It's not about the calories...

I am going to apologize before hand. I usually have my Sciency Saturday inspiration occur to me in the beginning of the week and I write the actual post around Wednesday. However, this week I've been swarmed with this new opportunity I got to write articles for Nutritas Health and I signed up to write 10 of those :S Anyways, the articles I wrote about were about the health benefits of certain foods, spices, and supplements. 

It was an AMAZING learning experience and I learned some much! Nutritional labels are pretty messed up nowadays that they focus a little too much around calories, fat, protein, and some key vitamins and minerals. However, food is filled with amazing small molecules that have various activities within the body. Some are anti-cancer, some regulate our hormone levels, the list goes on and on and on.

I guess it really is all about just eating the healthy things and not those low calorie alternatives that are filled with junk. In a way I feel like we have evolved with nature. Think about it, an apple tree wants you to eat its apple so that you can spread the seeds all over the place so it will attract you and ensure your survival by providing you with nutrients and beneficial molecules. On the other hand, it's bad if the apple is eaten by parasites so there will be substances in the apple to kill of bacteria. These substances can also be beneficial for us in terms of helping us avoid infections. Does that make sense? It's just my theory though...

The other thing I remember is my diabetes patient last year for my naturopathy course. Now that I think about it, her diet plan seemed very much like those 1200 calorie ones I was in shock of. Yet, she weigh twice as much as me, was a head shorter, and ate almost half of what I did. She did lose weight once I "healthyfied" her died. What gives? I guess it's really more about what you eat and not so much the calories...

Anyways, I though I'd share some of the things I've learnt. :)

Amaranth
Contains tocotrienols (unsaturated vitamin E) which blocks the endogenous cholesterol synthesis pathway. Please remember that 80% of our total cholesterol is actually made by our body while the other 20% comes from dietary sources.

Maca
Acts as an adaptogen meaning that it helps our bodies cope with stress.
Has been shown to effect the hypothalamus- pituitary gland- ovary pathway and regulate menstrual cycles in women (especially in cases of amenorrhea)
Has been shown to help reduces symptoms of menopause and could potentially be used instead of hormonal replacement therapy

Star Anise
The natural inspiration for Tamiflu, the anti-flu drug.
Has been shown to have activity against the herpes simplex virus (HSV)

Cinnamon Bark
Makes the body more receptive to insulin- great for type 2 diabetes
Prevents angiogenesis (blood vessel formation) necessary for cancer growth

Gooseberries
Just another berry. Great vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber.

Scallions
Miracle food. Prevents infections, cancer, and decreases fat deposits in adipose tissue.

Medjoor Date
Amazing alternative to sugar. Has a bunch of vitamins and nutrients. Nothing too exciting.

Broccoli Rabe/ Rapini
Protective against stomach, lung and colon cancer due to glucosinolates.
Amazing addition to carbohydrate rich foods as the fiber helps balanced the blood sugar levels.

Haddock
Great source of lean protein and omega 3 fats... Just like most fish...

Inulin
I wasn't too big on this one! It's basically used for fat or sugar replacement in food products, especially dairy. It's basically just fiber but I'm not 100% sure how I feel about it being in my food.

Do you guys consume any of these foods on the daily basis?