What are Superfoods & Why They're Good for Your Health

You don’t have to look very far in a grocery store to find products labeled “superfood.” But what does the term superfood  actually mean? Superfoods are foods that are considered especially rich in nutrients and good for the human body. There are many different superfoods out there. Some are more common and affordable, while others are quite rare and pricey. What they all share is a unique concentration of nutrients that can add a little healthy pep to your diet.

Superfoods – What Chiropractic Patients Need to Know

1. Superfoods are often packed with nutrition.

Most berries can be considered a superfood, like blueberries and raspberries. They are considered super because they pack so much nutrition into such a small package. They are filled with vitamins, phytochemicals and fiber. You only need to eat a handful to get a ton of nutrition, some of which you may find difficult to obtain through other foods. That’s what makes berries “super.”

2. Adding superfoods to your diet is not difficult.

One of the great things about many superfoods is that they are also quite delicious. Take the berries mentioned above. You will not have too much trouble snacking on some berries each day – in fact, you may have more trouble trying to stop eating them. Nuts are another great example, they are superfoods and if you find one that you like, you practically can’t help eating them. Even if you are trying to add some of the more challenging superfoods to your diet like kale, you can easily find simple recipes that make foods like kale an enjoyable addition to your diet.

3. You don’t have to stick to exotic superfoods.

It seems like every year you see a new superfood advertised, some type of exotic fruit that is supposed to be the healthiest thing you can possibly consume. These same exotic fruits also tend to be very expensive relative to the more mundane foods that you find in the grocery store. Many of these fruits are filled with nutrition and some are also delicious. If you find them and can afford them, you won't regret eating them. Just don’t feel like you have to buy these high-end superfoods to take advantage of superfoods as a whole. Noni fruit and acai berry are great, but they are not any more healthy than blueberries.

4. Variety is the best guideline for consuming superfoods.

Depending on how heavily the marketing messages are coming in, some people can become convinced that a particular superfood is an ultimate answer to good health. Unfortunately, that is not true and never will be. Your body needs a wide variety of nutrients and cannot get everything it needs from a single food, even if it is a superfood. Superfoods are great to add to your diet and the more variety in superfoods you can eat, the more complete nutrition you are likely to get.

5. A healthy diet naturally includes superfoods.

A healthy diet includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and healthy animal products like salmon. You might not realize it, but if you are eating a pretty healthy, whole foods diet, you are already eating a lot of superfoods. Berries, sweet potatoes, nuts, beans, and salmon are all considered superfoods. The sweet potato industry may not spend as much money marketing their foods as super, but that doesn’t change the fact that they are extra nutritious. Feel free to experiment with superfoods to find the ones that you enjoy the most. And if you don’t feel like spending an arm and a leg on the latest superfood fad, don’t worry. You can eat plenty of superfoods without chasing the newest fad.