I’m sure many of you are aware of the elite class of foods known as superfoods. They’re the superheroes of the food world, packed with a nutritional punch and capable of fighting off many a malady. Basically they’re really, really, really good for us. But the thing is, we’re told to eat so many different healthy foods that, well I don’t know about you lot, but it can start to get a bit overwhelming right? After all there’s only so many eating hours in the day, so how on earth are we meant to ensure we get a decent mix of all the superfoods we need, as well as eating some of the other foods we love too?

This is where superfood powder blends come in. You see, all of the hard work has already been done for you, and all you need to do is add a spoonful or two to a smoothie or mixed into your porridge etc. and you’ve powered up your food in an instant.

In this article we’re going to take a look at some of the powerful ingredients you can find in Healthxcel Superfood Powders and focus specifically on how these superfoods can help with our mental health.

Let’s take a look at the superhero ingredients of superfood powder blends in more detail:

Ashwagandha

This small evergreen shrub that grows in India, the Middle East, and some parts of Africa has long been used in traditional herbal medicine. It is classified as an adaptogen – a natural substance that helps the body to adapt to physical, chemical and biological stress. Not only is it incredibly good for our physical health, but it also provides numerous benefits to our mental health too, which is why it is arguably one of the most powerful superfoods out there.

Scientific studies have shown Ashwagandha can:

• Improve brain function.
• Encourage healthy levels of cortisol.
• Lower anxiety levels.
• Fight symptoms of depression.
• Promote a feeling of calm.
• Energise.
• Stabilise moods.

But why is that?

Ashwagandha contains an abundance of antioxidants, iron and amino acids, which as a combination are a winning formula for the human body. We need antioxidants to help fight against any free radicals we are exposed to, iron to help oxygenate our bodies, and amino acids… well amino acids do all kinds of awesome stuff for us, including helping with: fertility, immunity, digestion, and mental alertness to name but a mere few.

Sounds near on perfect. However, Ashwagandha really doesn’t taste nice. It has a very distinct bitter taste to it, which is why it is best consumed in powder form and ideally as part of various superfood powder blends to disguise the taste, but to still gain all of the benefits from this powerful herbal pharmaceutical.

Reishi Mushrooms

Reishi mushrooms have been traditionally used to help with sleep issues, and we all know how important sleep is for good mental health. Taoist monks used it to reduce stress, calm the mind and to transform negative energy in the body, and we are still using these power fungi for the same reasons today.

The impact of stress can be felt throughout the entire human body and can be the cause of many an issue. When we feel stressed, our nervous systems send out an SOS message to the brain, which responds by instructing the adrenal glands to start stimulating the release of stress hormones, such as cortisol. Too much cortisol isn’t good for us, it can lead to rapid weight gain, muscle weakness, high blood pressure, and mood swings. And the problem is that when we are stressed we often turn to things that make these problems worse – we binge on junk food, drink more alcohol, get less sleep, and feel less motivated to exercise.

Incorporating superfood blend powders that contain Reishi mushrooms will help to ease these feelings of stress, help to calm our minds, as well as make us feel centred and grounded as though we’ve got a grip on things.

Spirulina

Spirulina is a bluey-green algae and is a type of cyanobacteria, which is a family of single-celled microbes. It is thought to be one of the oldest life forms on Earth and was first used by the Aztecs who used it to help boost their endurance levels – they believed it helped them to run for longer.

Like Ashwagandha, spirulina has a bitter taste, so you are most likely to find it in powdered form which can then be added to smoothies, yogurts etc. to disguise the taste. It does however add an amazing vibrancy to food, as its strong colour helps dye liquids such as smoothies and you can create some awesome food art pics to share on your Instagram.

Spirulina is mostly known for its physical benefits, however recent studies have shown that it could also be good for our mental health too. I mentioned the importance of amino acids earlier, and it turns out spirulina is a good source of tryptophan; the amino acid that supports serotonin. Now, serotonin if you haven’t heard of it before, is basically the body’s happy hormone. We produce it when we exercise, when we expose ourselves to natural light, but mostly we get tryptophan from the food we eat which is then converted to serotonin. People who have depression or who suffer with anxiety may have reduced levels of serotonin and so complimenting the diet with spirulina could help to alleviate this.

