Yummy Superfoods, Part 1

On the news today, I saw an article for "Super foods that you'll love to eat!" According to my mom, a superfood is a food that is packed full of vitamins and nutrients, so full, in fact, that it can take the place of other foods. Let's see here...Number one on the list was spinach! Yup, Popeye's favorite food! Apparently, it can help prevent some cancers, as well as cataracts and other things. I like spinach, so I wouldn't have any problem eating it, but here's a recipe if you want to try spinach in a different way. (The recipe is Spinach and Jack Cheese Bread Pudding)

Next up was the walnut. Walnuts are high in protein, fiber, and Vitamin E, as well as being high in antioxidants. (Those are the things that help keep free radicals from attacking your cells, I think, ack! We learned about this in school, but I forget :) Walnuts aren't my favorite thing to snack on, but I think my parents like them. Here's a recipe that uses walnuts. (It's Sweet Potato Casserole, interesting...)

Following is honey, an old favorite of parents and kids alike, known for it's sweetness and golden color. Honey contains antioxidants. (I was right! Antioxidants help protect us from the effects of free radicals. Free radicals can be found in cigarette smoke and radiation, and can contribute to disease, yikes!) Fun fact! The darker color the honey is, the more antioxidants it has. Also, here's something else that I learned from, what else, a manga (a Japanese comic book that reads from right to left, they're getting quite popular over here). Granulated sugar requires Vitamin B to process, so if you eat too much white sugar, you could end up with a Vitamin B deficiency, which could amplify the tired feeling you get after you eat sweets. (Must...sleep...zzz...) Honey is a better choice because the sugars in honey are naturally occurring glucose sugars, which don't need Vitamin B to process, and are easier to absorb, to boot! I think it's better for diabetic people, too. Got all that?! Also, honey helps increase the number of good bacteria in the gut. Basically, honey is a sweetener with practically no side effects, on the contrary, it has many good benefits! Here's a recipe for Honey Cake, yum! (Also, honeyed lemon slices are a popular snack over in Japan, they sound good)

Come back tomorrow to learn about the next superfoods in line, salmon, oats, and, chocolate?!

(Note: thanks to thedailygreen.com for the great recipes, maybe I'll try one out!)