SUPERFOODS
Mother earth in her ever changing states, fro
m pre historic times to the present has adapted to the myriad of fluctuations. These fluctuations have severely influenced the flora and fauna, which exists in every corner of the planet. Altering their properties and physiologies to a certain extent which are quite impressive. This is the case for all of the known and unknown foods we supply our diets with. A certain group of these foods have evolved to such an degree that they tend to metabolize with in their physical constitutions higher than average volume of nutrients (vitamins, minerals, proteins, enzymes, phytochemicals. Etc.) Given the unique circumstances which they might be exposed too, due to environment, location, topography, human manipulation/domestication etc. These have been baptized by some as superfoods though no actual medical, nutritional references exist to accept the term. Though there are actual references to citations in the Oxford English dictionary dating back to the 1915´s stating “a food considered especially nutritious or otherwise beneficial to health and well-being,”
Though, it has become a household name do we really understand the meaning and is the meaning we are being offered mean anything at all? Certainly we can make the case for extremely higher than normal, nutritional profiles and health benefits through a myriad of complex phytochemicals and other ¨mystical¨ power interactions with in the human body. Under the basic common sense that their benefits are SUPERior to other foods, that makes sense as to why call a certain food a superfood. But is that all there is to it? Why does it always seem the most exotic looking and the place of origin, the more SUPER it makes it? And what place do the non-superfoods have in our diet? Should we just go for broke and spend our whole earning we would usually spend on ¨regular¨ food and spend them on superfoods, since we will get ¨all¨ the nutrients we will ever require? It all makes sense, at least superficially until you start thinking outside the lines the marketing of certain companies lead you to believe.
Some food for thought
As we stated earlier, the general idea of a super food is one packed with nutrients and that digests easy. In earlier history such common products like vinegar, salt, wine, peanut butter, soy milk where consider along the lines of what we now think of a super foods. Which I can recall today being marketed as the ¨fountain of youth¨, ¨youth from X place in the planet¨, ¨natures whole food multi vitamin¨etc. Such products like Noni, Goji berries, Maca, Quinoa, and Açai just to name a few of the ever growing list of exotic super foods.
Contrary to popularized pretenses that they served as staples in the common diets of indigenous groups around the world, such claims are ill founded given that generally most of these cultures lived on a diversity of foods which we are just now beginning to uncover, historically some crops where lost due to being ¨un-holy¨ or of ¨lower nutritional value¨ as stated by European colonizers mainly in the Americas. Also it is now known that most of these cultures lived on what by today standards would be quite unpleasant or unaccepted like dog, lizards, insects (including their eggs), worms, fungus, yeasts, plants, etc. how about that for a super food? In extreme and seasonal times they would live almost exclusively out of certain foods given the circumstances. Think most carried out no written records, most had no writing at all those that had hieroglyphs or other means of keeping records where wiped out along with any trace of what really happened in their societies including nutritious wise. The depictions of what went on in the eating habits back then is just now being puzzled together, most of what we know are watered down versions. Also they commercialized them as being sacred to these cultures and thus known to be endowed with some sort of magical aura of hyper-nutrition. Here the word sacred is loosely used as there is no vaguely similarity at least in the Native American languages for this word. Rather a Christian European based introduction to depict the high reverence and respect the natives showed for their crops, their whole cultures depended on them yet given their high superstitious nature and lack of in-depth understanding of the chemical processes by today agronomical standards at work they tended to have a different relationship with these foods, almost spiritual. Together with the mythological sometimes allegoric stories presented for some of these products, we have to understand most if not all of these culture had no actual written languages and believed in a energy which moved through all living things thus personalizing their foods no different than they personified all living and non living things around them, since in their Cosmo-vision there w
as no essential difference.
This is food for thought, so we are aware of the typical commercial tools being employed to make something more interesting and enticing. Not intended to discredit any product, rather present a non bias opinion not on the actual products, rather on the superfood hype.
SO WHY BOTHER?
As stated earlier here the idea is not to slander any particular product or company. We need to be clear and informed on the whole concept of superfoods, which tend to run loose and create a misconception of the up to date understood facts. Then we can be creative and carry out personalized educated choices, out of our own free will not out of impulse to consume.
