7 Life-Changing Superfoods You Have Probably Never Heard of

by Nour Rizkallah May 26, 2021

If you are new to The Glow Paradise’s “food for medicine” ethos, welcome! You are about to rethink your entire relationship with nutrition. Health was never supposed to be about restriction, it’s only about eating the right foods that you love and that bring you joy, because joy itself is nutritive, healing and nourishment.

A large part of incorporating the right foods in our meals at The Glow Paradise is associated with superfoods. Evidently, food as an essential element of our survival transcribes the decency and strength of the cells in our body. Following this analogy, this means we literally are what we eat. Superfoods in their essence feed our muscles, sustain our gut bacteria and provide us with immense health benefits.

In that spirit, here are 7 life-changing superfoods that you have probably never heard of:

Camu Camu:

This small sour berry originating from South America is too acrid to eat on its own. But in powder or pill form, it offers ample antioxidants and vitamins that will help you achieve the best you there is.

Camu camu has a reputation of being one of the best immune system and brain boosters out there, thanks to its abundance in antioxidants that offer anti-inflammatory properties. It contains 50 times the amount of vitamin C found in an orange! It is able to wage war on free radicals that contribute to cognitive decline, and alleviates the symptoms of depression and other mood disorders, calms the body and reduces mood swings.

Amaranth:

Make room quinoa, because everyone’s about to be obsessed with this superfood. Amaranth is a naturally gluten free seed that is a powerhouse of nutrients. An outstanding source of iron, fiber, magnesium and calcium, Amaranth makes for a particularly good breakfast grain that takes on an oatmeal-like consistency when boiled.

It’s also a complete protein offering you all 9 essential amino acids that our bodies can’t make on their own and must get from food. A particular one is lysine, which cannot be found in most other grains and seeds. This amino acid helps the body absorb calcium and form collagen, making your skin bouncy, soft and supple.

Purslane:

Ok we have to admit, you probably have heard of this one, especially if you live in the Middle East. What you might NOT have known is that it is a tried and true skincare hero. Purslane, or “Ba’leh” as we know it in Lebanon, has strong anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antioxidative properties that activate an enzyme in your skin cells called Telomerase which protects them from damage or death. A real natural anti-ager right there.

This plant that used to be thought of as a useless weed also offers up the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids of any green plant out there. Not to mention, tons of melatonin, which makes it an organic treatment for insomnia. Needless to say, you really should be stocking up on purslane and tossing it in your salads as much as possible like, yesterday.

Noni Juice:

All right, this one on the other hand, is more likely to have never been heard of. Noni is a fruit native to Southeast Asia. The fruit itself is green at first but then turns yellow as it ripens giving off a powerful odor. Noni fruit is sometimes called cheese fruit because of its particular smell and taste, which can remind us of something fermented and bitter. It’s safe to say that it is more often used as a famine food rather than a staple in people’s diets.

But it just so happens that that makes it an incredible superfood with an abundance of benefits that can replace a full diet at a time where nothing else can be available. It is most often sold in juice form and can serve as a painkiller, making it effective for arthritis and other joint pains. It is also a fantastic immune system booster and antibacterial agent among many other things.

Fenugreek:

You may not know this, but this herb is actually used a lot in traditional Lebanese cooking, as it is one of the components of Lebanese 7 spice. This native plant of Western Asia and the Mediterranean offers its leaves as well as seeds for cooking and healing. It is also common in Indian cooking, which means that this little gem isn’t just beneficial. It tastes good too.

Fenugreek seeds are commonly used as a supplement to maintain blood sugar levels and to prevent or treat diabetes, and when it powder form, it is an excellent soothing agent on injured or inflamed skin.

Jicama:

There has never been a more gut-friendly food, ever. Jicama is a root vegetable similar to potato that originates from Mexico (it’s also called Mexican potato). It can be eaten raw after being peeled, as well as cooked. However you can incorporate jicama into your diet, you will be reaping its benefits either way.

It has a high fiber and vitamin C content, which means that it supports digestion and regularity as well as a strong immunity. Jicama also contributes to a healthy gut. It is the equivalent of fresh troops sent to the front line of your stomach to do the work of making our digestive processes easy and effective, and additionally foster the development of the healthy bacteria already present in our gut.

Ashwagandha:

This ancient medicinal herb and adaptogen is ideal for stress resistance and resilience. We would even go as far as saying it has superpowers. A daily dose of it generates a subtle vitality that pushes what we like to call “body intelligence”.

Ashwagandha will guide your intuitive eating, controlling hunger and satiation and helping your body return to homeostasis. But its main beauty is in the little ways it alleviates stress and stabilizes your mood in order to extract as much productivity and effectiveness as possible from working hours and workouts. It is basically able to travel through your body’s alarm systems and deal with stress from a place of power instead of complacency.