Welcome to Part 2 of Priority Chef's massive and shareable guide to superfood nutrition. We hope you enjoyed Part 1, available here if you haven't checked it out yet. In Part 1 we explored what superfoods are, adaptogenics, and various superfoods in the fruits and vegetable categories, specifically goji berries, schisandra berry, maca, aloe vera, and moringa.
In Part 2, we jump right into three more categories of superfood nutrition: nuts and seeds, marine life, and bee products. Before we get started, a word on storage. If you're choosing powered supplements for any superfood, it's important to ensure you're buying from a high-quality, trust source, and that you store powders in a sealed container in a dark, dry place to prevent oxidation. Always follow the manufacturer's guidelines for dose and storage. And as always, we recommend experimenting with different ways of consuming these superfoods, starting with the suggestions included here.
We recommend reading this guide from start to finish for a comprehensive dive into these chosen superfoods. However, if you're pressed for time and want to jump ahead to one in particular, use the following table of contents to navigate through.
Contents
NUTS & SEEDS
Nuts and seeds are an excellent source of omega fatty acids, though many varieties are high in omega 6s. A healthy ratio of omega 3s to 6s is 2:1, meaning we should derive more of our fat from omega 3 sources, such as walnuts, hemp seeds, chia seeds, and ground flax seeds.
Nuts and seeds are also a moderate source of protein. However, their amino acids are stored in phytates, which are like safe-keeping mechanisms. In order to access the high-quality raw protein, we must break through this barrier by soaking nuts and seeds for at least eight hours. This process decreases the phytates and allows our bodies access to essential nutrients. While this is the case for most nuts and seeds, there are a few exceptions: hemp seeds, brazil nuts, flax seeds, macadamia nuts, and jungle peanuts do not require soaking.
Hemp seeds
Nutritional Profile
Hemp seeds might be the future's best superfood, if they're not already! But let's bring clarity to the confusion surrounding it and its controversial cousin: Mary Jane.
There aren't many differences between the two, but hemp plants are any type of cannabis plant that contains less than or equal to 0.3% THC, the psychoactive compound that induces a feeling of being "high". Marijuana, on the other hand, contains more than 0.3% THC.
Hemp seeds have the best ratio of protein to fat compared to all other nuts and seeds, and their protein is most biologically similar to our blood plasma, more than any other protein source in the world. What's more, they're also the most digestible source of plant-protein, and they're a complete protein, meaning they contain all nine essential amino acids. Because protein is heat volatile, raw sources are more viable than cooked sources because the body can absorb their protein more effectively. Help seeds are also very high in omega 3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), and they offer a good source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, particularly Vitamin E, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, and zinc.
Health Benefits
Based on what we know from the research about the benefits of essential fatty acids on brain development, it's no wonder hemp seeds are ideal brain food (move over, fish!). One study found that hemp seeds have neurological benefits that can help prevent conditions such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and multiple sclerosis. They also have anti-inflammatory effects and may help regulate the nervous system. What's the benefit of reducing chronic inflammation? Scientists believe that chronic inflammation is the primary influencer of all disease.
When omega 3s and 6s are consumed in an optimal ratio (2:1), they have an anti-inflammatory effect, also supported by gamma linolenic acid (GLA), which is a type of polyunsaturated fatty acid. The health benefits of fatty acids are widely known to affect the body's immune response, making them effective for aiding skin disorders, such as eczema. Their high fat content may also help relieve dry skin.
Ways To Consume Hemp Seeds
Let us count thy ways! Hemp seeds are an excellent garnish for almost every meal. They scatter on to breakfast cereals like they've always belonged there, including hot porridge and cold granola. They also make satisfying smoothie bowl toppers too. Sprinkle them generously over garden salads to kick up your protein and fat intake without a lot of weight.
Make hemp milk by soaking the hulled seeds and blending them into a creamy milk that you can store up to a maximum of 10 days, though the fresher it is the better it tastes.
Coconut
Nutrition Profile
Oh the coconut! It's one of the most appealing and widely accepted foods in the world. For thousands of years the indigenous people of Southeast Asia and Polynesia have been eating coconut as a staple food. Every part of its bounty is harvested––the meat, the oil from the meat, the milk from the meat, the water, and the husk.
The inner coconut contains the water, and other than a big, sharp knife, it doesn't require any effort to access. Coconut milk is produced by pressing the raw inner meat.
Of the three macronutrients the body requires for optimal health, coconut mostly contains fat. It has some protein and small amounts of B vitamins and is high in manganese essential for the metabolism of proteins, cholesterol, and carbohydrates. Copper and iron feature too, which are essential trace minerals for red blood cell formation, and selenium, which is an important antioxidant.
Health Benefits
The oil extracted from coconut flesh has numerous health benefits. It's antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antiparasitic. Apply it to skin as a natural moisturizer and wounds to help prevent infection. Pulling is the Ayurvedic practice of mouth washing with coconut oil to kill oral bacteria, prevent plaque build-up, and bring brightness and shine to teeth.
