Understanding Superfoods: The Wide World of Nutritional Powerhouses. How they can contribute to a healthy balanced diet and how to cook superfoods for the best results.

1. UNDERSTANDING
SUPERFOODS
THE BASICS
by Christopher Flatt
www.becomingachef.co.uk

2. What Is A Superfood?
 There Is No Foods That Will Instantly Cure Disease
 There Is No Miracle Cure
 You Cant Eat Just One, And Automatically Enjoy Lower
Blood Pressure, Or Alleviate Diabetes
 However There Really Are Nutritional Powerhouses
 When Part Of A Balanced Diet
 And Can Provide Significant Health Benefits Over Time
 A Superfood Can Be A Food That Offers High Nutrition
 Lower Fat Content, And Helps To Improve Bodily Functions

3. Some Examples Of Superfoods
 Garlic – Blueberries – Kale - Ginger
 Wasabi (Authentic Wasabi) – Quinoa
 Greek Yoghurt – Oats - Spinach
 The List Goes On And On. You’ll Also Find Some Exotic
Sounding Names On The List, Such As Dragon Fruit. They
Capture The Public Imagination But There Is No Actual
Scientific Evidence To Suggest They Do More Than Just
Offer Good, Solid Nutrition

4. Why Superfoods Matter Despite
the Hype
 Yes, All The News Around So-called Superfoods Can Make
It Seem Like They’re A Wonder Treatment For Every
Ailment Under The Sun
 To Others, It Makes Them Leery Of Even Bothering With
The Foods
 However, There Are Good Reasons To Eat These Foods
Even If You Don’t Put Much Stock In Their Super-ness
 They Do Contain Elements That You Need, And They Can
Have Profound Impacts On Your Health

5. Antioxidants And Fibre
 Antioxidants Fight Free Radicals Within The Body
 And Can Be Responsible For Everything From Combating
The Signs Of Aging To Fighting Cancer Within The Body
 Most Superfoods Contain High Levels Of Antioxidants
 Fibre Is Vital For A Healthy, Well-functioning Body
 It Keeps You Full Longer, Helps To Manage Blood Sugar
And More
 Higher Fibre Foods Have Also Been Shown To Be Effective
At Reducing Blood Pressure And Even Fighting Cancer

6. Vitamins And Healthy Fats
 Most Superfoods Contain Very High Levels Of Vitamins
Including Vitamins A, C, K And Others
 Most Of These Play A Critical Role In Immune System
Operation
 Fish Is One Source Of Healthy Omega-3 Fats
 But You Can Also Find Relatively High Levels Of These
Fats In Many Nuts, Seeds, Fruits And Vegetables

7. Minerals
 Kale Is Noted For Its High Mineral Content, But So Are
Other Foods That May Or May Not Make The List Of
Superfoods
 These Include Broccoli, Swiss Chard, Spinach And Mustard
Green

8. Effects of Cooking on SuperFoods
 While Some Foods Need To Be Cooked In Order To Unlock
Their Nutritional Potential
 That’s Not True For All, Particularly With Fruits + Veg
 All Food Preparation Will Alter The Nutritional Content
 For Instance, Cooking With Heat
 Can Reduce The Nutritional Value Of Any Food, Particularly
Veggies + Fruit
 The Addition Of Salt, Butter And Other Additives Will Also
Affect How Healthy Any Dish Made With These Foods Is

9.  SUPERFOODS SHOULD BE PART OF A
BALANCED DIET AND CAN PROVIDE
HEALTH BENEFITS
 CARE MUST BE TAKEN TO ENSURE
THEY’RE PREPARED CORRECTLY