Getting straight on “Superfoods”

Personally I hate this term, but for this article we will roll with it.

Foods such as Açai, Goji berries and Spirulina (to name a few) have gained much attention in recent years for their health boosting properties. My clients often ask me if they should be including these magical ingredients into their diet and my answer is almost always the same... Don’t waste your money!

“Superfoods” are classified and ranked by the ORAC system, which basically tells you how quickly the antioxidants in the stated food mop up free radicals in the body. Firstly, these are lab tests and we don’t truly know how the constituents of the food act when in the human body. Secondly, If you go to several different websites they each have several different ORAC ratings for the same foods - Basically its totally inconclusive. Thirdly the data on these foods is hugely variable... For example there is no clear amount of Vit C in Açai, the number varies greatly.   

Lastly the areas of the world some of these foods come from have extremely poor quality control measures, meaning that you don’t truly know what your getting. Just two years ago, a handful of Australian athletes were tested positive for banned substances after taking Maca powder over a prolonged period. Is it really worth the risk??

My top dozen “superfoods” listed below in black may not sound as exotic as some, but I guarantee you they give bang for buck, are reliable and available on your doorstep! The “superfoods” listed in red are in my opinion dubious and you are honestly better off keeping your money in your pocket!

  1. Grass fed ribeye steak
  2. Liver
  3. Fresh coriander
  4. Pastured eggs - Yolk especially!
  5. Bone broth
  6. Fresh parsley
  7. Pomegranate seeds
  8. Flax seed - freshly ground
  9. Cranberries
  10. Cherries - Acerola or Montmorency 
  11. Wild blueberries - freeze dried, not powder
  12. Black currants - Whole berry, not juice
  1. Açai berry powder
  2. Maca powder - If you are an athlete steer clear of this
  3. Goji berries - Blackcurrants and blueberry’s have higher Vit C ratio
  4. Spirulina - Sources are more often than not contaminated
  5. Bee pollen - Instead use local raw honey