T’was A Superfood Christmas

T’was a Superfood Christmas, and all through the house,

The decorations complete, even tea towels with Mickey Mouse.

Some snacks before dinner, cinnamon coated walnuts with care.

Saving the dark chocolate for dessert, with almonds to spare.

There was spinach and roasted pumpkin salad,

Garlic & Lemon dressing made it more superfood valid.

Took the bottle of red wine out of the gift wrap,

Steamed the broccoli, peas and beans - no time for a nap.

Tarts with cranberries and cherries adorned the Christmas platter,

Saving the blueberries for the morning, for pancake batter.

That was my version of the traditional Christmas poem that I’m sure you’ve heard more than a few times before.  Just because it was Christmas, it was not a reason to overindulge.  The superfoods were in abundance in our home.

Superfoods contribute to a healthy body and mind.  Our Christmas Eve menu consisted of  almonds and walnuts as snacks.  The sparkling shiraz was the start of the red wine health benefits, and red wine to accompany the meal.

A mixture of different berries:  blueberries, cherries and cranberries gave us many health benefits.  Broccoli, spinach and pumpkin were packed with superfood benefits and of course, a bit of dark chocolate and sweet potato pie for dessert.

Christmas morning started with an early swim at the beach, to get our exercise to start the day. Then we came back and had pancakes for breakfast.  The pancake batter was wheat-free and dairy-free with blueberry superfood benefits.

Wishing you a very healthy start to the new year - all the best to you and yours for a fabulous 2010!

Chiropam

Tags: almonds, benefits, Blueberries, broccoli, cherries, chocolate, Cranberries, exercise, Garlic, Health, pumpkin, Red Wine, spinach, Superfoods, walnuts

Superfoods - Garlic

Garlic in the Raw

Superfoods by definition are foods with high phytonutrient content.  Phytonutrients are plant derived essential nutrients important to human health.

One of the “superfoods” that I incorporate into my daily nutrition is, garlic.  Garlic contains protein, Vitamins A, B, C and E, as well as the minerals Iron, Selenium and Calcium.  There are numerous health benefits, one being increasing the strength of the immune system.  It has antibiotic, antifungal, antioxidant and antiviral properties.  By having daily doses (minimum half clove per day), it helps to naturally fight off the common colds and flus.  Garlic dates back to over 4,000 years ago, even back to the tombs of the Egyptian pharoahs!

Garlic also helps to support the circulatory system which may in turn help in lowering the risk of heart disease.

Garlic has the ability to lower total LDL (”bad”) cholesterol and triglycerides, and increase HDL (”good”) cholesterol in your blood.

Garlic also comes in capsule form as a supplement in case the dishes you prepare are not suitable for garlic.  However, natural and fresh is the preferred method.

Let me encourage you to get creative and add garlic to meals for that extra flavour as well as extra nutrients and health benefits!

Tags: benefits, Garlic, Health, Health Benefits, Superfoods, Wellness