London Salon & Boutique

Superfoods

Why we love organic superfoods

At Vanessa Megan we’re passionate about what we put on our skin. In fact, the philosophy we live by is: “You should never put anything on your body that you wouldn’t eat.” And when it comes to eating, the whole team favours fresh, natural, organic produce which makes us feel fabulous and our skin glow.

Not all foods are created equal

In the same way we believe that not all cosmetics are created equal, so it is with food too. Head to your nearest supermarket and you’ll find aisle upon aisle of processed food in colourful packaging. While processed food can be convenient and tasty, you’ll often find a list of ingredients you can’t pronounce or have never heard of. From sweeteners to preservatives, stabilisers to emulsifiers, right through to colours and texturisers, there are thousands of chemicals being used today to process foods.

As well, highly processed foods often have higher salt, sugar and fat content and lower nutritional value than the raw food used to create them.

Purely from a taste point of view, we don’t think anything beats the flavour of fresh, whole, organic foods and of course they’re packed with the vitamins, minerals and all the other good stuff our bodies need to live a healthy life.

Some of our favourite superfoods

You may have heard the term ‘superfood’ before which is basically any nutrient rich food that is particularly good for your health and wellbeing. We all have our favourite superfoods here at Vanessa Megan but we took a quick poll around the office to find out some of the most popular:

Avocado: Avocados are packed with essential health-boosting nutrients like fibre, vitamins A, C, E, K and B6, potassium and folic acid. And it’s so delicious for breakfast or in a salad at lunch.

Broccoli: If your parents always told you to eat your greens, they knew what they were talking about! Broccoli contains large amounts of a range of antioxidants as well a great deal of fibre, vitamin C and beta carotene.

Organic, free range eggs: Eggs have received some bad publicity in years gone by in fact they’re a good source of protein and house up to 18 other nutrients within their delicate shells including vitamins B12 and D.

Blueberries: Blueberries are full of antioxidants and phytoflavinoids, high in potassium and vitamin C, they’re anti-inflammatory and can lower your risk of heart disease and cancer. They’re a great ‘sweet treat’ alternative if you find yourself craving sugar and they’re also very low in kilojoules.

Raw almonds: Almonds are rich in phytochemicals that are great for heart and vascular health. Add to that vitamin E, magnesium, protein, fibre, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and iron and you have a very nutrient rich and handy snack for those times you’re hungry in between meals.

Omega 3-rich fish: Most common in fatty, cold water fish, like salmon, omega 3s lower heart disease risk, help arthritis, can help reduce depression, and may even help with memory loss. Flaxseed and walnuts also contain omega 3s.

Extra virgin olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil is rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and has a high amount of antioxidants which neutralise free radicals. This delicious oil also reduces the risk of stroke, heart disease and cancer. It’s so simple to incorporate in your cooking and salads.

Green tea: Containing powerful antioxidants, green tea reduces the risk of cancer, strengthens the immune system, fights bacteria and viruses, and decreases the level of bad cholesterol in the blood. And that’s just a sample of the wonderful health benefits of this simple beverage. Did we mention it can assist in weight loss too?

Yoghurt: Yoghurt is full of magnesium, potassium, riboflavin and phosphate and is a rich source of calcium. Yoghurt also contains intestine-friendly bacteria which helps the body fight off infection, promotes a healthy colon and even lowers the risk of colon cancer. It’s fast and easy to enjoy for breakfast and great as a healthy dessert.

Kale: A relative of one of our other favourite superfoods, broccoli, kale is a dark, leafy green with high amounts of beta carotene, iron and folate. Packed with fibre and low calorie, kale is great for your digestion and is also rich in vitamin C.

Sweet potatoes: While a white potato can be delicious, when it comes to nutrition they leave a lot to be desired. In the sweet potato, however, you’ll find vitamin C, carotenoids, potassium and fibre. They’re relatively low in calories and can also help stabilise your blood sugar making them the perfect accompaniment to any meal!

Quinoa: Native to South America, where the pre-Colombian Incas saw it as a sacred food, quinoa is very high in protein and is the only plant-based protein to contain every one of the nine essential amino acids. Fabulous for cardiovascular health, digestion and detoxifying, and as an antioxidant, quinoa is something you’ll want to add to your shopping list.

Listed above are just a handful of the incredible superfoods available. So healthy, so delicious and so simple to incorporate into your diet, we wouldn’t eat anything else! Our recommendation is to buy organic where possible so you’re absolutely assured of food free of pesticides or chemicals.

Do you have a favourite superfood? Let us know what you think in the comments.

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