The word Superfood just popped up in recent years. Then more and more food got this label and now it is a marketing tool.

When I looked and searched it appeared to me that there is no legal, official definition for Superfood.

Mostly what I found is that Superfood label is used for foods that have a higher than normal nutritional value, beneficial for our health, has no harmful and negative properties such as additives or processed ingredients. It also surprised me that there is no official list of Superfoods. What we value most in Superfoods is high content of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants. Antioxidant is the new magic word.

The term functional food is used in Europe for foods that can improve our state of health or reduce the risk of diseases.

At first berries were claimed to be Superfoods than the exotic Acai and Goji berries stepped on the scene, now Chia seeds joined their company. Always something new and exotic. Like something that we have not eaten before will bring a miracle and we all suddenly become fit and healthy and all diseases disappear.

I think most of us bought into this promotional title Superfoods but when last time the 'mortal' continental cucumber was claimed to be one of the Superfoods, I woke up. That made me think.

When you follow the press, read the foodie magazines or watch the TV cooking shows you realize that 'food fashion' comes and goes. One day it is good for us the next day it becomes the enemy and it is harmful to our health. No wonder people are confused and don't know what to eat and how to look after their health.

Our Sophisticated Western Society is so far away removed from plant based diet that besides all the prepackaged, frozen, canned, processed, bottled, vacuum sealed, foiled, boiled, fried, tortured foods (if we still can call them food...) that now even the Mighty Cucumber appears to be a Superfood!

In the good old times before fast food and huge supermarkets, food was food. Everything with moderation. Eat mostly plant based diet and drink lost of fresh, clean water. Pizza was a treat not a staple food.

Just to put your mind at ease, you will be surprised to know that you probably already eat a lot of foods that are 'super'. These foods are healthy and preventative. That means, they protect you from getting sick, getting cancer. They lower your blood pressure, your cholesterol level and lower your risk of getting diabetes. When you eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, so you are mostly on a plant based diet, there is a good chance that you can slow down the aging process. This is what we call fashionably, anti aging.

My list of Superfoods and favourite foods include all the fruits and vegetables. I am mostly on a plant based diet with two of my main meals being juiced (breakfast and dinner). However, I very much value nuts, avocado, good organic cold pressed oils, Salmon, eggs, Chis seeds and Coconut water. Lately, I try to add more cabbages to my juices. I love radishes and eat as much as I can raw in my salads. There are a few basic ingredients that I always add to my fruit or mainly vegetable fresh juices. They are lemon or lime, ginger and tumeric. It is worth consuming them on a daily bases for their health benefits.

I would like to mention a very important factor. Antioxidants. Now that we are able to measure the Oxygen Radical Absorbancy Capacity (ORAC) of a food, we can compare them. This ORAC value puts certain foods on the top of the Superfoods list. Foods with high capacity to combat oxidation have preventative values. Oxidation is always present in our body. Just remember what happens when you cut an apple. If you leave it there it goes brown. That is oxidation. Similar process takes place inside our body. It is paret of living.

This oxidation process caused by free radicals accelerate aging, cause inflammation, cancer, cardivascuylar disease, etc. So it looks like they are the trouble makers! The more you can reduce the damage caused by free radicals with antioxidants, the more your can reduce or even prevent damage. So now you know why antioxidants is the new magic word!

Always make sure you check the ORAC value of foods and supplements!

Cheers, Piroska