Superfoods: David Wolfe's Top 10 List Part II

Yowza!! I'm buzzing off my Superfood Smoothie. I went nuts and stocked up on all sorts of yumminess. Today's smoothie: Spirulina, cacao, maca, incan berries, goji berries, mulberries, camu camu, marine phytoplankton, coconut water, aloe vera, bee pollen, royal jelly, banana and a touch of agave. Woowee!! I may have gone a bit overboard, but I was so excited when my shipment arrived from The Raw Food World Store.  Hopefully my shipment from Sunfood will be here tomorrow! As promised, I've prepared a summary on the Top 10 Superfoods, according to David Wolfe.  Keep in mind that the information provided is only a sampling of everything these foods provide.  Most of the foods listed are complete sources of protein, filled with minerals, amino acids, and heal a litany of diseases. My information for each Superfood has only a fraction of the healing information available.  For more details check out David Wolfe's Book on Superfoods.

1. Goji Berries.  If you watched David Wolfe's video, you'll remember he emphasized how important goji berries are in Chinese Medicine. This tantalizing berry is known as the "longevity berry".  Rumor has is a Chinese man named Li Qing Yuen drank a soup made from goji berries daily and lived to be 252 years old! They are a complete protein source, contain 19 different amino acids, 21 trace minerals, are extremely high in Iron and one of the highest antioxidant foods in the world.  Antioxidants protect us from free radicals and counter the creation of cancer cells.  Goji berries also support the adrenal glands, boost immune function, increase alkalinity, improve eyesight and much more.

2. Cacao (Raw Chocolate). This is chocolate in it's purest form.  The Mayans considering this nut to be the food of the Gods and traded it as money instead of gold. Cacao is nature's number one weight loss and energy boosting tool.  Raw cacao supports supports heart function and contains the highest concentration of antioxidants of any food in the world! It contains a great deal of trace minerals, including zinc, copper and Vitamin C. It is the number one source of Magnesium, incredibly high Iron content, helps balance blood sugar and oxygenates the blood.  Cacao also produces Serotonin, which helps us feel good.

3. Maca. Maca is a member of the cruciferous family. This incredible veggie supports and balances your hormones, heals depression, increases libido, supports the Endocrine system, and provides thyroid support.  In men, Maca has proven to heal many issues involving the prostate.

4. Bee Products (Raw Honey, Bee Pollen, Royal Jelly). It's extremely important when researching bee products to support beekeepers that use cruelty free, organic practices. Not only is this more humane, but you will get a much better product. Also, if possible, purchase your Bee Pollen from a local source.  Pollen has proven to greatly reduce allergies, and locally sourced pollen will better protect you from possible allergens in your area.  My Mom gives her dog Aurora bee pollen for allergies and has noticed a significant different in her skin condition, scratching, and other signs of allergies. Bee Pollen is also highly alkaline, neutralized free radicals, increases hormone levels, increases strength and muscle definition. Royal Jelly is fed exclusively to the Queen Bee. This product is extremely high in protein, regulates nerve fibers, B-Vitamins, and treats hormonal imbalances.  A study published in 1960 by the American Association for Cancer Research Inc. found that "whole royal jelly, when premixed with tumor cells before inoculation, has been shown to inhibit completely the development of transplantable AKR leukemia..."

5. Spirulina. This superfood contains the highest concentration of any protein on the planet. It's also one of the best sources of Iron and great for anemics. This bad boy contains all eight essential amino acids, rich in vitamins and minerals, chlorophyll, an anti-inflammatory, balances brain chemistry, a blood builder, immune booster, high in antioxidants, and contains Gamma-Linolenic Acid, which gives us soft silky skin and healthy hair.

6. AFA Super Blue-Green Algae.  Another great green, this algae improves digestion, is a great blood builder, has over 40 trace minerals, is an excellent source of B-Vitamins, a complete protein source, inhibits the growth of cancer cells, reduces inflammation, and protects against free radical damage.  It also contains Phenylethylamine, dubbed the "love chemical" which increases our feelings of joy.

7. Marine Phytoplankton.  The favorite food of whales, this is one powerful food source. Essentially, it is life.  "The makeup of Marine Phytoplankton is exactly what human cell membranes need to carry out their metabolism. Research indicates that Marine Phytoplankton contains every nutrient needed for the creation and maintenance of new cells...Phytoplankton is 100 percent bio available to the human body; when you eat it, not a single part of it is wasted. This is astounding because even the healthiest foods contain less than 50 percent absorb able and available nutrition. " Check out David Wolfe's video from my previous blog entry for some cool info on this amazing product!

8. Aloe Vera. This amazingly beautiful plant is a great healer and easy to grow at home. Topically Aloe heals many skin problems including burns and eczema. You can also drink it, I suggest buying "George's", this brand is not the slightest bit bitter, in fact it tastes just like water. Aloe is great for all types of digestive problems, including Crohn's Disease, it aids in relieving fungal infections, kills yeast, and is great for weight loss.  Aloe Vera also reduces inflammation, reduces cancer tumors, normalizes blood sugar, produces white blood cells, promotes healthy kidneys and increases the elasticity of our skin.

