The Chic Ecologist

Antioxidants and The Greatest Health Discoveries

Super foods and Supplements are like the stock market – you want to invest over the long term and diversify for best results. With all the attention given to the ‘newest’, ‘greatest’ and ‘exotic’ super foods with mega antioxidants like acai, goji berries, pomegranate and blueberries, you may get sucked into the marketing hype and lose sight of the actual benefit. It’s like greenwashing for healthy foods.

At prices double or triple what you would expect to pay for other healthy fruits and vegetables, it makes you wonder- is this really worth it? The answer is, only if you like the way it tastes, because that is going to be the biggest difference you are going to notice.

While these may be high in a few beneficial antioxidants, you aren’t going to turn into superman consuming them, in fact you may lose out in other important vitamins and minerals by ignoring the less flashy fruits and vegetables.

New and Hot:

Açaí – A berry from the Açaí Palm, found mostly in Central America, has been a staple food of many of the Brazilian jungle dwellers for generations. Far from the antioxidant powerhouse it is marketed as- while it contains more than oranges and apples, it has less antioxidants than the more common blueberry, and black cherry, concord grape or even red wine.

It is a great addition to your existing food selection, but at $5.00 a bottle it’s probably just as healthy as a $1.25 bottle of grape juice.

Goji Berries (Wolfberry) – A berry originating from China has been associated with healing powers and high vitamin C content. Also greatly misrepresented, the dried berry loses a great deal of its potency and are comparable to the levels you would find in a citrus fruit such as an orange or lemon. While tasty, these berries don’t deliver on their lofty health benefits.

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Tags: antioxidant, Food, green marketing, healthy, superfood

Healthy Morning Blender Breakfast

Just wanted to share with you my favorite new breakfast treat from the blender. If you are a smoothie fan, give this one a blend, if not, you will be after tasting this!

Roasted Blueberry Banana Breakfast Smoothie
Yeah, sounds a bit funky, but it’s the best way I could explain it. The roasted flax seeds give it a great toasted flavor which mixes really well with the banana. Great way to get your fiber, Omega 3’s and some potassium with a shot of anti-oxidants.

1 Organic Banana
1 cup Organic frozen blueberries
1/4 cup Roasted Flax Seeds (I usually get them from Trader Joes)
2 cups Organic Soymilk
1/2 cup Organic Vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup of ice

Blend away!

Do you have a favorite smoothie with a bit of a twist? Share it here in the comments section below.
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Tags: Food, healthy, Organic, Raw Foods, smoothies