1. Superfoods are nutrient-dense foods that provide many health benefits like antioxidants and phytonutrients. They are low in calories but high in nutrients, fiber, protein and healthy fats. 2. Consuming large portions of low nutrient foods can lead people to eat more calories to feel full, whereas smaller portions of nutrient-rich superfoods lead to lower calorie intake. 3. Incorporating more superfoods like fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds into one's diet can improve energy levels, immunity and overall health while potentially reducing calorie intake and longevity.

1. Writing for the Lay Press
Assignment #3
Sonja Silva
3/13/2015

2. Superfoods: More Bang for your Buck
You have probablyheardthe popular“buzz”
wordin the mediaor seenitonhealthfoodsat the
grocerystore,but whatexactlyisa “superfood”?A
superfoodcanbe definedasanynutrientdense foodthat
has beenstudiedforitsbeneficial effectsonhealth.
Oftenthese foodsare low incalories,butcontainmany
nutrientsforthe amountof caloriestheysupply.They are
abundantin many healthpromotingcompoundssuchas
antioxidantsandphytonutrientsthathelpfightcancer. Manyare alsohighinfiber, protein,andhealthy
fatswhichpromote satiety.These all combinedcanhave significanteffectsonweightlossanddisease
risk.
In thissociety,we are ofteninfluencedbylarge portionsizesandlow nutrientdense foods.
Thingslike white pastaandpizzaor potatochipshave veryfew nutrients,butwe tendtoeatmore in
orderto feel full. One studyshowedthatwhengivenlarge portionsof alow nutrientdense food,
subjectsconsumedmore thanwhengivenasmallerportionof anutrientrichfood.Thus, the subjects
ate fewercalorieswhenconsuminga meal thatwas highinnutrientquality. The epidemicof increasing
portionsizesmaybe attributedtothe fact that we needtoeat more in orderto be satisfiedwithlow
nutrientdense foods.We wouldnotneedbiggerportionsif we wereconsumingreal whole foods.
Obesityisone of the majorhealthproblemsthatwe face inour worldtoday,and itcan leadto
manyother complicationsinhealth.Consumingfewercalories,andeatingfoodsthatwill provideall the
essential nutrientsthatwe needisimportantto maintainingweightandenergyandkeepingourbody
performingatitsbest. Foodsthat are highin fiber,vitaminsandmineralspromote fullnessand help
keepbloodsugarlevelsfromfluctuating.Superfoodsare all verylow onthe glycemicindexmeaningthat
theykeepyourbloodsugarfromgoingtoo highand droppingtoolow.
We can learnto replace lownutrientfoodsinourdietswithhealthieroptionsthatare justas
enjoyable andthatsustainourbody’slivingprocesses.One simple waytoincorporate superfoodsinto
the dietisto thinkcolorful!Foodsthatare vibrantlycoloredsuchasfirecrackerredbell peppers, dusky
blue blueberries, andforestgreenvegetablesare some commonexamples.Nutsand seedsare agood
replacementforasaltysnack,and theysupplymanynutrientsandhealthyfats.Microalgae suchas
spirulinahave beentoutedtoimprove digestionandcleansingof the body,andcan be easilyaddedto
smoothiesorsoups.Also,manyherbshave beenfoundtocontainvariousnutrientsandhealth
promotingcompounds,andtheycanadd tonsof flavortoany dish.Some “super”powerful herbs
include cinnamon,ginger,turmeric,cayenne,andgarlic. Andyoudon’thave to eatboringfoods.Mix it
up! Putdifferentcolorstogetherandkeepitappetizingandpalatable.Taste isakeyfactor in satisfaction
and isone way that we identifygoodfoods.

3. One of the mostpowerful of superfoodsisthe leafy greenvegetable.Oftenthese guyshave a
bad reputationfromchildhood.Memoriesof momsaying“eatyour broccoli or you don’tgetany cake”
replayinour mindsasa setof learnedrewardsandpunishments. Itwasengrainedinyourpsyche that
cake wasthe rewardand eatingyourvegetableswasthe treacherouspathyouhadto take to getthere,
eventhoughthe cake may have made youfeel lessthansatisfiedlateron.Greenleafyvegetablescan
add colorand texture toa meal.Cookedorraw, theycontainmany cancer preventingcompoundsand
vitaminsandmineralsthatare importanttohealth.Calciumandmagnesiumare twoof the main
mineralsthatgreenvegetablesare famousfor.These mineralssupportbone health,circulationand
digestionandhave beenstudied tohelppreventdiabetesandheartdisease.Greenvegetablesalsohave
a lot of VitaminCand A that supportourimmune systemandkeepourskinandhair healthy.Greenis
symbolicof life,andisone indicatorof a“superfood.”
Fruitsare anothercommon superfood.Theyare oftenlow onthe glycemicindex comparedto
processedfoodssuchaswhite breadsandtable sugar.The fruitsthatare darkerin coloroftencontain
more nutrients forthe calorie content,butincomparisonwithothertreatsanddesserts,youare getting
waymore nutrients.Forexample,youraverage cookiehasabout120 caloriesplusaddedfatsand
simple sugarsandno fiberandminimal vitaminsandminerals.Andlet’sbe honest,whoeatsjustone
cookie?A whole cupof strawberriesprovides76caloriesand100 timesmore vitaminCand overall
more vitaminsandminerals.
Nutsand seedsare a great wayto include healthyfatsinthe diet.Omega-3fattyacidsare
proventolowerinflammation,asignal of imbalance inthe body.Theycanalsohelptoimprove memory.
Theyare greatsourcesof magnesiumandVitaminE,whichisanantioxidantthatisimportantfor
healthyskin.Nutsontheirownhave greatflavor,theycanbe pureedintospreadablebutters,or
sprinkledonsaladsorgranola.
There has beensome interestinlesscommonsuperfoodssuchasexoticacai and goji berries,
microalgae,andwheatgrass.While itistrue thatthese mayhave beneficial effectsonhealth due totheir
highantioxidantcontent,itisimportantthatyougeta varietyof differentfoods,andone superfoodis
not goingto be a cure all for anyhealthconcern.
Addingsuperfoodstoyourdietcan have numerouseffectsonyourenergy,mood,immunity,
and overall health. Learningtoreplace low nutrientfoodswithsuperfoodswilladdmore qualitytoyour
dietwhile notbeingtooheavyonthe calories.There isone theorythatpredictsthatthe fewercalories
youeat, the longeryouwill live.Itiscalledthe “rate of living”theoryandisbasedonthe fact that the
more caloriesyourbodyhas to burn,the more burdenit putson yourbody.Thiscan leadtofaster
aging.In mice,ithas beendemonstratedthatbyreducingthe amountof caloriestoan amountthat is
adequate butnotexceedingthe organism’sneeds,scientistwere able toincrease the lifespanof the
mice.If we can do thisand still getall the nutrientswe need,we mayhave asolutiontosloweraging.
Superfoodscanhelpreduce the amountof calorieswe consume withoutevenhavingtothinkaboutit.
Energy dense foodsare notalways“bad” for you,buttheymay cause us to consume more thanwe
needbecause theyare lackinginthe elementsthatsignal fullness. Explore new possibilitiesof superfood
snacksand mealsandyou will get“more bangfor yourbuck.”