Superfood - Asparagus

Asparagus is a springtime vegetable that is versatile and uniquely delicious. Buying it this time of year is best as it is fresh and particularly nutritious, since it is in season. Studies show that asparagus balances insulin levels, which means that it powerfully prevents diabetes. Ensuring that our insulin levels are stable is one of the most important things we can do for our health. It allows us to live long and feel good. Its unique mineral profile makes it an effective natural diuretic. Natural diuretics promote the formation of urine in the kidneys, aiding in detoxification and cleansing.

Asparagus is also one of the only vegetables to contain inulin, which feeds friendly bacteria that live in the large intestine. This makes it a great food for preventing yeast overgrowth, and it generally keeps the digestive system and belly well.

Asparagus contains loads of folate. Among other health benefits, folate is essential for pre conception and the early stages of pregnancy. Asparagus' high level of this mineral means that is can reduce the risk of birth defects and helps the nervous system develop beautifully.

Here are some other benefits that make asparagus one of the best super foods on the planet.
* Great for your heart
* Asparagus fights depression and puts you in a good mood
* Gets rid of warts by eating one of the best super foods on the planet!
* Asparagus lowers cholesterol
* Stimulates milk production in nursing mothers
* It is a potent antioxidant
* Is antifungal and antiviral
* Your kidneys will love asparagus... it helps cleanse the body and prevent kidney stones
* Asparagus prevents bladder and urinary tract infections
* Helps with treating HIV
* Helps prevent multiple sclerosis
* Asparagus contains anti cancer properties and is especially powerful in preventing lung cancer
* Is energizing and fights chronic fatigue syndrome
* Asparagus will lower blood pressure naturally
* Asparagus is top of the list of alkaline foods
* Asparagus stimulates hair production and is one of the best super foods for balding.

So as it is spring time, it is the perfect time of year to get out and find some locally grown, preferably organic asparagus. It is delectable finely chopped in salads, barbecued with mustard, or lightly steamed.

Superfoods

Good health is very important. So knowing the benefits and qualities of different foods can be very useful and can help you on your way to achieving good health. The graphic shows the health benefits that different foods can have and how foods can help keep to keep you in good health.

The Healthiest Foods on Earth

Pineapple	Speeds post-surgery	Promotes joint health	Reduces asthma inflammation
Blueberries	Restore antioxidant levels	Reverse age-related brain decline	Prevent urinary tract infection
Spinach	Helps maintain mental sharpness	Reduces the risk of cancers of the liver, ovaries, colon and prostate	Top nutrient density
Red Bell Pepper	Reduces risk of lung, prostate, ovarian and cervical cancer	Protects against sunburn	Promotes heart health
Broccoli	Reduces diabetic damage	Lowers risk of prostate, bladder, colon, pancreatic, gastric and breast cancer	Protects the brain in event of injury
Tomato	Reduces inflammation	Lowers risk of developing esophageal, stomach, colorectal, lung and pancreatic cancer	Reduces cardiovascular disease risk
Apple	Supports immunity	Fights lung and prostate cancer	Lowers Alzheimer’s risk
Artichoke	Helps blood clotting	Antioxidant Superfood	Lowers “bad” cholesterol
Arugula	Lowers birth defect risk	Reduces fracture risk	Protects eye health
Asparagus	Nourishes good gut bacteria	Protects against birth defects	Promotes heart health
Avocado	Limits liver damage	Reduces oral cancer risk	Lowers cholesterol levels
Blackberries	Build bone density	Suppress appetite	Enhance fat burning
Butternut Squash	Supports night vision	Combats wrinkles	Promotes heart health
Cantaloupe	Bolsters immunity	Protects skin against sunburn	Reduces inflammation
Carrot	Antioxidants defend DNA	Fights cataracts	Protects against some cancers
Cauliflower	Stimulates detoxification	Suppresses breast cancer cell growth	Defends against prostate cancer
Cherries	Alleviate arthritic pain and gout	Lower “bad” cholesterol	Reduce inflammation
Cranberries	Alleviate prostate pain	Fight lung, colon and leukemia cancer cells	Prevent urinary tract infection
Green Cabbage	Promotes healthy blood clotting	Reduces risk of prostate, colon, breast and ovarian cancers	Activates the body’s natural detoxification systems
Kale	Counters harmful estrogens that can feed cancer	Protects eyes against sun damage and cataracts	Increases bone density
Kiwi	Combats wrinkles	Lowers blood clot risk and reduces blood lipids	Counters constipation
Mango	Supports immunity	Lowers “bad” cholesterol	Regulates homocysteine to protect arteries
Mushrooms	Promote natural detoxification	Reduce the risk of colon and prostate cancer	Lower blood pressure
Orange	Reduces levels of “bad” cholesterol	Lowers risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, breast and stomach, and childhood leukemia	Pectin suppresses appetite
Papaya	Enzymes aid digestion	Reduces risk of lung cancer	Enhances fat burning
Plums & Prunes	Counter constipation	Antioxidants defend against DNA damage	Protects against post-menopausal bone loss
Pomegranate	Enhances sunscreen protection	Lowers “bad” cholesterol	Fights prostate cancer
Pumpkin	Protects joints against polyarthritis	Lowers lung and prostate cancer risk	Reduces inflammation
Raspberries	Inhibit growth of oral, breast, colon and prostate cancers	Antioxidant DNA defense	Lower “bad” cholesterol levels
Strawberries	Protect against Alzheimer’s	Reduce “bad” cholesterol	Suppress growth of colon, prostate and oral cancer
Sweet Potato	Reduces stroke risk	Lowers cancer risk	Protect against blindness
Watermelon	Supports male fertility	Reduces risk of several cancers: prostate, ovarian, cervical, oral and pharyngeal	Protects skin against sunburn
Banana	Increases Fat Burning	Lowers risk of colorectal and kidney cancer, leukemia	Reduces asthmas symptoms in children

