If you are trying to lose weight or are on a new health kick, you probably have heard about super foods. These magical-sounding words refer to the fruits, vegetables, grains and meats that are high in antioxidants, vitamins or fiber and can prevent or treat several health issues. While most of these foods really are super, as with most things in life, super foods sometimes are only good in moderation.
Green Foods
Most vegetables that are bold in color, especially those that are green, are rich in nutrients and necessary in a healthy diet. Two particularly good ones are spinach and broccoli. While these foods consistently top most super food lists, they are only good when used sparingly. As with any diet, variety is essential, but moderation is important with broccoli and spinach because they contain naturally occurring chemicals called progoitrins. When high levels of progoitrins are consumed, they can hinder normal thyroid function, which can lead to lower calorie usage and, in turn sabotage weight loss.
Avocados are another great super food, with benefits ranging from good skin to heart disease prevention. However, avocados are high in calories and can potentially be fattening if not used in moderation.
Peanut Butter and Honey
A peanut butter and honey on whole grain bread sandwich is a great super food lunch that will keep you feeling full until dinnertime. But fueling yourself with peanut butter or honey can backfire if you eat these items each day or glob on spoonful upon spoonful at a time.
Honey has many health benefits, including helping allergies, but it does contain high amounts of sugar. Peanut butter, on the other hand, is filling and will leave you satisfied all afternoon, but is high in calories and fat.
Soy
Eaten whole, as tofu or milk or various other ways, soy has many nutritional benefits - it helps reduce the risk of osteoporosis, Alzheimer's and kidney disease. Soy in excess, however, can contribute to hormone imbalance, as it contains plant hormones which mimic the human hormone estrogen.
Milk
Low-fat milk has been hailed as a great low-calorie source for several different vitamins, including vitamin D and calcium; milk is often heralded as a great way to prevent osteoporosis. That said, do not rely solely on milk to strengthen those bones - milk is often fortified with vitamins through artificial processes. Taking a multivitamin or calcium chew will greatly help the prevention of osteoporosis.
It is important to know that in the United States there are no official definitions, patents or regulations that separate super foods from other foods - essentially, anyone can say that a food is a super food. Be wary when shopping in the grocery store because often so-called super foods are really just normal foods with a fancy label and a jacked-up price. Even if a super food does not have any negative effects, it may not live up to all of the great health claims. Do some research and use your own judgment before jumping on the super food bandwagon.
 | When you're trying to lose weight, what you eat is as important as how much you eat. Add super foods to your diet that support your metabolism and provide your body with quality nutrition to help your body use foods more efficiently. |
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 | Foods that burn fat can help keep your appetite satisfied while your waistline whittles down. |
Within the last 10 years there has been an increasing interest in preventive health foods, organic food choices, and proactive health practices. |
In an era where the spinach has e.coli and the fish are laced with mercury, it's hard to be a health food. But walnuts may just be the new superfood on the horizon. It seems that walnuts - that same food you chop up and put into your fattening brownies - can actually help prevent heart disease. |
