Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Super Foods 2010


I like to eat healthy.....I love green vegetables, fruits, baked chicken and fish! The problem is I also like (or love) pizza, lasagna, cheese dip.....the list goes on and on! I usually have a blend of healthy and not so healthy in each day! For lunch I had a turkey sandwich with sugar snap peas and hummus. Very tasty! But for dinner I could very well have lasagna or ribs.....whatever the mood is!

Last week Dr. Oz had a show on super foods and I found it very interesting. I do have a couple of questions though.

  • Who decides which foods to put on the list?
  • Where do I find these foods?

I live in small town USA....we have no Whole Foods or Central Market.

We have Wal Mart, Kroger and family owned stores.

Here are the Super Foods......

5. IMO........this was a potato looking thing

4. Tumeric Tea.......I think I can find this at the local health food store.

3. Magosteen.....white fruit, they said was delicious

2. Greek Greens.....included Fennel and Mustard. I bought mustard at WM today, which will be all mine, green doesn't go on husband's plate!

1. Barramundi.....ok, it's fish, that's all I know.

This food creates a shopping trip for me to Little Rock, Whole Foods. See how I can find a good excuse to shop?

Anyway, I copied a more detailed list of the foods from Dr. Oz website if you are interested in Super Foods......enjoy.....



5 SUPERFOODS TO EAT NOW

1. Sweet Potato
The women of Okinawa, Japan (who also happen to be the world’s longest living ladies) enjoy a purple sweet potato they call Imo every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Rich in beta-carotene and boasting 150% more antioxidants than blueberries, this easy-to-make treat can be simply incorporated into an American diet. And, if you can’t find Imo specifically, our orange sweet potatoes pack a similarly healthful wallop.

2. Turmeric Tea
You usually see the yellow spice turmeric in Indian curries, giving them their characteristic color. But those long-lived ladies of Okinawa slurp this spice in tea daily (and they have one-fifth the rate of breast cancer than their American counterparts). Studies have shown that turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant that can help fight cancer.

3. Mangosteen
This sweet, tropical fruit originally from Indonesia has made its way onto supermarket shelves in the United States. Hidden inside a thick purple rind that you cut open, is a white, creamy flesh full of vitamins A and C as well as cancer-fighting antioxidants. If you can’t find the fruit, the juice of the mangosteen, which is more widely available, is the next best thing. This is also available in tea form.

4. Mustard Greens
In Icaria, Greece, 1 in 3 people lives to the age of 90, making the Greek island one of the areas designated as a “blue zone,” where people enjoy superior longevity. There are also no cases Alzheimer’s disease reported there despite many people living to a ripe old age. One of the nourishing foods they enjoy are mustard greens. High in vitamin K (most Americans are deficient in this nutrient), the spicy greens are good for your blood and bone strength. Try them as the Icarians do: boil and then toss with a little virgin olive oil and lemon.

5. Barramundi Fish
If the Barramundi fish were a human, he would be a tree-hugging, salad-loving vegetarian. The Barramundi, hailing from the coast of Australia, eschews his fellow fish, dining on plankton instead. That means he doesn’t load up on mercury-packed smaller fish and has extremely low levels of the toxin, which is especially important for pregnant women. Free of mercury, but full of heart- and brain-healthy omega-3s, the Barramundi, which is becoming more popular in the US, is a shoe-in for one of the top 5 superfoods. Bonus: the white meat is light, flaky and delicious.

Have a superfood day!

Nanny

11 comments:

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Gosh---I've never heard of most of those 'super' foods.... We try to eat healthy also---and we do eat sweet potatoes. We eat spinach (which I guess is almost as good as mustard greens). OH--I love turnip greens also. My Mama used to cook kale greens --but I am not sure I've had mustard greens...???

We drink green tea --so I hope that will do. We eat Tailapia and Salmon. I guess we all just do the best we can. Like you, as healthy as we TRY to eat, I still manage to eat unhealthy at times also. Oh Well--tis life...

Thanks for sharing.
Hugs,
Betsy

Betsy Brock said...

They wouldn't be in our regular groceries, either...well, the mustard greens would be. I'm interested in those purple sweet potatoes. I guess you could grow them! :)

Tanna said...

Nanny, I think the mustard is all I can find here, too! I'm like you... the healthy foods are good... I just enjoy the less healthy ones maybe a little more! LOL!

Solar Powered said...

have heard of none of those. will keep my eye out.

Pam said...

Thanks for the informative post.

Patty said...

Happy hunting/shopping. Let us know which ones you find and try.

Joy Tilton said...

I record Dr Oz daily and we watch it later, love his show! I sure didn't know what most of those things were either. We eat healthy about 90% of the time, and we are Devil's the other 10%! At 57 I'm thinking I want to be a healthy old person (like our parents who are nearly 90)! Oh, by the way...Spring did arrive on GrannyMountain yesterday with temps in the 70's...finally!

Unknown said...

too complicated for me. PB & J sandwiches sound awful good.

Take care-

kelsie said...

Hi there!

I work with Australis Aquaculture, the Massachusetts-based company that is popularizing the introduction of Barramundi fish here in the US. I had to comment after reading your great post here on Dr. Oz's Top SuperFoods to Eat Now.

In addition to being named a ‘2010 Super Food’ by Dr. Oz and Dan Buettner, Australis Barramundi has been called a ‘2010 Top Culinary Trend’ and a ‘Lean, Green Superfood’. That’s because it’s not only delicious, but it’s loaded with omega-3s (levels comparable to Wild Coho Salmon), and is free of mercury, hormones, antibiotics and other bad stuff. Plus, Australis’ greener way of farming has been recognized by major environmental groups and earned us the coveted ‘Seafood Champion Award’.

With just 137 calories per 5 oz. portion, 2.5 grams of fat (no saturated fat) and lots of lean protein, Australis Barramundi is great for anyone looking to make healthy food choices! Nobody's perfect and eating healthy everyday isn't in the cards for most of us - (you have to allow treats here and there!) but incorporating omega-3 rich seafood, such as Australis Barramundi, into your diet on a regular basis has many valuable health benefits.

If you’re interested in learning more about Australis Barramundi, visit our website or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter.

And if you're interested in trying this delicious fish, look for Australis Barramundi in the frozen seafood aisle at select Costco, Whole Foods, Safeway (under the Waterfront Bistro private label), Jewel-Osco, Giant (store brand), and select Kroger stores(at the fresh seafood counter). If none of those stores are in your area, you can try ordering direct from one of these online sources:
http://www.dirksfish.com/
http://www.prawnco.com/retail_products.asp?cat=6&subcat=31 or
http://www.steveconnollyseafood.com/specials.html
http://www.allenbrothers.com/fish.html

Thanks for raising more awareness on these Top Superfoods!

To good food and good health!
Kelsie

Australis Aquaculture
http://www.thebetterfish.com

nanny said...

Kelsie,
Thank you so much for stopping by and leaving this great information about Barramundi! I need to copy you comment and make an entire post of it! Very good info.

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

I live in small town America too in the mountains of North Carolina with no Whole Foods or Fresh market. They are a drive away to a city so I appreciate your plight about the availability of things. I also grew up in a small town in southeast Arkansas that didn't even have a WalMart. I'll keep an eye out for these Super Foods. Thanks for sharing them.

Also thanks for stopping by my kitchen. Hope you have a great weekend.
Sam