5 Superfoods You Need to Incorporate Into Your Diet
As a lover of all things health, wellness, and most importantly nutrition, I am a firm believer in the concept of food being medicine. When we use food as a form of nourishment + fuel for our bodies, we can experience the many added health benefits that even the most common, everyday foods are full of. God knew exactly what He was doing when He made this earth and the abundance of beautiful, whole foods on it.
In this post I’m going to be breaking down five superfoods you need to be incorporating into your diet, their array of health benefits and links to some recipe ideas to get you inspired to use these foods in a different way! Before you keep reading, I hope the word ‘superfoods’ didn’t freak you out. I get it, there are SO many different food trends circulating right now and it’s easy to think that ashwagandha powder, acai, and spirulina are the be-all and end-all of superfoods for our health. While these foods are incredible and serve our bodies well, they aren’t the only foods that have powerful benefits. I wanted this post to be applicable, and most importantly, to show you that everyday herbs, proteins, and vegetables are superfoods too!
I guarantee you will have 1, 2 or all of these foods in your pantry already.
I’d like to preface that I am not a healthcare professional or nutritionist. This post is for education and information purposes only.
With that being said, let’s jump right in!
Parsley
While this beautiful herb is considered a nice garnish, people often overlook how powerful parsley really is.
Parsley is a member of the Apiaceae family — think carrots, celery and dill! It is native to the Mediterranean and is used in a number of different ways to help aid and bring balance to our bodies.
Buckle up girl, the benefits I’m about to share about this wonder herb are going to rock your world!
Parsley contains an array of flavonoid antioxidants. Flavonoid antioxidants help fight inflammation and free radicals in the body.
It acts as a natural diuretic! Parsley stimulates kidney function. It helps relieve water retention, bloating and can draw out water from the abdomen. (How wild is it that food can do that?) Study here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11849841
Parsley contains antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. This is amazing for your skin health!
Parsley is believed to contribute to balancing hormones. In India, it has been used to treat amenorrhea and help alleviate menstrual pain!
In addition to all of these incredible benefits, parsley also contains a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. Here are a few: Vitamin A (helps immunity), C (immune boosting), K (helps bones), folate (heart health), iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese and calcium.
How to use parsley!
This herb is extremely versatile and pairs perfectly with a wide variety of different foods. I like to add it into stir fry dishes, soups, salads, smoothies and juices.
Here is a link to my Green Goodness Juice: https://bethanybadeer.wordpress.com/2019/03/31/green-goodness-juice/
2. Eggs
I can totally get behind the fact that not everyone likes eggs, but they genuinely are a superfood and have the potential to do so much good for your body!
The more research I do, the more I find that eggs, and fats in general, have been really demonized in America. That’s thanks to a guy named Ancel Keys. I won’t go too much into this but to give you a little brief and back story, He conducted a study called: The Seven Countries study. He purposely tested on countries that would back his theory to prove fat causes cardiovascular disease and high cholesterol. This then, in turn, led to the fear of fat and overload on processed carbohydrate-rich foods, rather than nutrient-rich foods such as eggs. I’m personally a big believer in consuming healthy fats and proteins as my main source of macronutrients. For me, it does wonders for my energy level and overall wellbeing.
Let’s go over the incredible benefits of eggs!
Eggs contain omega-3 fatty acids (mainly in the yolk) which are amazing for your heart health!
They contain carotenoids. This helps to maintain eye and skin health.
Eggs are a great source of vitamin B12 (this is a vital vitamin that helps red blood cell formation and can help with anemia — girls tend to suffer from this a little more because of menstruation), Vitamin D (super important for immunity), Vitamin A (immune function), phosphorus, folate, riboflavin, iron, protein and fats!
It is super important that you try to be intentional when sourcing your eggs. The very best option is pasture-raised. I get that it can be expensive, but this means the chickens were cared for and fed well. If that is too expensive, opt for organic + free range. You will notice the quality of your egg when you spend that little bit extra, and it means you are getting all those beautiful vitamins, minerals and health benefits I listed above.
