Superfoods for Dummies

361 Pages·2009·7.82 MB·English

Spine: 0.72
Health & Fitness/Diets
Making Everything Easier!™
Transform your diet and
reap the extraordinary
benefits of superfoods
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Want to eat healthier, lose weight, and fight off disease? S
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(cid:127) W ays to incorporate superfoods
the science behind them, and how to prepare and enjoy
into your everyday diet p
them. From bananas and carrots to oatmeal and salmon,
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you’ll gain a healthy attitude toward eating right! e
superfoods
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(cid:127) Get the skinny on superfoods — know the basics of a balanced,
(cid:127) T he healthiest cooking methods
nutritional diet, and why superfoods are so powerful f
(cid:127) More than 50 easy-to-prepare, o
(cid:127) Take a closer look — examine the unique properties of
tasty recipes — from breakfast to
superfoods and the best ways to store and prepare them
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dessert
(cid:127) Explore exotic flavors — discover Asia’s goji berries, Mexico’s
(cid:127) The top dietary supplements d
chia, Indonesia’s mangosteen, and other unusual superfoods
(cid:127) How to grow your own superfoods s
(cid:127) Launch your superfoods lifestyle — plan healthy meals you and
garden
your family will enjoy
Learn to:
Go to dummies.com® (cid:127) Purchase and prepare extremely healthy
for more! foods
(cid:127) Improve your diet and live longer
(cid:127) Increase your energy and control your
weight
(cid:127) Prevent disease and avoid costly trips
$19.99 US / $23.99 CN / £14.99 UK to the doctor
ISBN 978-0-470-44539-6
Brent Agin, MD, is a family physician in private practice focusing on
wellness medicine, diet, nutrition, and improving one’s health. As medical
director at a successful weight loss clinic and laser medical spa, Dr. Agin Brent Agin, MD
counsels patients on matters of health, fitness, and aging. Shereen
Coauthor, Healthy Aging For Dummies
Jegtvig, MS, is a health and nutrition writer with two decades of
Agin
Shereen Jegtvig, MS
experience counseling people on nutrition and diet. Jegtvig
Superfoods
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
by Dr. Brent Agin and Shereen Jegtvig
Superfoods For Dummies®
Published by
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
111 River St.
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
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ISBN: 978-0-470-44539-6
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About the Authors
Brent Agin, MD: Dr. Agin was born and raised in Michigan, where he devel-
oped an appreciation for athletics and exercise at a young age. In 1989, he
went off to Michigan State University, competing for four years on the MSU
soccer team and earning Academic All-Big Ten honors during his junior year.
He decided to pursue a career in medicine and attended Michigan State
University College of Human Medicine, graduating in 1999. He headed south
to fi nish his medical career, completing residency training in Family Medicine
at the University of South Florida in 2002.
Dr. Agin’s lifelong interest in sports expanded into the fi elds of health and
nutrition. Once he entered into private practice, he implemented a practice
model that allowed him to focus not only on medical care, but also on the use
of diet and nutrition to improve health.
Dr. Agin co-authored the book Healthy Aging For Dummies (Wiley) while
continuing to expand his diet and nutritional supplement line called Trim
(www.trimlifestyle.com). He now practices wellness medicine and helps
patients understand the powerful impact they have on their health and aging.
Shereen Jegtvig: Shereen Jegtvig began her fi rst career as a chiropractor
in 1990. She practiced in western Wisconsin, where she saw the effects of
healthful (and not so healthful) diets on her patients every day. In order to
offer the best care to her patients, she knew she needed to learn more about
which foods could do the most to improve human health. Thus, her fascina-
tion with superfoods was born.
Armed with nutrition books (and eventually a new computer with dial-up
Internet access), Shereen spent countless hours researching and learn-
ing about superfoods. The advent of broadband cable Internet access led
her to more effi cient online searches, a mild Internet addiction, and, most
importantly, the opportunity to write about nutrition for the large Web site
About.com in 2004.
Shereen enjoyed her newfound ability to reach a large audience that just
couldn’t be duplicated in a clinical setting, so she began her second career
as a health and nutrition writer. She returned to college and earned a master
of science degree in human nutrition with special interest in the effects
of omega-3 fats on cognitive function. Today, at nutrition.about.com, she
focuses on teaching readers why they need to eat superfoods as well as pre-
senting helpful dietary tips and how-to’s. Shereen knows that a pomegranate
or a carton of blueberries won’t help anyone’s health if they never leave the
refrigerator.

