Many people choose to include ‘superfood powders’ in their diet to boost their nutritional intake for a healthier lifestyle
Superfoods generally refer to whole food items or ingredients that contain an abundance of nutrients like vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Certain superfoods also deliver this nutritional density with fewer calories per serving than modern processed, convenience or fast foods.
These foodstuffs are mostly plant-based items. As such, this popular dietary trend has driven demand for traditional superfoods such as fruits like blueberries, nuts and seeds, leafy greens and certain grains, among others. Many superfood lists often also include animal products like yoghurt and some fish options.
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Concentrated nutrition
However, some superfoods aren’t widely available in whole form at retail stores or even green grocers.
Health-conscious cooks and smoothie aficionados also value the convenience factor that modern supplements add to our on-the-go lifestyles. That’s why numerous health brands now make concentrated superfood powders.
These products are made from the roots, leaves and flowers of certain fruits and vegetables, which are dehydrated and finely ground into powders.
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These potent powdered superfoods offer health-conscious consumers nutrient-dense, antioxidant-rich products that support our overall diet. Use them to simply and conveniently boost the nutritional content of smoothies, breakfast bowls, baking and other recipes, or even post-workout protein shakes!
Adding these finely ground powders into a variety of recipes will provide many of the same benefits that you’d get from steeping leaves or blending together bulky whole foods, but with servings as small as a teaspoon. Now that’s concentrated power!
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Integrating these nutrient-dense super powders into your diet may boost your energy levels, help you manage various forms of stress, improve the condition of your skin, hair and nails, and strengthen your immune system.
Ultimately, any healthful eating plan should focus as much on micronutrients to benefit our overall health and longevity, as it does on macronutrients to manage our weight and energy levels.
Lifestyle Food Superfood range
And the new Lifestyle Food Superfood range from Dis-Chem is a great place to get this potent ingredients! The range includes numerous raw superfoods in concentrated powder form, namely spirulina, moringa, maca, barley grass, hemp seed, cacao and wheat grass powder.
READ MORE: You are what you eat, so choose wisely
Cacao comes from the seed of an Amazonian fruit tree. It is immensely rich in antioxidants, including potent polyphenols known as flavonoids, which help to regulate cellular activity and control the free radical damage that causes oxidative stress on your body.
Cacao powder also contains many other beneficial compounds. These include important minerals such as iron and magnesium, as well as dietary fibre. Cacao powder is a great way to add a delicious chocolate-flavour to any recipe.
Hemp seeds are nutrient-packed powerhouses. They contain minerals such as zinc, magnesium, manganese and iron, as well as vitamin E and B-vitamins. You’ll also get a healthful dose of fibre and important monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
Hemp is also a superior plant-based protein source. The seeds contain all nine essential amino acids, which makes it complete protein.
Hemp seed powder will add a nutty flavor to recipes, snacks and meals.
While barley is a grain, barley grass is made from the leaves of young barley plants.
Barley grass is rich in a variety of important nutrients, including vitamin A (a fat-soluble vitamin that regulates immune function, cell growth, and vision), vitamin C (a potent antioxidant and immune-booster) and vitamin K (essential for blood clotting, bone formation and heart health, among other functions).
Barley grass is also a great source of fibre, providing nearly 3g per tablespoon. It is also rich in antioxidants, including those potent flavonoids.
Barley grass powder (aka barley greens) is a popular ingredient in green juices and smoothies.
Moringa powder is made from dried moringa tree leaves, which is native to South Asia.
Moringa powder is rich in healthy antioxidants like quercetin and chlorogenic acid, and bioactive plant compounds, which makes it a superfood powerhouse. You’ll also get vitamins C and A, calcium, potassium and iron, and plant-based protein.
You can add moringa powder to your smoothies or morning coffee, or use it as a thickener in soups and sauces after the cooking process is complete.
Wheatgrass is prepared from the freshly sprouted leaves of the common wheat plant.
Wheatgrass boasts a substantial nutrient profile. It contains beneficial doses of vitamins A, B6, C and K, as well as folate, biotin, riboflavin, calcium, magnesium and manganese.
You also find chlorophyll in wheatgrass. This green plant pigment has significant antioxidant capacity. It also helps the body produce red and white blood cells, and aids digestive function, among numerous other functions.
Wheatgrass offers a near complete amino acid profile, providing eight of the nine essential amino acids.
Wheat grass shots are a common use for the concentrated powder form, which people drink to support immune and digestive health. It is also a popular addition to freshly-prepared juices.
Made from the root of the maca plant (aka Peruvian ginseng), maca powder contains vitamins C and B6, as well as numerous minerals such as copper, iron, potassium and manganese.
And, as with all plant-based superfoods, maca powder is teeming with beneficial compounds, including glucosinolates and polyphenols. Some sources suggest that these potent antioxidants make maca powder an adaptogen that helps the body with stamina and stress resilience.
Maca is a delicious topping on various snacks (try it on popcorn, for example). Otherwise, add it to smoothies, breakfasts like oats or millet, or use it in various baking recipes.
A type of blue-green algae, spirulina is rich in plant-based protein (it’s another complete protein protein) and chlorophyll.
It is also a source of 100 nutrients, including minerals such as iron, phosphorus, magnesium and calcium, along with various enzymes, powerful antioxidants like beta carotene, and the and the essential fatty acid gamma linolenic acid (GLA).
This water-dwelling plant is not widely available from use in its whole-food form. Thankfully you can still get these nutrients from spirulina powder.
Spirulina in powder form is easy to incorporate into meals and beverages like smoothies, or include in snacks (another great option to add to popcorn).
