pollen. Make sure the source is organic.
Bee propolis is what bees use to coat their hive walls for protection against diseases, and it can work that way with humans who consume it.
Royal jelly is the queen bee's food. It requires only the tiniest amount to yield high nutritional energy results.
Seaweeds: Seaweeds offer a very high concentration of nutrients with very few calories. They benefit the thyroid more than other foods. They are usually wild harvested and sun dried.
They can be used in soups, with noodles, other vegetables and as a garnish for Tempeh burgers. Tempeh is fermented soy, which makes that soy digestible and safe for human consumption.
Different seaweed offerings include arame, nori (used for sushi), kombu, kelp, dulce, and wakame. You'll have to research or experiment with recipes on your own after you sample some to determine what suits your taste.
Herbs: Cinnamon's disease preventative and curative values are being continually discovered. Great for blood sugar issues. Ginseng is well established as a potent energizer and anti-aging herb. Echinacea helps the immune system resist flus and colds.
Aloe vera has a variety of healthy applications. It's great for skin issues and healing minor burns. Aloe vera offers the most health boosting nutrition as a raw whole leaf juice.
It has even been used successfully, with large quantities, for pneumonia, AIDS and cancer patients. (http://www.naturalnews.com/034738_aloe_vera_cancer_AIDS.html)
Miscellaneous: Cacao has an incredibly high ORAC value, more than almost any other food. It is the unsweetened essence of pure chocolate. Cacao nibs can be used as toppings or mixed with hot beverages.
The darkest forms of chocolate candies with low or no sugar retain much of cacao's ORAC value. Avoid milk chocolates.
Goji berries can be purchased as tasty dried fruits that can be eaten by the handful. They offer lots of nutrition in small amounts with very few calories. They are usually promoted for increasing energy levels.
Coconut milk has been getting notoriety as the sport drink of choice. A bit pricey, but great for rejuvenating electrolytes naturally after intense workouts.
