Superfoods are slowly becoming an integral part of our diets, considering how the immune system is needing more attention and maintenance. Be it adding wild caught salmon to your meals or including yogurt to the daily meals – enhancing your immune system by adding superfoods is becoming necessary now.
In this article we will talk about what we actually mean by superfoods – and list top 5 superfoods which you should not miss out from adding to your diet.
What are superfoods?
Super foods are diets that are high in nutrients and low in calories. They are rich in minerals, vitamins and other essential items, but since the calorie portion is less, they don’t add a lot of weight to our body. Nutrient dense by nature which means that they provide a lot of nutrients even with lesser portions. Rich with antioxidants and minerals, they have excellent health benefits beyond the basic nutrition, such as improving heart health, initiating weight loss and enhanced levels of energy in the body.
Here is a list of the top five super foods that you must incorporate into your diet.
1. Freshly caught salmon
Salmon is a fish which is a powerhouse and it is completely packed with nutrients that are essential for your liver health, gut health and body immunity. Nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids. Such as vitamin D and selenium improves the immune function of your body. On top of it, reduction of inflammation and improvement of heart health are additional benefits.
Adding wild caught salmon to your meals is not that difficult as well. You can either grill or bake the fillets for a nutritious dinner, or you may use salmon flakes as a topping for salads. Another way would be to have salmon chowder for your regular meals.
2. Including citrus fruits within your diet
Citrus fruits are the source of vitamin C content. This vitamin is very useful for producing white blood cells that help the body to fight against infections. They are rich in antioxidants which also enhance the cells to protect from any damage caused by free radicals within the body.
Some of the examples of citrus fruits include oranges, lemons, and even sour grapes. Incorporating such fruits into your diet can be as simple as starting with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice to just popping up grapes while after your lunch or dinner. Lemon water is also a very healthy drink to have if you can squash them and prepare them at home.
3. Adding greens for the wins
Green vegetables should not be ignored, and when it comes to green vegetables, I still remember how much we used to abhor them during our childhood. Green vegetables such as spinach and Swiss Chard are nutrient dense and provide key vitamins such as AC and E, all of which play a very important role in enhancing immune health. The presence of antioxidants and fibers make these excellent for overall growth.
Incorporating green leafy vegetables into your diet can be in the form of blending spinach or kale into smoothies or having green soups or stews or stir fries. You can take it as a side dish mildly fried in garlic and olive oil.
4. Don’t forget to add the yogurt
Probiotics are very critical for our gut health and yogurt is a rich source of it. Not only do they improve gut health, but they also enhance the metabolism of the body. Improving the immune system is very important as it protects us from repetitive diseases and sickness. Yogurt, rich in live and active cultures, are often the best sources for probiotics in our diets.
To incorporate yogurt into a diet, you can eat it on top of fresh fruits and salad. You can also drizzle it with a little honey for breakfast or dessert. I would prefer to eat yogurt as a side dish along with my daily meals. Another. Unique trick is to include yogurt with mayonnaise or sour cream into recipes to have a smarter twist into your diets.
5. More the berries, the merrier we are
Blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, blackberries. They’re very rich in vitamins, antioxidants and also phytochemicals which improve our body to recover from illnesses. Moreover, the improvement in the immune system is due to the rich fiber content that enhances digestive health and also enhances the immunity.
Some of the easiest ways to add berries to your diet is including them in cereals or oatmeal, or blending them as smoothies or milkshakes. What’s actually interesting is you can also use them as a topping if you’re making pancakes, waffles, or even yogurt.
Bottomline
Super foods improve not only the gut and the immunity of the body but also enhance the metabolism and stability. They are the missing chunk in the puzzle that not only completed but also gives you brownie points. Don’t miss out on including super foods into your diet if you want to have an overall improvement in your health.