Let’s be real here. There is no ONE SINGULAR key to a healthy diet apart from consistency. The overall result of getting healthier and reaching your fitness goals is the accumulation of a well-balanced diet and exercise plan. This is to be said as it can become easy to get fixated on what is marketed as “Superfoods” and forget in the grand scheme of things your overall nutrition and exercise is what will guide your progress. In saying this, the following foods hold some exceptional values that make they valuable assets to implement into your diet plan to benefit your health, performance and well-being. Let’s dive in to these 4 foods!
1. BLUEBERRIES
These lovely little blue friends of ours are exceptionally high in antioxidants. Antioxidants work by defend against oxidative stress caused by free radicals in the body that occur as a result of metabolizing food, exercising, smoking, being exposed to pollution or sunlight. This oxidative stress can play a role in a variety of diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Heart Disease and Cancer. As such, the antioxidants fight free radicals and reduce oxidative stress, therefore reducing the exposure to these diseases. It is also has been seen that antioxidants only reach effectiveness when consumed through food and not supplementation. Blueberries are also rich in Anthocyanins, the compound which gives the fruit it’s bright blue colour, which improve brain function. They also have been shown to decrease diastolic blood pressure, LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and improve insulin sensitivity. 4 superfoods & why they’re super
2. GARLIC
One of the healthiest food implements you can place into your diet; Garlic essentially can keep you from getting sick which is an obvious reason to eat it. It also reduces bad cholesterol which is one of its major benefits for heart function. It can be implemented in many meals through cooking with garlic cloves or garlic powder, and luckily if you don’t like the taste garlic capsules are available and it is recommended to take 600-1500mg per day to see its benefits.
3. KIWI FRUIT
One of the most powerful “superfoods”, Kiwi fruits deliver an abundance of vitamins within which the amount of vitamin C is very high. To the extent that one Kiwi fruit in a day will cover your entire vitamin C requirement, which is exceptional for immune function, lowering risk of disease, preventing iron deficiency and so on. Also when eating the Kiwi peel, this can have positive effects on sleep. 4 superfoods & why they’re super
4. LEAFY GREENS
An obvious item on this list, leafy greens have an abundance of benefits when it comes to health and well-being though many do not understand their positive effects on resistance training. Due to their high concentrate of nitrates, leafy greens provide higher levels of nitric oxide which in turn provides better pumps and blood flow in the gym that will also translate into better performance. Not to mention this also makes strenuous exercise easier on the heart by lowering blood pressure. It is recommended to eat leafy greens such as spinach or kale everyday or as often as possible for their incredible nutritional value as well as their benefits on performance. 4 superfoods & why they’re super