Beyond medicinal and cosmetic benefits, coconut oil has medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which can aid weight loss. The liver metabolizes MCTs, aiding in more rapid energy production, liver rejuvenation, and more effective fat burning.
Coconut water also has benefits. According to one nutrition expert, coconut water is 55% identical to human plasma and the most hydrating liquids on the planet. It's packed with electrolytes, making it an ideal substance for replenishing lost fluids. Indeed, fresh 100% natural coconut water is a far more effective hydrator than sports drinks, most of which contain unnecessary sugars.
Ways To Consume Coconut
It may be more effective to list the ways one can't use coconut! With the meat, extracted oil, milk, and water, coconut is indeed a nutrient-rich sustenance.
Coconut milk makes an exceptional base for curries, soups, and hot cacao––and you can double up on the superfoods with that one! Use the oil in buttered "keto" coffee or in your breakfast or post-workout smoothie to boost your good fat intake. With its high smoke point, coconut oil is a healthier choice of cooking oils too.
Shredded or desiccated coconut, unsweetened, makes an excellent topping for fruit or vegetable salads, desserts, and more. It can also be ground down into flour for gluten-free baking.
Cacao
Nutrition Profile
Cacao is tricky to classify. Botanically speaking, it wears a lot of hats. The pulp is a fruit, but the beans, from where we derive chocolate, are actually seeds. However, the FDA classifies the cacao pod as a tree nut, but it's not actually a nut. All in all, cacao is actually a drupe, literally "stone-fruit."
Nutrition expert, Ronnie Landis, describes cacao as the most chemically complex food known to scientists. It's an abundant source of minerals, including magnesium, chromium, and iron. Minerals are chemical elements necessary for numerous body functions. Like vitamins, they play a critical role in growth, bone health, fluid balance, and other processes.
Ever notice how chocolate can make you feel a bit high? When you dig into a high-quality chocolate bar, that's not an effect of the sugar, and you'll notice the difference. Sugar makes you feel somewhat wired and has a crash-like effect. Cacao's unique compounds are called anandamides, and they're known as "bliss molecules" (ananda literally means joy, bliss, or delight in ancient Sanskrit). They have a more sustainable positive effect because they are fatty acid neurotransmitters that interact with the brain's cannabinoid receptors in a way similar to THC, the active compound in marijuana.
Cacao also contains theobromine, a bitter alkaloid whose physiological effects are similar to those of caffeine. You may notice that a hefty dose of cacao, such as that found in high-quality chocolate bars containing more than 85% cacao, will have a stimulating effect. Chocolate is indeed, a healthy drug of choice for many. But like anything in the world, too much of a good thing has unpleasant consequences.
Health Benefits
Cacao has a profound impact on the nervous system and serves as a messenger that helps to alleviate pain, lift depression, suppress appetite, and boost memory and fertility. It's also widely known that chocolate is an aphrodisiac, and one of the better tasting ones, we might add––far better than oysters!
Ways To Consume Cacao
Where do we even begin? Stir it into hot milk. Pour a chocolate sauce over ice cream. Blend pure, raw cacao powder into your breakfast smoothie. Eat a square of chocolate to help relieve menstrual cramps or boost mental concentration. As we know, there are so many ways to consume chocolate. Ensure that you are choosing a source without additives, extra sugars, and produced as ethically as possible.
Read all about the fascinating history of cacao here––When Money Grew On Trees: The History of Chocolate Around The World.
MARINE LIFE
Where do we begin?! Marine life covers a whole undersea world of food sources, but here we want to focus on the superfood varieties, specifically spirulina.
Spirulina
Nutrition Profile
Spirulina is a type of cyanobacteria that grows in fresh and saltwater. It's a naturally-occurring blue-green algae and it's considered the most ancient life form on Earth.
If you're looking for the world's best protein source, you might have thought you'd found it in hemp seeds. Indeed, they're not far off. But spirulina tops hemp seeds as the most bioavailable source of protein in the world being 60-70% protein by weight. It's coined the protein queen for good reason! Spirulina can boost an amino acid deficiency and help balance the blood sugar too.
A standard dose of spirulina for optimal health benefits is between 1 and 3 grams. Just for reference, a tablespoon is about 7 grams of spirulina, which contains 4 grams of protein and about 20% of the recommended daily intake of copper. It also contains magnesium, potassium, and manganese and small amounts of nearly every other vital nutrient. In addition, it's a complete protein, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids. All this with a low calorie and carbohydrate count.
So, sounds like spirulina is nature's perfect food––what's the catch? Well, it's not the best thing you've ever tasted. In fact, it might be the furthest from the best thing you've ever tasted! That's why we recommend not eating it by the spoonful.
