Chia, as well as Purely Elizabeth baking mixes and granolas and
Ruth’s Chia Goodness, a raw cereal that thickens up when water is
added, giving it a consistency of hot cereal. Mary’s Gone Cracker’s
line of Love Cookies also uses chia to boost nutrients and help provide an appealing texture for these gluten-free treats.
Cultured (i.e., Fermented) Vegetables. These are regularly consumed in countries like Japan, Korea and China known for greatest
longevity and lowest rates of many types of cancer. What’s the link? In
addition to the power of vegetables, fermentation produces good bacteria that populate the digestive tract to help support our immune system as well as our digestive system. Some companies that have helped
bring a resurgence of fermented foods are Healing Movement, Vital
Choice, Wills Valley and Rejuvenative Foods.
Herbs and Spices. These don’t just provide flavor, they actually
help fend off unwanted bacteria and other microbes in the body. Additionally, each of them has individual properties ranging from supporting optimal digestion to jump starting the
metabolism to helping with blood sugar balance,
some have anti-inflammatory properties. Thyme,
which contains the essential oil thymol, is such a
good anti-bacterial spice that it is also being used
in hand and kitchen sanitizers. Turmeric and
ginger are used around the world for their anti-inflammatory properties. Oregano’s oil helps
fight off unwanted microbes, so much so that it is
commonly isolated into a liquid or capsule and
taken to prevent the onset of colds. The best way
to provide a nutrition upgrade is to add one or
several spices. The Teen Tiny Spice Co. of Vermont has created all sorts of easy-to-use spice
blends, including a wide range of ethnic inspirations from Africa, India, Iran and more. Another
company bringing together the power and flavor
of spices is Dragünara, whose organic salt-free
spice blends such as Slim Spice Seasoning have been featured in O,
The Oprah Magazine. The company also offers a spicy line of vegan
marinades and sauces. The Spice Hunter and Frontier have also pioneered many great organic spice blends.
Spice Blends from
Teeny, Tiny Spice Co.
of Vermont
Heart Health
Tick-tock, these ingredients play a role in keeping the ticker and its
vessel system healthy. Whether helping correct cholesterol balance,
protecting the integrity of vessel walls or preventing
the formation and buildup of plaque, these ingredi-
ents should be on every cardiologist’s “must” list.
Coconut Palm Sugar and Nectar. Highlighting a
sugar source for heart health may raise a few eyebrows—as it should—because few know that swapping coconut sugar for other sweeteners provides a
heart-healthy nutrition upgrade. Coconut sugar is
rich in electrolyte minerals, especially potassium,
which is the “it” mineral to offset sodium and im-
Sweet Tree Palm Sugar
prove heart health. Additionally, it’s a
lower-glycemic sweetener, so it helps
keep inappropriate inflammation at
bay. Big Tree Farms makes several
forms of coconut palm sugar and nectar available under their Sweet Tree
label, including blends with healing
spices like ginger, turmeric and cinnamon. NibMor drinking chocolate uses
coconut palm sugar to make a delicious base for a hot cocoa that can be
vegan if milk is replaced with organic
non-dairy beverage.
Açai.
Heart-healthy antioxidants, including
high amounts of
anthocyanins,
abound in this
berry that has
more in common with an olive
than a blueberry.
The açai berry contains no fruit sugar,
has essential fatty acids
(omega- 3, 6 and 9) and a
fiber-rich skin, making it
great for heart health, cancer prevention and immune health. Some
products that feature açai
include Sambazon Protein
Smoothies, Nature’s Path
Açai Granola and Stonyfield Farm’s Açai yogurt.
Mushrooms. These fungi do it all
(immune support, sustained energy)
and deliver big time on heart-health
benefits by helping lower cholesterol
and protect blood vessels. Some products that have packaged the power of
mushrooms are Amy’s Kitchen’s
Mushroom & Olive Pizza, as well as
Madre Labs CocoaCeps—a cocoa beverage that includes Microfungi, a
trademarked
certified
full spectrum of organic
cordyceps
CocoCeps Hot Chocolate
Nature’s Path
Açai Granola
Sambazon
Protein
Smoothie
