SuperFoods

I love to read.  I love food.  So, every once in a while I read a book about food.  Not just a cookbook (although I do read those like books too), but an actual book about food.  Now I know you are thinking that there is no way a food book is going to hold your attention or be a good read. I thought so too, but I was wrong.

A few years ago my good friend Cathlin and I were talking about reading material as we have very similar taste in books.  Since she knows that I have an interest in good and healthy food and recipes she suggested that I read Superfoods Rx by Dr. Steven Pratt and Dr. Kathy Mathews.  Based on her suggestion I purchased the book.  I immediately flipped though it and did not see any pretty pictures of beautiful recipe creations and was skeptical.  Luckily I gave it a chance and am so happy that I did!

The premise of the book is that eating certain foods can actually improve your health and increase your longevity.  The authors calls these foods SuperFoods.  I loved this premise as we are so often told of the foods we should not be eating.  It was refreshing to hear about the foods we should be eating.  I also like that they specifically state that anyone at any age can benefit from eating these SuperFoods.  Even if you have never made these foods part of your diet, you can still benefit by adding them at any point in your life.

In the book Dr. Pratt cites personal examples where he has seen food dramatically improve quality of life and decrease disease.  He also cites loads of research demonstrating that by making these foods part of your diet, you can actually change the course of your biochemistry, can prevent all kinds of diseases and can even improve longevity.  He talks about micronutrients, phytonutrients, flavonoids, antioxidants and more.  The best part is that he explains all of this in layman’s terms.   It is not overly scientific, but he does give evidence to back up his points.

In addition to going into detail on each of his fourteen SuperFoods and their health benefits, he also gives substitutes in case you do not like a particular SuperFood.  For example, if you do not like tomatoes he suggests other lycopene rich foods such as watermelon or red grapefruit.  If you do not like spinach he suggests other leafy greens.

Another nice feature is that there are recipes featuring SuperFoods from acclaimed Chef Michel Stroot of the Golden Door Spa.  Some of them are easy enough for even a novice cook to follow and are delicious!  In addition the book provides shopping lists and supplement recommendations.

The book was so popular that there was a follow up book published with ten additional SuperFoods.  Overall, I think SuperFoods Rx is an easy read, extremely interesting, practical and helpful to anyone who would like to lead a healthy lifestyle.  I have seen prices ranging from $8 to $15 so it is a bargain as well!  If you are looking for the list of the fourteen SuperFoods they are listed below.  To know why they are SuperFoods you need to read the book 🙂

Beans • Blueberries • Broccoli • Oats • Oranges • Pumpkin • Salmon • Soy • Spinach • Tea — green or black • Tomatoes • Turkey • Walnuts • Yogurt