Health Benefits
When it comes to health supplements and nutrition, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties are two key features we look for. Spirulina contains both. It has loads of antioxidants, but one in particular, phycocyanin, is what gives spirulina its blue-green color. Phycocyanin helps reduce oxidative stress and damage, providing anti-inflammatory benefits.
Ways to Consume Spirulina
As we mentioned, it doesn't taste awesome, so consuming spirulina with other foods is a more enjoyable way to take advantage of all its health benefits. Add a tablespoon to a smoothie or smoothie bowl that includes frozen fruit, cacao, soaked nuts and chia seeds, and hemp milk, and you've got a super-duper power-up breakfast that gives you a hefty dose of protein, fat, and essential micronutrients.
Beyond the smoothie there are other ways to consume spirulina, and a quick Google search will lead you to some great ideas. It can be added to virtually any recipe, provided there are enough ingredients to mask its overwhelming ocean flavor.
BEE PRODUCTS
Honey
Nutrition Profile
Honey is the densest source of calories found in the natural world, and the most natural of all sweeteners (yes, it beats out stevia!). However, it's still a sweetener and shouldn't be over-consumed, especially if you have high-blood sugar issues or diabetes.
Out of any food, it also has the highest concentration of enzymes, which explains why 2000 year old honey discovered in a tomb was still edible! Raw, unpasteurized honey lasts a long, long time. Enzymes have an important function in the body, including building muscle, destroying toxins, and breaking down food particles during digestion.
The calories in honey primarily come from carbohydrates, specifically sugar, which is an even split between fructose and glucose. It contains no fat and only trace amounts of protein. The micronutrients in honey, primarily B vitamins, calcium, copper, iron, and zinc don't come from the honey itself, but indirectly from the soil and nectar-producing plants. Its mineral content depends on where the honey is sourced and how it's processed, with darker honey containing more vital nutrients than pale honey.
Health Benefits
The health benefits of honey are endless! If you're looking for an immune boost, honey is a delicious choice. It contains antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral properties, making it suitable for treating wounds. Specifically, it is propolis, a component in honey, that quells free radical production and promotes collagen synthesis instrumental in wound healing. Propolis contains 50% resin, 30% wax, 10% essential oils, and 5% pollen.
Honey also benefits reproductive health, alleviates elimination issues, and helps treat a cough (a spoonful of honey in lemon water soothes the throat).
Ways to Consume It
Raw, unpasteurized, organic honey is packed with vital enzymes and micronutrients. Heating it can actually destroy those nutrients so best to consume raw versions of locally-sourced honey to get the most advantage. That said, if you're using it in baking recipes as a sugar substitute, there are some important differences to consider. Honey has a stronger flavor than sugar, and it's more acidic and moisture-rich, so reduce the amount if using it in place of sugar. For example, if a recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar, use ½ to ¾ cup of honey and lower the oven temperature slightly.
Although honey is naturally microbial, it should be protected from moisture to preserve its quality and flavor.
Bee Pollen
Nutrition Profile
Bee pollen is a combination of nectar, plant pollen, and bee secretions, nectar. This magical mix collects on the backs of the worker bee's legs, and then they're packed into honeycomb where it undergoes fermentation and becomes food for the colony. As you might suspect from the inclusion of "plant pollen", there is great diversity of bee pollen depending on what plant it comes from and its geographic region. This concerns its nutrient density as well as its quality and taste.
Bee pollen is loaded with nutrients and contains about 200 different substances, including free amino acids, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, antioxidants, and unsaturated fatty acids (source). Its macronutrient make-up is about 40% carbs, 35% protein, and 5% fat.
Health Benefits
Bee pollen has a variety of apitherapeutic uses (apitherapy refers to the use of bee products as alternative medicine). Because of its high antioxidant content, bee pollen helps fight free radicals and prevent their damaging, cancer-causing effects. It also contains potent antifungal, antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and anticancer properties, and acts as a local analgesic (source). And great news for all the mature women out there: a bee pollen supplement may help to relieve symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings.
Ways to Consume Bee Pollen
It's slightly bitter taste makes it somewhat necessary to combine it with other foods. Sprinkled over cereal, blended into a smoothie, or stirred into breakfast oatmeal are some of the most popular ways to consume bee pollen. They're sold as natural granules, much like coarse rock salt, which can be soaked for a few hours to increase digestive ease. You can also buy bee pollen in capsule form.
What Makes A Superfood…
A quick recap on the eight qualities of a proper superfood:
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100% natural
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Contain high amounts of vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fats or fiber
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They make up 25% (or more) of the daily recommended intake of at least two nutrients, or are super rich, at 50% of the RDI, in one nutrient
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They contain extra nutrients, such as phytonutrients, or protective substances unique to their class
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Have undergone minimal processing, or none at all, without enrichment
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Contain no salt, saturated fat, trans fat, sugar or other sketchy ingredients
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Have evidence-based health benefits
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Have medicinal or healing properties like those of traditional medicines
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