Up, up and away!

Written by Robert Claridge N.D. -Specialist Naturopath, Holistic Nutritionist, Herbalist, Homoeopath, R-System Specialist

When it comes to superfoods there always seems to be a new kid on the block that is touted as the panacea for all ills. So, what actually is a superfood? ‘Superfood’ is a marketing term for foods that have health benefits. The reality is that some foods have multiple health benefits whilst others just a few and most importantly, some are more powerful than others. They can rightly wear their undies on the outside and a cape on their back!

If I had to give you a formula for being able to work out which foods are more “super” it would be to focus on plant-based foods with the strongest flavours, fragrances and colours. These three attributes are indicative of the strength of the plant chemistry and provide properties such as: anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, blood sugar regulation and detoxification.

The most potent examples of these are… spices!

For those that know me will attest that I’m a pretty big fan of a beverage called Golden Grind. This delicious drink is comprised of a mix of powerful spices which work synergistically to give a massive therapeutic impact. Golden Grind’s four key ingredients are: turmeric, black pepper, ginger and cinnamon.

TURMERIC
Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiseptic and anti-microbial which is cited in 4720 scientific journals.

BLACK PEPPER

Black pepper is a digestive stimulant, decongestant, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory. It has also been shown to increase the absorption of turmeric by 2000%.

GINGER

Ginger is an immune support, digestive tonic (esp. indigestion and nausea) and anti-inflammatory.

CINNAMON

Cinnamon is an antioxidant, cardiac tonic and blood sugar regulator. Cinnamon also assists the body with weight management and blood sugar regulation.

I like to give credit where credit is due and this combination of superfoods has really hit the mark. It’s tasty, it’s easy to make and it’s great for you.

Here’s some great evidence of the effects of these superfood-spices below!

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5664031/ (Turmeric)

https://www.jams-kpi.com/article/S2005-2901(11)60020-4/fulltext  (Black Pepper)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30009484  (Ginger)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3854496/ (Cinnamon)

Thanks Rob. More from Robert can be found here