Exotic berries like goji, mangosteen, acai, and camu have impressive nutritional value, but they're no match for a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Superfoods are abundant.
Leafy green vegetables and common fruit like strawberries, blueberries, peaches, apples, and grapes pack a huge nutritional punch.
Getting in the habit of eating them is the real trick.
I personally take an acai supplement everyday because the nutritional value is so impressive and the antioxidant levels are through the roof, but without a proper baseline diet it would be a waste of time and money.
There is nothing you can add to a strawberry to "enhance" it, nor should you try.
Superfoods are naturally good for you.
As a culture we have gone away from whole foods.
We grew up hating our vegetables (unless it has cheese on it) and craving dessert or even worse, fast food.
Americans are growing ill at an earlier age despite the advances in medicine.
We don't need more medicine or technology.
We need a healthy diet.
Superfoods are not only the tropical fruit seen on T.
V.
or in a magazine.
They are the very fruits and vegetables you see when you speed past the produce area at the supermarket.
Spend time getting to know the fruits and vegetables.
Learn new recipes.
Apologize for the way you treated them in the past.
To get started, here are some easy steps you can take toward a healthy diet.
Leave a fruit basket out on the counter where you will see it.
This makes a huge difference and it really works.
Ever leave a candy dish next to the sink? It won't last very long.
The same is true for healthy food.
Secondly, you can enjoy fresh vegetables with a low fat dip before a meal.
You'll eat less at dinner and gain the nutritional goodness of fresh vegetables.
The same goes for salad.
Try eating a salad before dinner to curb your appetite.
It sounds simple but if you make just small changes in your eating habits you can do wonders for your body.
Health is a large issue with many different facets.
As far as nutrition goes, you have to take advantage of your hunger and look at it as an opportunity to put something beneficial into your body.
Believe it or not, there is life after doughnuts.
In fact, after you stop eating sugary, fatty food you will become sensitive to it and all of a sudden it will be overly sugary and it won't taste good anymore.
Your body gets used to food and drinks without the sugar you no longer seek out the high calorie food.
This happened to me.
I drank Mountain Dew religiously for years.
Then I stopped drinking it, and now if I have one it taste so sweet that I have a hard time finishing it.
Healthier food may seem bland at first but try low calorie dips and sauces to get over the hump.
Sticking to your old ways may be convenient, but eventually it will catch up with you.
Small changes in your diet will make a huge difference.
You'll look better, feel better and statistics show you're less likely to suffer from chronic diseases like diabetes, stroke, cancer and heart disease.
Once you get the basics of a healthy diet down, you can venture into the world of exotic berry smoothies and nutritional supplements.
Until then, eat superfoods everyday and cut down on pre-packaged food that is chock full of preservatives and man made chemicals.
Stick to what's real and natural.
Whole foods are the way to go.
Hint: When shopping at the supermarket, concentrate the majority of your shopping at the perimeter of the store.
That is where most of the whole foods are kept.
You may have to cook more often, but your heart will thank you for it.
Avoid the middle isles and the food that doesn't expire until next year (or decade for that matter).