Moringa

Moringa is a plant native to India that is known for its antifungal, antiviral, antidepressant, and anti-inflammatory properties. Just a handful of moringa leaves contain seven times the amount of vitamin C in an orange, four times the amount of calcium in a glass of milk and three times the amount of potassium contained in one banana.

It is also a rich source of protein and contains 15 amino acids, including tryptophan which we now know helps bring on those happy hormones. Like all good superfoods, it tastes bitter and can also sometimes have a horseradish like heat to it (in fact the moringa plant is sometimes referred to as the horseradish tree). It is mostly found in powdered form either on its own or as a combined ingredient in superfood powder blends, but can also be found in tea and of course in supplement form.

Moringa is thought to help relieve chronic headaches, combat low energy and fatigue, as well as controlling mood swings and helping against insomnia.

All of these natural superfoods are amazing in their own right, but just imagine how much more powerful they become when they are mixed together in the ultimate superfood powder blends! Convenient, easy, and most importantly natural. If you’re looking for a way to up your nutritional game and improve your mental health without it becoming a massive burden and taking up time you quite frankly don’t have, then superfood powder blends could be exactly what you’ve been looking for.

*collaborative post

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Sardines. What does the name conjure up for you?

A smelly, oily fish? Or a decadent superfood?

If you are like many Americans, you bypass the sardine section at the grocery store without a second glance. But what if you knew that these little fish were actually a nutrient powerhouse, helpful in reducing inflammation, promoting bone, heart and skin health and vitality as well as providing a plethora of other nutritional health benefits ?

Part of the herring family, the name sardine is thought to have originated from the fact that these fish were once abundant around the beautiful Italian island of Sardinia. Today, sardines are eaten worldwide, and are considered an inexpensive, high-quality source of protein. In the US, we mostly see them canned; however, in other parts of the globe such as Spain, Portugal, Morocco and India, they are eaten in a variety of ways: grilled, served with pasta sauce, made into meatballs, or fried.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program lists Pacific sardines as a “best choice” due to their abundance and high production rate. They also have one of the lowest mercury levels of any fish, making them an excellent choice for everyone, but especially kids and pregnant women.

Many foods are called ‘superfoods’ but sardines are truly the ultimate one.

According to the USDA database, one 3.2 oz can of sardines has 20g protein (that’s a lot!). It’s important to note that not all protein is made equal – there is a difference between plant and animal protein.  Animal proteins tend to be a better, more complete nutrition complement because their amino acid profiles typically include more essential amino acids necessary for our diet.

Sardines are an excellent source of the highest quality protein available. One can of sardines also contains about 300 mg calcium — more than a glass of cow’s milk. They are high in Vitamin D (a vitamin the majority of Americans are deficient in!) and have an outstanding Omega-3 fatty acid profile. On top of this they are a great source of B12, as well as numerous other nutrients.

Can you see why they are truly a superfood? Let’s dive in more:

Reduction of inflammation

Sardines are an abundant source of EPA and DHA, which are two fatty acids that studies show your body can use to reduce inflammation.

Brain development and function

EPA and DHA are essential for fetal brain development. Sardines are one of the safest fish that pregnant women and children can consume because of their very low mercury content.

Immune-boosting properties

Sardines contain a high amount of selenium, which is necessary for your thyroid and overall immune system to function optimally. Most of the selenium is in the silvery skin of the sardine so don’t be afraid to eat this part!

A skin superfood

The abundant omega-3 fatty acids found in sardines are a critical component of radiant skin. Some small studies have even shown the DHA and EPA fatty acids found in sardines to help improve responses to sun exposure (of course sun screen should always be used!) as well as improvements in conditions like psoriasis.

May lower insulin resistance and blood sugar.

