The A-Z superfood guide you need to know about

Nov 16

Looking to add variety to your healthy diet? Here is Chōsen Experiences’ comprehensive list of superfood to expand your kitchen repertoire

Text: Hui Yi Phua

If want to live a healthier lifestyle, ensuring a healthy diet is an essential part of it. You might associate the term ‘healthy diet’ for tasteless, repetitive meals, but eating healthy can be fun with a whole lot of variety — queue superfoods. Superfoods, are essentially a category of food with exceptional health benefits and particularly rich in antioxidants, minerals and vitamins.

To spice up your healthy meals, Chōsen Experiences, a community of health, wellness and fitness experts, has tracked down all the best superfoods to stock your fridge with. Chōsen Experiences curates a number of signature programs that encourage their clients to live meaningful, high-performance, and a values-based lifestyle with self-belief at its core. Their community includes entrepreneurs, business leaders, Olympians, creatives, and innovators. They understand that healthy living and healthy eating go hand in hand, hence why they compiled their A-Z superfood guide as below.

A is for Acai

These deep-purple South American berries are the centre of all the hype: google acai bowl and you'll get no shortage of recipes. Best known for its high antioxidant count, it also touts great nutritional values as far as fatty acids, fibre and vitamins C, B and E go.

B is for Beetroot

Fitness enthusiasts, this vibrant vegetable is for you. Dripping with fibre, iron, folic acid and antioxidants, studies have shown that it gives your stamina and exercise regimen an extra boost. It's also well known for helping lower blood pressure - pop this in a salad and you're good to go.

C is for Chia Seeds

The ancient Aztecs were onto something when they made chia seeds part of their staple diet. These seeds, which take on a gelatinous consistency when soaked, are packed with fibre, protein, antioxidants and omega-3. They're versatile and can be added to anything from juice to oatmeal, raw or soaked.

D is for Dates

Skip out on refined sugar and sate your sweet tooth with a date instead. Full of vitamins, potassium and calcium, they're great for a quick hit of energy and help with digestion due to their high fibre content. Be careful not to eat too many as their sugar content is still very high.

E is for Eggs

A favourite with fitness lovers, eggs are a valuable source of protein and are easy to add to many recipes. Other reasons to eat them include a hefty helping of lutein, which helps improve eyesight, and a generous helping of omega 3 fatty acids. We have them in the morning as protein helps to keep you feeling full throughout the day.

F is for Flaxseed

Flaxseed was lauded as a superfood before the term even existed, charting back to Babylonian times. Full of omega 3 fatty acids, fibre and lignans (which helps with estrogen and antioxidants), promising studies show that it may lessen your chances of heart and lung disease.

G is for Garlic

While it’s not the most socially acceptable superfood, garlic's proven to be a fantastic addition to meals and to your health regimen. Used across cooking of all cultures, it's been proven to help with reducing blood pressure and cholesterol. It is high in Allicin which provides most of the health benefits.

H is for Honey

Get your sugar fix with nature's sweetener: honey! It's been long lauded for its anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, but opt for a cold-pressed and organic option so that you keep its nutritional value up. Be careful to use it in moderation as it is high in fructose and can cause sugar spikes.

I is for Inca Berries

South American Inca berries, golden berries with a strong citrus taste, are mini protein packs with a healthy dose of antioxidants. With a higher ORAC rating than goji berries and raisins, you'll be good to go in no time.

J is for Jalapeno

If you can handle the heat, the benefits of chowing down jalapenos are that they help fight inflammation and are full of valuable minerals like iron. Capsaicin, the chemical that makes your mouth burn, is also theorized to alleviate migraines and arthritis.

K is for Kombucha

This sweet, fermented tea is growing in popularity and is full of probiotics and healthy acids to help with everything from digestion to energy boosts. While studies are still somewhat lacking at the moment, it's been a favourite health drink for hundreds of years in Russia and Japan.

L is for Lemon

This sour fruit is a digestive aid and liver cleanser. One cup of warm water with lemon in the morning helps you digest your food throughout the day and boosts mineral absorption. As an incredible source of vitamin C, it champions the production of collagen and is full of antioxidants.

M is for Maca

This Peruvian root is South America's answer to Chinese ginseng and boosts energy levels. With B vitamins, fatty and amino acids and more, it's a great shout for women as it helps balance hormones - helping with PMS, menstruation and menopause. (Note: pregnant women should steer away though.)

N is for Nuts

Easy enough to throw into your bag as a snack, nuts are an incredible source of protein and are packed with calories. Every nut's got its own perks: cashews are big on iron, almonds are rich in fibre and calcium while walnuts have great omega 3 fatty acids.

O is for Oily Fish

Oily fish is so good for you that the British government even put out an advisory stating you should eat it twice a week. Rich in omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin D, protein and selenium, it lowers blood pressure by targeting the fat in your arteries.

P is for Pomegranate
Hailing from the Middle East, this vibrant fruit has crimson pulpy seeds that pack a nutrient-rich punch. Pomegranates contain punicalagins, antioxidants that put even red wine and green tea to shame, and are shown to reduce blood pressure to keep your heart chugging along healthily.

Q is for Quinoa

Swap out your carb-loaded grains for quinoa, a crop so good that the UN even made 2013 International Quinoa Year. Filled with double the protein of rice, there's amino acids and vitamins to spare. It's also gluten-free, so it's a great option for vegans.

R is for Raw Cacao Powder

Put away the Cadbury and opt for raw cacao powder, which has been cold-pressed to retain healthy goodness that gets damaged at high temperatures. Great for combating heart problems, high blood pressure and full of minerals, sneak a spoonful or two into chia pudding for a treat.

S is for Spirulina

This emerald green algae is so good for you, NASA even started adding it as a dietary supplement to astronauts' diet. It usually comes as a pill or in powdered form and gives your immune system a lift, ticking amino acids, antioxidants, B vitamins, proteins and iron off the list.

T is for Turmeric

Turmeric is a popular spice in Indian curry, but it's also been used for years as an anti-inflammatory in Asian medicine. Great for reducing cholesterol, it contains manganese, iron and a compound called curcumin which is a super effective antioxidant and helps safeguard against blood clots.

U is for Umeboshi

You'll find these pickled Japanese plums served as sides or slipped into rice balls and they're absolutely delicious. Renowned for their alkalizing benefits, they've been used for hundreds of years to help with everything from digestion to even curing hangovers.

V is for Veggies

If it's leafy and green, it's probably good for you. Veggies and vitamins go hand in hand, so you can never really go wrong scooping up as many vegetables into your basket as possible. Always a reliable source of nutrients, mind the pesticides and choose organic goods instead.

W is for Watercress

Little known fact: watercress is one of the world's healthiest superfoods. There's a world of vitamins in every leaf, but it's brimming with vitamin K and A which help keep your bones strong and your eyesight on point. It topped the list in a study of nutrient-dense vegetables.

X is for Xigua (aka watermelon)

Xigua is the Chinese name for watermelon…there aren’t many superfoods that begin with the letter X! Watermelons have essential minerals and vitamins and are packed with vitamins A & C as well as iron and calcium.

Y is for Yoghurt

Superfoods don't need bells and whistles - sometimes a pot of yoghurt will do. It's full of healthy bacteria that helps with digestion and your immune system. It also beats out milk when it comes to the calcium count; opt for a probiotic yoghurt and avoid the pudding pots.

Z is for Zucchini

This green squash is not only delicious, it's got a low-calorie count to go along with the concoction of potassium, folate and vitamins to boot. We love to spiralize ours and serve it with some homemade pesto for an easy weeknight dinner.

To find out more about Chōsen Experiences, click here.