Why Super Foods Won’t Turn You into Super Woman

Eat flax, and you will lose those last five pounds!  Drink pomegranate, and you will look like a goddess!  Cook with coconut oil, and watch the fat melt from your body! Read why super foods won’t turn you into superwoman.

Every day, new medical research touts the next super food.  The premise behind super foods is they are a magic ingredient you need to eat in order to become healthy. The problem is that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Who Really Benefits from Super foods

I love trying new foods, and some super foods are just plain old good for you.  For example, avocados, blueberries, spinach, olive oil and nuts are generally accepted as good for you, and they also happen to be super foods.  Eat those up!

Did you notice that most granola bars suddenly have flax or chia seeds?  Or, many drinks now have pomegranate or acai berry juice added to them?

What I don’t love are super foods that appear to grow only in a jungle in Brazil and cost about $15 an ounce.  The only thing super about these foods is the money spent on buying them.  Food manufacturers woo the biggest celebrity to endorse these foods and suddenly they are everywhere.

If you boil is all down, super foods are a marketing technique by food companies, and they are laughing all the way to the bank!

Refinery 29 shared that between 2011 and 2015, there was a 202% increase in global launches of food and drink products containing the words “superfood,” “superfruit” or “supergrain,”. No wonder the average person believes that “healthy” food is more expensive than fast or convenience foods.

Remember the whole fiasco with Dr. Oz? He was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for promoting weight loss supplements with insufficient evidence. The super foods involved were “green coffee extract” and “Garcinia cambogia”. These actually cross the line into supplements, which are not regulated or tested by the FDA.

Enthusiastic dieters buy an industrial-size version of those foods, but are at a loss as to how to incorporate them into their diet.  I was such a dieter.

• I bought a whole bag of flaxseed, in both whole and ground versions.  Both are perishing in my cupboard.
• I tried buying granola bars with chia, and spent the greater part of an hour picking out the little gummy seeds from my teeth.  Yuck!
• I only bought a small bottle of coconut oil at the Indian grocery store, thankfully.  At least I can put that in my hair once it expires!

What Foods Make the List

The funny thing is the expert health sites out there don’t even agree on which foods make the top list of super foods you MUST eat. Livescience’s list includes blueberries, kiwi, nuts, beans, kale and broccoli. Woman’s Day includes eggs, tomato sauce, dates, boy choy and apples. Greatist ranks yogurt, quinoa, spinach, green tea, and oatmeal.

According to Health.com, there is not even a legal or medical definition for super foods, but they typically pack large doses of antioxidants, polyphenols, vitamins, and minerals, and may reduce the chance of chronic disease.

Um, if we can’t even agree on what is a super food, then why is one superior to another? Yes, we can eat the most nutrient dense, green, and whole foods that are available to us, and it is probably better than going to your local McDonald’s. However, if you eat a super food once a week, and McDonald’s the rest of the week, is it really doing anything for you?

[bctt tweet=”Real people eat food, not nutrition. #superfoods #wellness” username=”jegoswam”]

You might think there are plenty of websites that provide recipes using those super foods, and you are absolutely right.  But, who has the time or interest in googling hundreds of websites to try a recipe that may turn out to be unpalatable?

(Try out my homemade granola bar recipe using both flaxseeds and coconut oil  for a yummy treat that even my kids eat (Super_Bars).

Drink Up

Did you also notice that most super foods are things you add to your smoothies or shakes? This could include whey protein, maca, wheatgrass, goji, supergreens, acai, pollen, or other more exotic powders and formulas. Or, you could try one of those MLM shake products that allow you to lose weight without dieting or exercise.

By the way, if you believe that, I have some real estate for you to buy. In the swamp.

The way I see it, powders, smoothies and shakes are for babies or older folks who don’t have many teeth. As an adult with chompers, you shouldn’t have to juice or smoothie your way to a better body. Start sinking your teeth into some foods with fiber. Your body (and your scale) will thank you!

Fiona Phillips of the Mirror did some research on whether common super foods were actually superior to foods we normally eat. Not surprisingly, the common foods actually are as healthy (if not healthier) than the super foods.

The difference- the super foods have a heftier price tag, especially if you buy organic.

I’m not saying there aren’t any medical benefits to super foods.  What I am saying is for the average shopper, these foods are not super.  They are useless.  The longer those super foods sit on your shelf, the less likely they will make it into your body. And, you will drop more dollars on them.

If you are sick of super foods and supplements, and ready to take your health into your own hands with regular foods you can buy at any grocery store, then download my Breakfast Blueprint. This Blueprint has ideas for real breakfast foods that you can sink your teeth into!

Got breakfast covered? Get a weekly meal plan with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks for only $1 a day. Choose your preferred plan below.

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