9. Hemp Seed.  This controversial seed is also one of nature's richest sources of complete protein, only exceeded by Spirulina and Blue-Green Algae. Hemp Seeds are extremely high in Omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids, are a great source of fiber, an anti-inflammatory, high mineral content and contain 18 amino acids.  There are a lot of great Hemp Protein Powders on the market, making this a very easily accessible Superfood.

10. Coconuts. Forget sports drinks, coconuts are one of the highest sources of electrolytes in nature. Coconuts improve digestion, aid in fighting off viruses, symptoms of hypoglycemia, regulate hormone production, support the thyroid, increase metabolism, support healthy cholesterol, alleviate kidney stones, aid in urinary tract infections and are a great source of raw saturated fat. Fun fact: "Young coconut water is nearly identical to human blood plasma, making it a universal donor. During the Pacific battles of World War II, between 1941-1945, both sides in the conflict used coconut water--siphoned directly from the coconut--to give emergency plasma transfusions to wounded soldiers."

I realize to the average reader that some of these Superfoods sound rather foreign and sketchy on the taste factor.  Never fear, Super Smoothies are here!! Any and all of these items can be tossed together to create a kick ass, healing taste sensation. Coconut water is also great on it's own and makes an excellent sport drink. Most of these products can be found in your local health food store or Whole Foods. For the harder to find products, I recommend checking out The Raw Food World for great deals, fast service, and a monthly informative newsletter with coupons. Tomorrow Superfoods Part III will debut, where I will cover David Wolfe's Honorable Mentions, along with a few suggestions of my own. If you missed Part I, click here to check it out: Superfoods: Eating for Optimal Health Part I.

Superfoods: Eating For Optimal Health Part I

This past week I've been a bit sluggish. I've been sleeping alot (like, until 2pm), have less energy when I'm up, zero creativity, and more or less have been planted on the sofa watching early episodes of Stargate SG-1 and Scarecrow and Mrs. King. I wondered what could be causing this shift and I realized that I've slacked a bit, not intentionally in a few departments. With the heat, Triton and I haven't been walking as regularly, and unfortunately I haven't replaced our walks with another form of exercise.  Instead of doing my energy routine twice a day, it's been more like once a day or every other day recently.  And although I eat pretty well, I haven't been eating optimally for my health.  Meaning, while carrots are superfantastic, Spirulina kicks some carrot booty, plus some.  Generally I get the "goods" in my daily smoothie, but this past month the laziness bug has kicked in and I've swapped my Superfood Smoothies for processed Naked/Botthouse Farm beverages. Monday I started back up on my smoothies, and in just two days I've noticed a huge difference. I started getting up earlier day by day, I've been writing again, I have more energy, and even took Trition for a very sweaty sticky walk this evening.  I decided I need to kick things up a notch, and checked out David Wolfe's book "Superfoods: The Food and Medicine of the Future" from the library. He's an incredible resource of information, and inspired me to really get gung ho in regards to my diet.  Since the beginning of the cancer parade, I've had a few items that consistently show up in a bad way on my blood tests.

1. Low levels of Hydrochloric Acid.  What does this mean?  Essentially hydrochloric acid is the stuff that breaks down your food in a digestible format that your body can use and distribute for all it's various functions. So all those pills, veggies, etc. have had very little effect because my body is unable to absorb most of it.
2. Anemia.  I have an extremely low iron count, in fact generally I'm only a point away from a blood transfusion. This tends to freak the doctors out. My Naturopath literally cannot understand how I get up each day based on the results of my blood test.
3. Hypoglycemia. My blood sugar is all over the place, and I've always bounced between being at risk for hypoglycemia and diabetes. Neither one screams fun times.
4. Hormonal Imbalance. Now this one has been on and off over the years. I've had long periods of time where everything is perfect, my cycle is regular and life is good. However, I've been wacky since about Thanksgiving, I think I've had maybe three menstrual cycles, which is not good. It freaks me out just a bit because I only have half an ovary, due to some benign tumors they cut out in my early twenties, so my understanding of this part of my body is really weak. Note to self: See a gynecologist.

Everything else is awesome! When I first starting going in for blood tests five years ago, EVERYTHING was off the chart's bad. Hemoglobin levels, kidney enzymes, you name it, the results sucked. For the past year everything has been in balance except for those four items, plus my inflammation levels.  The level of inflammation in my body has always been off the charts bad, which is the cancer, however, slowly by surely it's edging towards happier levels. However, I think the other issues are making the process much slowly.  If my body didn't have to put all it's effort on getting me to function on a basic level each day, the cancer would probably dissolve quickly.  Hence the interest in Superfoods. 

David came up with a list of his "Top 10 Superfoods" and "Honorable Mentions." Each item on his list has everything I need to eliminate anemia, hypoglycemia, hormonal imbalance, cancer, and my digestive issues. 

David's Top 10 Superfoods:
Goji Berries, Cacao, Maca, Bee Products (Honey, Bee Pollen, Royal Jelly, Propolis), Spirulina, AFA Blue-Green Algae, Marine Phytoplankton, Aloe Vera, Hempseed, Coconut.

Honorable Mentions:
Acai, Camu Camu Berry, Chlorella, Incan Berries, Kelp, Noni, Yacon

I feel this is an extremely important and eye opening subject, so I'm splitting this into a three-part blog.  For now, check out this video of David Wolfe discussing various Superfoods.  Check back on Friday for Part II, where I'll break down the Top 10 Superfoods and share why they are so "super"!