Superfoods, Anyone?
A Simple, But Uncommon, Common Thread
YOU PROBABLY have bumped into a myriad of stories over the last several years about “superfoods”, and some superplaces were people live long and well because of their diets, as this great site, Blue Zones, proves.
From the Blue Zones “About” section:
“… we took teams of scientists to each location who know how to identify lifestyle characteristics that may explain longevity. In Sardinia, Italy we found a wine with the world’s highest-known levels of antioxidants, and in Ikaria, Greece we discovered ancient herbal teas that lower blood pressure. On the other side of the planet, we found an island where purpose and mutual support networks called Moai explain an extra half dozen years of life. In Nicoya, Costa Rica it’s the mesoAmerican diet of beans, squash and a special corn tortilla that is propelling people into their 90’s at rates 4 times greater than in the US.”
People in these places do live longer and better, and the interesting thing is that they do, indeed, have something in common.
I’m partial to common denominators. I look for them to help me make sense of things, to understand how things are connected.
And, sure enough, there is a common denominator here too: The healthiest foods on earth are the least processed by man, and the most processed by Nature. (Take a bit of seed, a patch of dirt, may the Heavens sprinkle rain and the Sun cast rays of warmth. Wait about three months, and, volià, food good for eatin.).
The places where the residents’ diets are predominantly comprised of foods deemed to be “superfoods” live the longest and healthiest.
No news here, is there? But I write about this anyway, because getting man out of the food making process as much as possible, and putting Nature in as much as possible, is a mantra that’s worth cultivating.
Having such a thought foremost in your mind while grocery shopping our in a restaurant will help you choose the food that supports your health.
I like how board-certified nutritionist, Jonny Bowden, puts it: What superfoods have in common is that they don’t have bar codes. (Low in sugar, too.)
Nuts, beans, veggies, berries, grass-fed meat (if you hafta get your protein that way) — they’re on Nature’s list, says Mr. Bowden in this informative and quick-to-read article.
And, speaking of lists, are 33 great foods a big enough number to feed your healthy recipes? If so, read how an 86 year-old billionaire stays fit.
P.S. Despite Mr. Bowden’s contrary assertion, I still think cow’s milk is for cows, raw or otherwise. What do you think?
Last Updated on January 5, 2018 by Joe Garma
