NOURISH | Superfoods for Healthier Holiday Eating

It’s the start of that time of year again—we all want to stay healthy and put that self-control to use but the holidays just keep coming! All those handed down holiday recipes are loaded with sugars, fats, and artery-clogging ingredients. Well, why not try something different this year? Instead of following all those holiday recipes step-by-step, try substituting or adding in some superfoods! The following superfoods and their descriptions were found in David Wolfe’s Superfoods.

1. Cacao

Antioxidants

Cacao contains the highest concentration of antioxidants of any food in the world. These antioxidants include polyphenols, catechins, and epicatechins. By weight, cacao has more antioxidants than red wine, blueberries, açai, pomegranates, and goji berries combined.

Magnesium

Cacao seems to be the number one source of magnesium, one of the great alkaline minerals.

Magnesium supports the heart, increases brainpower, causes strong peristalsis (bowel movements), relaxes menstrual cramping, relaxes muscles, increases flexibility, helps build strong bones, and increases alkalinity.

Iron

Cacao contains 314 percent of the U.S. RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) of iron per 1ounce (28 gram) serving. As is now well known, iron is a critical mineral in nutrition. Iron is part of the oxygen-carrying protein called hemoglobin that keeps our blood healthy and fights back anemia.

2. Coconuts

Antioxidants

As a derivative of the coconut, pregnenolone is an antioxidant. Coconut oil itself appears to have strong antioxidant properties since the oil is highly stable and reduces our need for vitamin E, whereas unsaturated vegetable oils such as cottonseed, soybean, and corn oil deplete vitamin E.

Research findings indicate that coconut oil appears to double the body’s ability to use antioxidant, omega-3 fatty acids. Because of this, I recommend that individuals take omega-3 containing oils (flaxseed oil, hempseed oil, krill oil, algae oil, etc.) with coconut oil.

Blood Sugar

For those of us who use coconut cream or oil consistently, one of the most noticeable changes is the ability to go for several hours without eating, and to feel hungry without having symptoms of hypoglycemia and erratic blood-sugar levels. Erratic blood sugar swings stress the system, thus activating the adrenal glands (low blood sugar is a signal for the release of adrenal hormones).

Shifting to coconut cream or oil as a fat source normalizes blood-sugar levels, increases energy, decreases the stress on our system, and thus reduces our need for the adrenal hormones. Removing the effects of adrenal stress alleviates dark circles from around the eyes.

3. Spirulina

Spirulina is a powerful tonic for the immune system. In scientific studies of humans, mice, rats, hamsters, chickens, turkeys, cats, and fish, the introduction of spirulina into the diet consistently improves immune system function. Spirulina accelerates production of the humeral aspect of the immune system by helping to increase the production of antibodies and cytokines, including interferons and interleukins, allowing the body to better protect against invasive microbes and viruses.

Spirulina accelerates the production of the cellular immune system by helping to increase the production of bone marrow stem cells, T-fighter cells, macrophages, B-cells, and the anti-cancer natural killer (NK) cells. Scientists have almost universally observed that spirulina causes macrophages to increase in population and to become more effective at killing microbes even in spite of stresses from environmental toxins and infectious agents.

So the next time you go about preparing that delicious pumpkin pie or legendary turkey stuffing, keep these superfoods in mind! A small amount can make a huge change, and help you stay healthy and happy this holiday season. Who knows, that ancient recipe might be due for a permanent update!