You’ve heard it before. You are what you eat.
This is why avoiding all that artificial (but tempting) stuff is always a good idea. After all, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know these convenient processed items aren’t healthy. From high sugar and salt content to strange preservatives and chemicals you’ve never heard of, a lot of our modern diet is making us sick.
High blood pressure, diabetes, inflammation, fatigue, and even cancer are all linked to poor nutrition and unhealthy ingredients.
So, in the spirit of Nutrition Month, here are eight superfoods - jam-packed with vitamins, minerals, and all kinds of goodies - that you absolutely need in your life.
1. Avocado
Eat it plain, with some lemon or sauce, or mixed up as guacamole. However you slice it or dice it, avocado packs a punch for health & wellness. Full of healthy fats and rich in more than 20 vitamins and minerals, avocado provides the following benefits:
- Keeps you full
- Helps your heart
- Helps diabetes
- Controls weight
- Fights cancer
- Boosts your brain
- Protects your eyes
These are just some of the benefits of eating avocados. So if you want something to eat for a snack, put in your salad, or mix for a party, avocado is a great choice!
RELATED: 10 Superfoods To Ward Off Heart Disease
2. Flaxseed
Known for its omega-3 fats and fiber content, this nutritious crop is great for digestive health. Best eaten ground, not whole, flaxseed is a perfect complement to your cereal, sandwich, yogurt, baked goods, or beverage. Just remember to drink plenty of liquid with it, and don’t take it with oral meds.
Studies show flaxseed may even help lower bad cholesterol - so what’s not to love?
RELATED: 10 Diabetes Superfoods
3. Collard Greens
You’ve probably heard that leafy greens are healthy for you, and collard greens are no exception. Low in sugar, they’re great for diabetics, but honestly, they’re great for anyone. Packed with potassium, Vitamins A, C, and K, collard greens provide a host of health benefits.
These include:
- Helping with healthy baby growth
- Preventing cell damage
- Boosting the immune system
- Lowering cholesterol
If you want to incorporate collard greens into your diet, you have many options. Throw them in a soup, wrap burritos with them, sauté them as a side, put them in a smoothie, or make chili with them. They’re more than versatile!
4. Quinoa
Despite its awkward name, this nutrient-dense whole grain is perfect for soups, salads, wraps, and potato stuffings. Quinoa is filled with all kinds of goodies from magnesium and potassium to iron and vitamin B9, making it a great part of any diet. If you want to curb inflammation, fight cancer, regulate blood sugar, or improve your digestion, quinoa is for you!
5. Beef Liver
Although beef liver may be an acquired taste for many, it’s actually one of the most nutrient-dense foods available. It’s also quite inexpensive, making it a top choice for those on a budget. Very lean, beef liver can be pan-seared, baked, or grilled in no time at all. Many people eat it with onions.
Due to its high vitamin B content, beef liver can do wonders for your energy, immune system, brain health, and red blood cells.
6. Dark Chocolate
Turns out, a little dessert can’t hurt. In fact, a little dark chocolate does more than not hurt - it can supercharge you. You just have to make sure you’re getting the real thing, and not some subpar chocolate filled with heavy metals and GMOs. Hey, if you’re going to eat chocolate, you might as well get the best!
Full of copper, iron, zinc, and selenium, authentic dark chocolate can be great for your health, your heart, brain, and mood. Just be sure to limit your intake due to the sugar content.
RELATED: 7 Super Foods You Should Eat At Least Once A Week
7. Blueberries
Sweet, delicious, and also extremely nutritious! Blueberries are best known for their bioflavonoids, which are special antioxidants with many benefits. These antioxidants can help your body in numerous ways, whether it’s improving your skin, strengthening your veins, reducing your cholesterol, or fighting cancer and aging.
The power of blue. Who knew?
8. Salmon
Enjoy a filet, put it in a salad, eat it smoked, on a bagel - you name it! Salmon is a fantastic source of saturated fat and protein. It is also brimming with vitamin B12, which is great for energy levels. Perhaps the best part of salmon is its rich omega-3 content. This healthy fat helps with inflammation, especially around the heart, and is also considered by many to be a ‘brain food.’
So, whether it’s salmon, blueberries, chocolate, avocado, quinoa, or any other superfood out there, you can’t go wrong with the nutritious and delicious.
Compile your list, hit your local grocery store, and jumpstart healthy eating today.
You never know… It might just change your life.