We need to rescue and expand that nature blesses us with it´s bounty and this bounty tends to adapt to certain extreme to abnormal natural conditions. Creating a different nutritional profile, which tends to take shape in the most beautiful of ways to attract pollinators, protect it self from pests, environmental hazards, competition from other plants, etc. this in the form of pigmentations (colors) shapes, densities, etc. it is, it´s reason to be. To give and propagate, we tend to pay attention to the main ones these being protein, minerals, vitamins, and recently lipids and quite over exaggerated antioxidants. The late Dr. Christopher had a quote which I loved and he states:
¨we eat apples because of their vitamin A, and B and C but also we will find in time, their richness in vitamin W, Z and X the integrity of which is what provides the benefits¨
What this amazing man, tried to elegantly present to us is the fact that we are just barely scrapping the top of the surface in nutrition. That the biological chemical constituents found in ordinary every day foods, have a potential to create and maintain health is incredible. Though science is working at understanding metabolic pathways and how nutrients really work with in the body, the truth of the matter is the body is like the universe we will never understand it completely. Further more most studies are carried out under isolated, reductive principles. Taking in to consideration the vast and incrompehensible resiliency of the body, the way it disassembles and reassembles nutrients in innumerable ways is mind boggling.
Every product has it´s place and well worth appreciating it´s gift, being critical of the superfood hype is essential in order to be non-categorical regarding common more ordinary foods. Implying there exists super foods, would also imply there are normal and sub-normal foods which is not the case. Diversification of flora and fauna is critical for global well being; diversification in your diet is critical for your well being. So introducing exotic foods is certainly not a bad thing, a good thing; you could be helping a local economy, saving a potentially endangered species, saving a piece of a rainforest, a culture, way of living etc. But don´t forget your local farmer at your famers market providing you with those wonderful products.
Certain European countries are actually enforcing laws, where companies are held accountable for naming a product ¨super¨ requiring them to provide insight as to what makes it super. There is no denying the magnificent qualities of certain products, and here both companies and consumer are held responsible for their role in the commercializing and consumption of a product.
To sum things up, you will always have people to glorify and others to criticize a product. So take both sides of the story in, don´t give in to the marketing propaganda on one side and don´t give in to the fear and reductive induce propaganda on the other. Rather educate yourself, be sensitive to the product, try it out if you feel is worth it, give it some time and if you feel it works for you then great, incorporate it to complement your life style and balanced nutrient intake, If it doesn´t give thanks and move on. Always listen to your body and what you require! 
Most important erase the whole superfood concept out of your mind, when you think about the fact that plants are about 2-4% earth minerals and 96-98% condensed sunlight and gases you believe that all of the plant creation is super.
Visit this website for some good information on elemental nutritional brake down of some common fruits, above you will see links to vegetables, nuts and seeds to go and observe nutrient charts on some common and not so common ones. This is to give you a rough idea of your nutrient intake. Though I would make a very controversial point to not limit your nutrition to what the experts say, we have over the past 30 years shifted our focus from food to nutrients it seems now the actual food holds no value unless we get the biochemist, nutritionists, and other scientists to dissect the food we are about to eat. Now it seems the antioxidants and fiber, protein and whole spectrum of macro and micro nutrients has the upper hand and it´s becoming quite confusing, not to mention expensive and unsustainable. We but have to view the landscape: we have more food scientists, experts, gurus than ever before we have the most sophisticated instruments, the fastest way to send and receive information yet we have the ever soaring expenditure on health and our collective health on all areas (mental, spiritual, physical, emotional, connective) does not seem to optimistic on the short run. So I propose to you, more so I dare you! to be in ¨the know¨, be ¨informed¨ but don´t exagerate to the point you are crunching numbers before your meals. Refocus on food and the magnificence of nature and it´s gifts
http://www.healthalternatives2000.com/fruit-nutrition-chart.html
For reference on the bio and culinary diversity of the ancient cultures where most actual ¨superfoods¨ originate please visit the following links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aztec_cuisine
http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodmaya.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_cuisine
http://www.tradewindsfruit.com/fruitscommon.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture_in_Mesoamerica
http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11763&page=R5
http://crosstree.info/Documents/Veggies%20ID.pdf
http://www.crfg.org/pubs/frtfacts.html
http://crosstree.info/Documents/Fruit%20ID0.pdf
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