The Ultimate Canadian Food Guide
In January, we received the long-awaited new food guide for Canadians and, while there is still room for improvement, the renewed emphasis on fruits and vegetables is certainly a step in the right direction. Many plant-based foods are known as superfoods because they provide an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients without too many extra calories. In other words, they are super good for you.
However, if you are among the majority of Canadians who struggled to eat half of the 7 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables recommended in the old guide, how much easier do you think it will be to fill half your plate with plant-based foods? Even if you enjoy your plant-based foods, many of these vegetables are about 20% less nutritious than those you might have eaten 20 years ago. Despite all your efforts, you may still be missing out on important nutrients. Consider adding a green superfood supplement to your daily health regimen to fill these nutritional gaps.
Green is Good!
Green supplements are a concentrated source of nutrients in powder form that you can add to water, juices, soups, and smoothies. Often, these formulas contain antioxidant-rich fruits, vegetables, and herbs that you might not include in your daily diet. For example, whether you like them on your plate or not, you can benefit from important phytochemicals, including indole-3 carbinol (I3C) from green brassica vegetables like Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale, and watercress, when consumed in your superfood supplement. I3C stimulates detoxification enzymes in the intestines and liver and can help reduce the risk of cancer.
But green isn't the only color of the rainbow, and it shouldn't be the only one in your superfood supplement. In fact, researchers have determined that plant pigments offer much more than just a feast for the eyes. These antioxidant pigments, including carotenoids (yellow, red, orange, and brown), chlorophyll (green), and anthocyanins (red, purple, and blue) offer a generous portion of health benefits. Superfood supplements make it easier to access these nutrients from foods you might not regularly eat, especially if you don't like seaweed.
Under the Sea
Marine vegetation is rich in proteins, polysaccharides, fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, and polyphenols. Spirulina, for example, is an ecological source of phycocyanins, responsible for its blue-green color. While you may not have heard of this antioxidant pigment-protein complex, researchers have been studying it for years for its ability to protect the liver and counteract free radical damage to nerve cells. Phycocyanins have been shown to play a protective role in breast, liver, lung, colon, and bone marrow cancers. Studies also suggest that phycocyanins are antihypertensive, hypoglycemic, anti-inflammatory, and immune stimulants. Spirulina is also a good source of amino acids.
Red pigments, like those found in nori, provide significant amounts of vitamin B12, making this sea vegetable an excellent source of hard-to-get nutrients. Also in the red family, dulse (Palmaria palmata) has been shown to promote anti-inflammatory activity, possibly due to its phycobiliprotein and chlorophyll. Dulse also has a high B12 content.
Brown algae also have their place in your superfood drink. Wakame and kombu are a good source of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which many people do not consume in sufficient quantities. These omega-3 fatty acids are essential for eye, brain, heart, and skin health. Brown sea vegetables also provide fucosterol, a plant sterol that amplifies the effect of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase, powerful antioxidants. However, the potential impact of wakame and kombu on our collective waistlines is perhaps even more interesting as warmer weather approaches. Research shows that the carotenoid fucoxanthin can provide anti-obesity and anti-diabetic benefits.
Bonus Benefits
Establish a strong nutritional foundation to strengthen your physical and mental health. Progressive Nutritional's VegeGreens is a comprehensive superfood supplement that provides the nutritional equivalent of 6 to 8 servings of fresh vegetables. This delicious-tasting supplement provides over 60 land and sea nutrients, as well as herbal adaptogens, including ashwagandha and Siberian ginseng, to support stress response. Anti-inflammatory plant oils, including borage and evening primrose, help maintain hormone health. Vegetables such as beetroot, dandelion, and parsley help support natural detoxification pathways.
Clearly, it's important to fill your plate with a colorful mix of plant-based foods. But isn't it good to know that the daily VegeGreens superfood supplement is an easy solution to fill the gaps?
"A Glass of Sunshine" Smoothie
Ingredients:
- 2 cups spring water
- A handful of kale or spinach
- ½ orange
- ½ apple
- 2 tbsp hemp seeds
- 1 serving of Progressive® VegeGreens – Pineapple Coconut flavor.
Directions:
Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.
References:
Doralie, N. et al. (2012). Fucoxantin: a treasure from the sea. Marine Drugs. Mar;10(3):604-16.
Finamore, A. et al. (2017). Antioxidant, Immunomodulating, and Microbial-Modulating Activities of the Sustainable and Ecofriendly Spirulina. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity. 2017;3247528.
Jiang, L., Wang, Y., Yin, Q., Liu, G., Liu, H., Huang, Y., & Li, B. (2017). Phycocyanin: A Potential Drug for Cancer Treatment. Journal of Cancer, 8(17), 3416-3429. doi:10.7150/jca.21058
Lee, D., Nishizawa, M., Shimizu, Y., & Saeki, H. (2017). Anti-inflammatory effects of dulse (Palmaria palmata) resulting from the simultaneous water-extraction of phycobiliproteins and chlorophyll a. Food Research International, 514. https://doi-org.proxy.library.brocku.ca/10.1016/j.foodres.2017.06.040
Martínez, H. G. B., Castillejo, N., Carrión, M. M. del M., Artés, F., & Artés-Hernández, F. (2018). Nutritional and bioactive compounds of commercialized algae powders used as food supplements. Food Science & Technology International, 24(2), 172–182.
Mayer A-M. Historical changes in the mineral content of fruits and vegetables. Brit Food J 1997;96(6): 207-11