Dedication
Brent dedicates this book to his parents and siblings who pushed him both in
athletics and academics and provided the guidance to live healthy. A special
thanks to his wife Cindy and their two daughters, Emma and Grace, who have
supported the long hours dedicated to his overwhelming number of projects.
He can’t forget his offi ce staff — Ina, Kathy, and Zoe — for their dedication
and hard work. Thanks to Shereen Jegtvig, whose extensive knowledge in
nutrition and excellent writing style made writing this book a pleasure.
Shereen dedicates this book to Jim Lehman, who loves her, motivates her,
and puts up with her endless hours of Internet research and writing, and
to her children Kendyl and John Reis, who fi ll her life with happiness and
wonder (and a lot of dirty dishes). And special thanks to her parents, Virgil
and Becky Jegtvig.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank the following people:
To our editor, Alissa Schwipps, for her patience and expertise. Special thanks
to Tracy Boggier, whose courage we appreciate and whom we hope to work
with again.
To our incredible agent, Barb Doyen, for her thoughtful ideas, guidance, and
special creative zest.
To Meg Schneider for her assistance and for keeping our brains and ideas
on track.
Publisher’s Acknowledgments
We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration
form located at http://dummies.custhelp.com. For other comments, please contact our Customer
Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax [phone].
Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:
Acquisitions, Editorial, and Composition Services
Media Development
Senior Project Coordinator: Kristie Rees
Senior Project Editor: Alissa Schwipps
Layout and Graphics: Reuben W. Davis,
Acquisitions Editor: Tracy Boggier SDJumper, Sarah Philippart,
Christine Williams
Copy Editor: Christy Pingleton
Proofreaders: Laura L. Bowman,
Assistant Editor: Erin Calligan Mooney
John Greenough, Joni Heredia
Editorial Program Coordinator: Joe Niesen
Indexer: Silvoskey Indexing Services
Technical Editor: Patricia Santelli
Special Help: Elizabeth Rea
Senior Editorial Manager: Jennifer Ehrlich
Editorial Assistants: Jennette ElNaggar,
David Lutton
Cover Photos: ICHIRO
Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com)
Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies
Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies
Kristin Ferguson-Wagstaffe, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies
Ensley Eikenburg, Associate Publisher, Travel
Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel
Publishing for Technology Dummies
Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/General User
Composition Services
Gerry Fahey, Vice President of Production Services
Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services
Contents at a Glance
Introduction ................................................................ 1
Part I: Getting the Skinny on Superfoods ....................... 7
Chapter 1: Nourishing Your Body with Superfoods ......................................................9
Chapter 2: Appreciating the Ageless Wonders of Superfoods ...................................25
Chapter 3: Supplementing Superfoods .........................................................................41
Part II: From Apples to Wheat Grass:
A Look at the Superfoods ............................................ 57
Chapter 4: Getting Fruitful and Reaping the Rewards .................................................59
Chapter 5: Vegging Out in a Good Way .........................................................................77
Chapter 6: Gathering Nuts and Seeds ...........................................................................93
Chapter 7: Angling for Super Seafood .........................................................................107
Chapter 8: Going with the Grains and Legumes.........................................................119
Chapter 9: Spicing It Up with Flavor (and Flavonoids) .............................................133
Chapter 10: Exploring Exotic Superfoods ...................................................................147
Part III: Launching Your Superfoods Lifestyle ............ 165
Chapter 11: Bringing Superfoods into Your Life ........................................................167
Chapter 12: Getting Your Family Onboard .................................................................181
Chapter 13: Shopping for Superfoods .........................................................................193
Chapter 14: Growing Your Own Superfoods ..............................................................209
Part IV: Putting Superfoods on Your Table ................. 225
Chapter 15: Preparing and Preserving Superfoods without
Sacrifi cing Nutrition ....................................................................................................227
Chapter 16: Starting the Day Right: Superfood Breakfast Recipes ..........................241
Chapter 17: Gathering for the Family Meal: Superfood Main Dish Recipes ...........257
Chapter 18: Filling Your Plate: Super Salad and Side Dish Recipes .........................273
Chapter 19: Rounding Out the Menu: Super Snacks, Appetizers, and Desserts ....287
Part V: The Part of Tens ........................................... 301
Chapter 20: Ten Super-Duper Superfoods ..................................................................303
Chapter 21: Ten Sensational Dietary Supplements ...................................................309
Chapter 22: Ten (Plus) Ways to Make Sure You Get Your Daily Superfoods .........317
Chapter 23: Ten (Plus) Almost-Superfoods that Can Help Round Out
Your Diet ......................................................................................................................323
Index ...................................................................... 329
Table of Contents
Introduction ................................................................. 1
About This Book ..............................................................................................1
Conventions Used in This Book .....................................................................2
What You’re Not to Read ................................................................................2
Foolish Assumptions .......................................................................................3
How This Book Is Organized ..........................................................................3
Part I: Getting the Skinny on Superfoods ............................................4
Part II: From Apples to Wheat Grass: A Look at the Superfoods .....4
Part III: Launching Your Superfoods Lifestyle ....................................4
Part IV: Putting Superfoods on Your Table ........................................4
Part V: The Part of Tens ........................................................................5
Icons Used in This Book .................................................................................5
Where to Go from Here ...................................................................................5
Part I: Getting the Skinny on Superfoods ........................ 7
Chapter 1: Nourishing Your Body with Superfoods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Understanding the Difference between Foods and Superfoods ................9
Boning Up on Basic Nutrition ......................................................................10
Introducing the big nutrients you need: Carbs, proteins,
and fats ..............................................................................................10
Getting to know the little nutrients you need: Vitamins
and minerals .....................................................................................14
Zeroing in on superfoods nutrients: Phytochemicals .....................16
Creating a Healthy, Balanced Superfoods Diet ..........................................17
Determining how many calories you need .......................................18
Following the food pyramid with superfoods ..................................19
Planning superfood meals and menus ..............................................21
Taking the First Steps toward a Healthier You with Superfoods ............22
Chapter 2: Appreciating the Ageless Wonders of Superfoods . . . . . .25
Boosting Your Immune System ....................................................................25
Helping Your Heart ........................................................................................26
Losing Weight .................................................................................................28
Protecting Against Cancer ............................................................................29
Improving Digestion ......................................................................................30
Easing Infl ammation ......................................................................................31
The role of antioxidants ......................................................................32
Fats and infl ammation .........................................................................32