Disease-Fighting Foods

“Let food be your medicine, and medicine be your food.” When Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, wrote those words more than 2,400 years ago, he was hundreds of years ahead of his time. Today, thousands of studies around the world confirm Hippocrates’ advice: What you eat has a powerful effect on your health.

Functional Foods

The buzz today is about “functional foods” that provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition. Researchers say a diet high in fruits, vegetables, nuts and cold-water fish can make your immune system stronger and reduce your risk of heart disease, certain cancers, and age-related vision and mental problems.

Supplements vs. Food

Studies say that taking supplements instead of eating whole foods doesn’t provide the same benefits and may actually increase your risk of disease. Researchers think that the combination of natural chemicals found in whole foods work together to promote health.

10 Important Disease-Fighting Foods

Enjoy the benefits of these top food choices, found on your grocery store’s shelves:

Spinach

May prevent age-related vision problems; provides folate, a vitamin critical for reducing birth defects; reduces blood levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that increases heart disease risk; may protect the brain from aging

Broccoli

High in sulforaphane, a naturally occurring compound that may help destroy tumor-causing chemicals; provides indole-3-carbinol, a phytochemical (nutrient that comes from plants) that may protect against estrogen-related cancers

Salmon

One of the best sources for omega-3 fatty acid, a type of fat that may reduce the risk of blood clots and cardiovascular disease; has anti-inflammatory effect; may reduce risk of diseases such as diabetes, stroke, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, some cancers and mental decline

Nuts

Loaded with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, omega-3 fatty acid and vitamin E; helps reduce total blood cholesterol

Tomatoes

Rich in lycopene, a phytochemical that seems to play a role in preventing certain cancers

Berries

High in cancer-fighting phytochemicals; appear to have brain-protective properties that may help prevent, and possibly reverse, age-related declines in memory and learning ability

Beans / Legumes

Excellent source of protein, heart-healthy fiber, folate and antioxidants; may help reduce cholesterol levels

Oats

Rich in a type of fiber that’s effective in reducing total and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol; effective in regulating blood sugar levels

Purple Grape Juice, Red or Purple Grapes, Red Wine

High in a cancer-fighting compound that may also help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease

Coffee and Tea

Coffee: Appears to reduce risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and age-related cognitive decline
Black Tea: May reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease
Green Tea: May prevent certain types of cancer

10 facts about superfoods

1. Two apples a day can reduce cholesterol by ten percent.
2. Eating at least three servings of fruits, vegetables, and salads daily can half your risk of heart and circulatory disease.
3. Eating one portion of any of the cabbage family daily significantly reduces the risk of lung, colon, and breast cancer.
4. Two portions a week of spinach, sorrel or beet tops reduces the risk of adult macular degeneration (AMD) by fifty percent.
5. The equivalent of six ripe tomatoes daily -- whole fruit, purée, sauce, soup, ketchup, sun-dried or juice -- halves the risk of prostate cancer in men and helps prevent blood clots and high blood pressure.
6. One clove of garlic daily reduces cholesterol and makes the blood less sticky, preventing blood clots.
7. Southern Europeans get twice as much of their energy (ten percent) than people in North America (four-and-a-half percent) from the protective fruit and vegetable superfoods.
8. The Mediterranean diet, with its high level of superfoods, means less disease and longer life expectancy; for example, Greeks have the lowest amount of bowel cancer in the whole of Europe.
9. Vitamin pills are not a substitute for superfoods. All the studies using pills to replicate the benefits of the Mediterranean diet for heart disease have failed.
10. Superfoods explain "the French Paradox:" a diet of cheese, pâté, sausage, wine, and cigarettes but with massive intakes of superfoods means that the average French person has a sixty percent lower risk of premature death from heart disease than his or her equivalent in the UK.