“There’s a new, natural Superfood!” How do I know. I heard about it through Linked In and the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies.
I’ve heard about so many new natural Superfoods over the years. Each one pops up, it becomes available in the health food stores, people pay lots of money for it. It guarantees, as this one does, to provide protein, 
omega 3s, omega 6s, b vitamins, zinc, and any one of a host of other nutrients. Each one is the most concentrated source, the most bioavailable source, in short, the most important food you can add to your diet even though it may be foreign to where you live, costly to transport, may be readily ecologically threatened when harvested to meet the demands of wealthy developed countries. But someone is going to make a lot of money in the meantime. It is just another way to convince use that eating real, local varied food is not good enough.
I beg to differ.
We spend a lot of energy, as a culture, in looking for the magic bullet to make our lives better in some way. It used to be the time-saving gadgets that freed our mothers and grandmothers from the kitchen, to the latest prescription drug. Remember the Rolling Stones “Mother’s Little Helper”? We’ve moved on to the latest herb or Superfood, the latest workshop on becoming whole, real, better.
I accede that we always glamorize times gone by as being simpler, better, but I think we have driven ourselves to somehow believe that there is a magic bullet to perfect health, perfect life and the stress of not finding it only contributes to our sense of dissatisfaction.
I would suggest we would benefit from taking a more realistic view of what we need to be our best, healthiest, happiest, most productive (tricky word) self and that the tools to achieve it are not exotic. From a food perspective, it is helpful to recognize that most of what we need are foods that are familiar and local. We can certainly get enough of all the vitamins and minerals, proteins and fats from foods that grow in New England. We may like the variety that citrus, avocadoes, bananas, and coconut offer, but we don’t need it to be healthy and live a long life. So we certainly do not need Goji berries, maca, menoukha honey or jackfruit. We measure phytochemical activity in these foods and believe that these numbers translate into superpowers; they don’t. And if they are essential for a long and healthy life, how did people in other regions and climates survive without them?
There is no legal definition for a superfood. They are generally low in calories and high in nutrients including vitamins, mineral, anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. Eating them is associated with reducing the risk of chronic disease and supporting health. Eating them is associated with taking superior care of yourself.
Micronutrients are the vitamins and minerals we find in foods and foods rich in vitamins and minerals are certainly superfoods. These include Vitamin C in peppers and citrus and Vitamin E along with essential fatty acids in walnuts. Phytonutrients are compounds found in plants that support anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in our bodies and may well play a role in longevity and good health. These include the carotenes in carrots and peaches, the resveratrol in purple grapes and lutein in tomatoes. Phytonutrients serve various functions in plants, including protection from UV radiation as well as insects. While they benefit the plants, they also provide benefits to those who enjoy plant food.
Many phytonutrients are related to the color of the plant; others reside in white plants like garlic, mushrooms or cauliflower. There are estimated to be approximately 25,000 phytonutrients; we have identified and 
researched maybe 150. This is why it is important to eat a variety of colorful fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and spices to expose ourselves to the broadest variety of these nutrients. Many colorful fruits and vegetables are native to our region and certainly to our country.
It is also why I shy away from naming any one food as a super food and consider all plant foods superfoods and the super-est impact is gotten from eating a variety of different ones every single day, and not focusing on single sources.
Here is one way to use a variety of superfoods. None of them by itself is a magic bullet, but together with other super foods, as part of a healthy diet, they help to promote optimal health. What follows is an annotated recipe to begin your journey into the health benefits of everyday superfoods and provide a tasty fall side dish.
Asian flavored Slaw
Dressing:
1/3 cup rice vinegar (no sugar) – may be a source of phenolic compounds may help reduce your risk of food-borne illness, diabetes and osteoporosis.
¼ cup ume plum vinegar – the liquid from the lactofermented umeboshi plum, it is used as a digestive aid, has anti-microbial properties, and is used to treat fatigue
¼ cup sesame oil – research has shown it to help with blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and blood sugar management as well as being a source of anti-oxidants
1 tsp soy sauce – while it is high in sodium, it still has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activity and can act as a digestive aid
1 tsp fresh grated ginger – a digestive aid with anti-inflammatory (muscle pain and osteoarthritis) and anti-oxidant activity; may aid in prevention of heart disease, diabetes and high cholesterol
1/8 tsp siracha or similar hot sauce (to taste) – The red chili peppers it is made from contain capsaicin which is known to help boost metabolism and aid in weight loss. may boost your endorphins, helping to enhance mood and memory and the garlic can help lower cholesterol and blood pressure. .
Mix with wire whisk in a small bowl
Vegetables:
3 medium carrots — rich in vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, vitamin B8, pantothenic acid, folate, potassium, iron, copper, and manganese; has phytonutrients that help to prevent cancer and macular degeneration and associated with decreased risk of hear disease and
¼ head each red and green cabbage – flavonoids, sulfur compounds, vitamins A and C; antinflammatory, anti-cancer, and supports gut health
½ sweet red pepper – source of Vitamins C, B6, A and magnesium; support immune health, cancer prevention and eye health
Grate/shred in food processor to equal 8-9 cups vegetables
2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds – source of omega-6 fatty acids, flavonoid phenolic anti-oxidants, vitamins, and dietary fiber with potential anti-cancer as well as health promoting properties; also a source of dietary protein and mono-unsaturated fatty acids
Toss vegetables in a large bowl with dressing and top with sesame seed.
Chill and enjoy.
