Superfoods That Rejuvenate Mind, Body, and Spirit

When you select the right combination of the right foods, your body gets the much-needed boost it needs to sustain itself properly, even through those slumps later in the day.

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When the goal is rejuvenating the body, mind and spirit, the method should be based on smaller, more frequent snacks and meals.  This will help keep your energy levels on an even keel throughout the day, and help regulate blood sugar (glucose) levels to avoid spikes and dips. When given the proper combination of foods, your body can more easily get the much-needed boost it needs to sustain itself properly. Proper nutrition can even help it get through those mid-afternoon slumps that often seem to drag us down. It's a good tactic to dump those high sugar junk foods and reach for the following foods instead to get that boost you need. Adding almost any fresh fruit, especially those with skins or seeds; such as peaches, apples, pears, oranges, and strawberries to your daily diet is a good choice. These "super" foods are generally going to be a great source of a wide array of vitamins and minerals and fiber. In the summer months you can choose a peach and get plenty of dietary fiber, niacin (vitamin B3), potassium, beta carotene and vitamin A, plus high amounts of vitamin C. Niacin facilitates metabolizing fats, proteins and carbohydrates. As a bonus, I guess, over 50 enzymes are able to function properly because of this one vitamin. In addition to regulating fluid balance, potassium helps maintain the electrical stability of the cells of your heart and nervous system and is important for cell and muscle growth. Vitamin B12 plays a role in red blood cell formation, nerve function, and metabolizing protein and fat. A combination of dried apricots and almonds provides a high amount of vitamin A, iron, protein and dietary fiber. Both of these superfood sources are low in cholesterol and sodium, and apricots are a great source of potassium, which is important in regulating your body's fluid balance. The vitamin A in apricots also contributes to healthy vision, bone growth, and reproduction, and also helps fight infection. Raisins, the cool California kind or otherwise, are a healthy, low-fat, low-cholesterol, and low-sodium snack with significant amounts of potassium, phosphorus, copper, and iron.  When mixed with low-fat yogurt, you can also get riboflavin (vitamin B2) and vitamin B12, as well as a high amount of calcium, which is needed not only for strong bones and teeth but which also plays a key role in the normal functioning of the heart and other muscles. Baby carrots and sesame sticks are a tasty treat which provides significant amounts of beta carotene, vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, vitamin B6, iron, potassium, copper, and fiber. Beta carotene, which is common to many superfoods, helps protect against diseases like heart disease and some cancers. We have mentioned Vitamin A, and beta carotene several times. So, why are these two compounds of any importance to our health? Well, beta carotene is a precursor of Vitamin A, which is important for healthy skin, for better night vision, and which helps fight infection and respiratory ailments. Another important nutrient in many superfoods, folic acid, also known as vitamin B9, is essential to human life, helping to form red blood cells and break down proteins, and playing a key role in cell growth and division. Vitamin B9 is also required to help form DNA and other nucleic acids. Good ol' peanut butter, spread liberally on some whole grain crackers, provides an excellent source of protein, iron, niacin, and fiber. Peanut butter on celery is a classic snack, has great staying power, and the celery itself, often recommended in so-called "negative calorie" diets is stuffed with numerous vitamins, minerals, and is high in fiber. Low-fat string cheese is a good quick source of protein and calcium. They come in easy-to-carry individual servings and you can add a piece of fresh fruit for extra fiber. You see, superfoods do not have to be tasteless and unappealing. In fact, it can be simple to get many valuable nutrients for adults and children with some delicious and nutritious snacks. More About Superfoods Health Products Sitemap