{"id":11793,"date":"2022-03-09T10:24:01","date_gmt":"2022-03-09T15:24:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wasserstrom.com\/blog\/?p=11793"},"modified":"2022-06-28T03:02:01","modified_gmt":"2022-06-28T07:02:01","slug":"what-are-superfoods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wasserstrom.com\/blog\/2022\/03\/09\/what-are-superfoods\/","title":{"rendered":"Superfoods Every Restaurant Menu Needs: Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Welcome to part one of a two-part series about superfoods. <\/em><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

As more and more of us lean towards healthier lifestyles, consumers are rethinking their relationship with food as a preventative medicine. This is a trend that market researchers predict will continue to grow and evolve. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For their What\u2019s Hot: 2022 Culinary Forecast<\/strong> insight, the National Restaurant Association<\/a> partnered with professional chefs from the American Culinary Federation<\/a>. Their members were invited to review and rank culinary concepts identified by the Association<\/a> and Technomic\u2019s Menu Research & Insights Division<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pandemic was, of course, a topic of discussion. One mega trend that surfaced was the consumer desire to now balance out their pandemic-related comfort foods habits with better-for-you options<\/strong>. Consumers are seeking out immunity-boosting foods<\/strong> to help them keep shipshape this year and beyond. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Raspberries
Goji berries are a fantastic addition to breakfast, lunch, or dinner<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Attention to Health Takes Center Stage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Whether you are a restaurant manager looking for new healthy menu ideas or an individual taking control of their own health, there are a few caveats we should first address.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Caveat #1 \u2013 Variety Is the Spice of Life<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There is no one food or supplement a person can ingest to make them healthy. Healthy dietary patterns and clean eating will yield incredible results, there are no cheat codes, shortcuts, or magic pills to get there. For bigger and better health and nutritional benefits, combining many superfoods into one meal is the way to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Caveat #2: Check With a Doctor First<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It is advisable, before adding new elements into your diet, to check with a trusted source for any possible medical interactions. For instance, on our list is the Chinese superfood goji berries. But did you know that these berries may interact with the blood-thinning drug, warfarin? It\u2019s always best to check with your doctor or an alternate trusted source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Are So Many Restaurants Owned by Fashion Designers? \u00bb<\/a><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Challenges to Conquer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To improve current health issues and prevent future problems down the line it is imperative to have these two aspects of your health under control: inflammation and oxidative stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chronic Inflammation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As opposed to acute inflammation, your body\u2019s response to protect itself from harm after an injury has occurred, chronic inflammation is a world of trouble. When a person has chronic inflammation, even low grade, it basically means that their immune system is damaging healthy cells<\/strong>. The body gets confused and continues to send inflammatory responses to attack otherwise healthy cells, such as the case of rheumatoid arthritis<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conditions associated with chronic inflammation include Alzheimer\u2019s disease, cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. Chronic inflammation can also lead to pain all over the body, rashes, sores, and fatigue as well as mental health conditions like depression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Oxidative<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Oxidative Stress<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Oxidative stress<\/a> is a phenomenon caused by an imbalance between production and accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells and tissues and the ability of a biological system to detoxify these reactive products. In simple terms, the body needs more antioxidant defenses<\/strong> to detoxify and destroy free radicals. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Free radicals are a type of unstable molecule that damages and even kills otherwise healthy cells. When too many free radicals (ROS) are produced, the effects on the human body can be detrimental. Oxidative stress is tied to the development of cancer, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, respiratory disease, and diabetic complications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oxidative stress and chronic inflammation feed off of each other<\/strong>, creating harsh conditions inside the body while increasing the negative impact of many diseases. Luckily, our list of superfoods throughout the weeks are the best ingredients to prevent and battle chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. With this in mind, here are three superfoods every menu should include.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turmeric<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Turmeric,
Whether through powder or supplementation, there are many ways to add turmeric into your diet<\/a>. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Turmeric is a bright yellow-orange spice made from the root of the Curcuma longa plant. Turmeric prevents and treats many health conditions largely because it contains high levels of the polyphenol curcumin. Polyphenols are micronutrients that naturally occur in plants. Curcumin is a star of the polyphenol world because it has many positive effects on the human body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Is Turmeric a Superfood?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The curcumin found in turmeric aids in the prevention and management of many health problems:<\/p>\n\n\n\n