How to use eggs!
Eggs are the most versatile food ever. You can scramble them for breakfast in the morning with some bacon, hard boil them and add them to salads, make a savory omelete or just have them fried!
3. Hemp Seeds
These little wonder seeds are probably up there with one of my favorite foods. They are incredibly versatile and full of so much goodness.
Hemp seeds are an incredible addition, especially for vegans, because they are a complete form of plant protein. They contain all of the essential amino acids and just 3 tablespoons equates to 9 grams of protein.
Hemp seeds are rich in gamma-linolenic acid. This is essential for some prostaglandins in the body. These help to regulate body temperature, smooth muscles and reduce inflammation.
They are high in fiber which is amazing for the digestive system.
Hemps seeds help to reduce inflammation and naturally boost the immune system.
They contain copper, zinc, manganese, iron, phosphorus and vitamin E.
How to use them!
As I stated above hemp seeds are extremely versatile. You can have them sweet or savory! I love adding them to my salads, on top of spaghetti bolognese, in my smoothie bowls and in my homemade granola.
Here is a link to my Radiant Bowl: https://bethanybadeer.wordpress.com/2019/12/04/radiant-bowl/
4. Sauerkraut
This is one of my most recent obsessions and is 100% worth incorporating into your diet! Sauerkraut is fermented cabbage and is a timeless topper for any meal.
Fermentation is an ancient technique that alters the chemicals of a particular food and the main result of this is the production of probiotics (live cultures to help build up your gut microbiome).
Sauerkraut can help build your immune system and aid your digestive system.
It reduces inflammation in the body.
It is a great source of antioxidants, dietary fiber, vitamin K + C, calcium, potassium and phosphorus.
How to use Sauerkraut!
My favorite way to incorporate sauerkraut is to top it on all of my savory meals. It genuinely goes with anything. Having a salad? Add sauerkraut. Egg? Add sauerkraut. Eating a burger? Put some sauerkraut in there.
Here is a link on How to make your own Sauerkraut: https://bethanybadeer.wordpress.com/2019/12/31/how-to-make-your-own-sauerkraut/
5. Sweet Potato
Beloved sweet potatoes!!! This wonder food is not only SO delicious, but it also holds a wide variety of health benefits! I would also put it up there with one of my favorite foods to eat, it’s not something I have everyday but when I do I always feel satiated!
Sweet potatoes often get roped in with regular white potatoes and can get a bad name because of it. White potatoes are full of starch and unfortunately don't hold a whole lot of nutritional value in comparison to sweet potatoes.
I truly believe they are such a great addition to your diet and they can be so versatile. Before I give you some sweet potato making inspiration, let’s go over a few benefits!
Sweet potatoes are a great source of dietary fiber and help to stabilize blood sugar levels. Sweet potatoes are a complex carbohydrate. This means it’s going to give you slow burning and sustained energy, instead of making your blood sugar levels spike then crash quickly.
They are high in antioxidants. Antioxidants help to fight free radicals in the body. More specifically sweet potatoes are high in beta-creatine. This can help with vision and skin health.
Because of the nutrients and specific antioxidants found in sweet potatoes, they are great for aiding brain function.
Sweet potatoes are high in vitamin A. This is great for immune function.
How to use sweet potatoes!
Again, this is another food that is extremely versatile! I love to make sweet potato fries, baked sweet potato, loaded stuffed sweet potatoes (sweet or savory), or prep them for salads through the week.
Here is a link to my Meal Prep Guide: https://bethanybadeer.wordpress.com/2019/11/03/meal-prep/
That wraps up the top 5 superfoods you need to incorporate into your diet. I hope this post inspired you to get into the kitchen and start creating beautiful recipes with these incredible foods!
Let me know in the comments below which of these superfoods is your favorite?
With love,
Bethany!
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