An animal-based study published in 2012 looked at the effect of diets containing sardines on bloods sugar and insulin levels. It was shown that sardine protein diets diminished plasma insulin as well as insulin resistance. Plasma  free fatty acids were also lower. Finally, the sardine diets showed significantly decreased plasma glucose and HbA1C (a measure of long term blood sugar).

Keeps you full and satisfied.

Sardines are high in protein and have an optimal balance of Omega-3’s. The combination of these two essential nutrients is ideal for providing fullness and long-lasting energy: protein helps keep you feeling full longer, while healthy fats help manage insulin response, thus helping stabilize blood sugar levels and control cravings and hunger.

And what’s the ultimate health benefit of sardines? They are the better choice for our planet’s health.

These mighty fish are very low in mercury, but eating them also has the potential to help rebalance the marine ecosystem. A study recently suggests that by consuming more of the fish on top of the food chain and less of the forage fish, like sardines, the population of forage fish has increased, throwing off oceanic ecosystems. Eating fewer large fish (like tuna) and more small fish (like sardines) can help us maintain a healthy balance in our ecosystem.

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Recently, we spent some quality time with Darin Olien, Shakeology‘s co-formulator and superfood hunter — and star and co-host of the Netflix travel show, “Down to Earth With Zac Efron,” to talk about some of the health topics he’s most passionate about.

For those not in the know, Darin Olien, the world’s foremost superfood hunter, has dedicated his life to tracking down some of the most nutrient-dense and underutilized foods on the planet to help promote health and vitality — a result of which is Shakeology.

We caught up with Darin at his ranch on the outskirts of Malibu, where he now lives in a modernized yurt — a tent-like home often used by nomads.

(His house burned down in the 2018 California wildfires while he was off shooting “Down to Earth,” and he lost everything in it.)

On his Netflix show, Darin and Zac travel the world talking to extraordinary people to find out their secrets to living long, heathy, and sustainable lives.

Below is one of the videos we captured with Darin, where he discusses weight loss — specifically, why it’s so hard to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight in today’s modern life.

According to the latest CDC stats, nearly 72 percent of Americans are overweight.

And it’s not just an American problem — it’s a worldwide problem.

According to Olien, one of the biggest reasons for this is what he calls our “broken food system.”

Check out the video to find out what he has to say about weight loss and modern life, including what foods will help and hurt our weight-loss efforts, why we crave junk food, and what happens to our body when we feed it foods that our ancestors ate.

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6 nutrients in seafood that make it a superfood for your skin:

1) High quality protein

Seafood is an excellent source of protein which is an essential nutrient for tissue growth, development and rejuvenation. The body takes the protein you consume and breaks it down into amino acids, which are reused to form collagen and keratin, which are the structural components of the skin. Protein intake is also important to help the body get rid of old, damaged skin cells and create new ones. 

2) Omega 3 fatty acids 

Before we dive deep into chatting about how omega-3s are great for skin, it’s important to note that not all omega 3-s are the same! There are actually three main types. All omega-3s are polyunsaturated fats, but they can be further classified into: 

EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), which both come from fatty fish. EPA and DHA are called essential fatty acids because the body can’t produce them on it’s own, which is why we need to obtain adequate amounts from marine sources (like seafood). 

ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) are the omega-3s found in plant foods (vegetable oils, walnuts, flaxseed, hemp seeds, soybeans). Unfortunately, ALA omega-3s are not the active form of the fatty acid and therefore can’t be used by the body in the same way as EPA or DHA. To reap the same health benefits, ALA has to be converted in EPA and DHA, but this conversion rate is relatively low. For example, this study found that only ∼2 to 10% of ALA is converted to EPA or DHA. 

So the general takeaway here is that seafood is really one of the FEW sources of EPA and DHA omega 3-s (the kind that are best used within the body!)

Now, the reason why omega-3s are important for your skin is because they help to decrease inflammation in the body, which helps your skin not look so red and puffy. The fish with the highest source of omega 3-s include trout, salmon, mackerel, herring, and sardines. 

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