9 Superfoods to Boost Your Energy
Why eat Superfoods?
Imagine ingesting foods that could boost your mood and your energy, control your weight and keep you sharp, without side effects. “Superfoods” do this!
The benefit of superfoods is that they will have more nutrients than other similar foods you may already eat, so you will not always have to make big changes while having a bonus of more energy and better circulation after eating them for a few weeks. And they help protect against heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and more.
Keep reading to find out what are the 9 Superfoods to boost your energy that you should definitely include in your diet.
Goji Berries
Known as a nutritional powerhouse, goji berries are considered a good source of dietary fibre. They are rich in anti-oxidants whose benefits include the ability to help you fight disease by improving immunity and increasing energy, effectively managing your weight, and experiencing better digestion. These berries are additionally known to promote a feeling of well-being and calmness while improving the quality of sleep.
Fun fact: The bright red colour of goji berries is obtained from the anti-oxidant zeaxanthin present in the berries which helps in reducing signs of early ageing.
Kale
A member of the cabbage family, kale is definitely one of the healthiest and most nutritious plant foods to add to your diet. Very high in antioxidants, kale is also rich in Vitamin C & K, and Beta-Carotene. The flavonoids in kale combine both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits in a way that gives it a leading dietary role concerning the prevention of chronic inflammation and oxidative stress.
Lentils
The most celebrated health benefits of lentils are their ability to lower cholesterol and increase heart health. The presence of high levels of soluble fibre helps in stabilising blood sugar levels, lowering cholesterol, and also ensuring that you have a healthy digestive system, while folate and magnesium keep your heart healthy.
And, in addition to providing slow-burning complex carbohydrates, lentils can also increase your energy by replenishing iron stores.
Almonds
All nuts have a reputation of being energy-dense foods that are loaded with calories. Almonds are energy-dense too but compared to all other nuts, they are the most packed with nutrients and beneficial components and are often recommended by dietitians as a part of a healthy diet.
The healthy mono-unsaturated fats in almonds are known to reduce the risk of heart disease while the dietary fibres, antioxidants, and vitamins ensure that your overall health is maintained. Additionally, almonds contain two vital brain nutrients riboflavin and L-carnitine, which have been shown to increase brain activity, resulting in new neural pathways and a decreased occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease.
Quinoa
Quinoa’s popularity around the world as a health food is based on the fact that it is one of the few plant foods that contains all the nine essential amino acids. It is considered to be a good source of Vitamin E & B along with containing beneficial plant antioxidants called flavonoids.
A brilliant energy food to incorporate into your meals; quinoa is rich in protein, fibre, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and potassium. This plant food is also known to increase metabolism, thereby keeping you active through the day.
To note: Quinoa is gluten-free so it works as a great food for those who are gluten-intolerant.
Salmon
Known to be an excellent source of Vitamin A & D and two blockbuster omega-3 fatty acids EPA & DHA, salmon is another superfood that increases your cardiovascular health, has the ability to combat osteoporosis and inflammatory joint conditions, and also aids in keeping tissues healthy by preventing cell damage.
Additionally, the carotenoid anti-oxidants of astaxanthin that are found in salmon add radiance to your skin. An important point to remember is that wild-caught salmon is always the best source of these nutrients and vitamins.
Avocado
This nutrient-dense fruit is great for a lot of reasons. It is rich in vitamins and minerals {iron, magnesium, and potassium; B-vitamins, Vitamin C, and Vitamin K} that help reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and also prevents type-2 diabetes. Packed with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, avocado slows digestion and helps keep blood sugar from spiking after a meal. And more importantly, it is a natural source of folic acid which aids in the production and maintenance of new cells.
Blueberries
The lovely colour of these berries, their exotic taste, and the ease with which they are available, makes blueberries a great superfood. Low in calories yet rich in antioxidants and energy-boosting nutrients and minerals, blueberries help in maintaining blood sugar levels, and aid in the prevention and control of coronary heart disease by ensuring that the ‘bad’ cholesterol in your body does not get oxidised, These berries are also known to lower blood pressure and improve memory, and can help you combat infections in the urinary tract.
All of these benefits are added to the fact that blueberries keep up your energy levels throughout the day.
Oats
There is no better way to join the fitness brigade than to start your day with oats. Known to help prevent adverse health conditions that are becoming increasingly common because of our present-day lifestyle, oats are rich in a unique anti-oxidant called Avenathramides, which helps in regulating blood sugar and reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, a specific type of fibre known as beta-glucan is found in oats which is known to be very helpful in reducing cholesterol levels.
A good source of protein, oats are also loaded with important minerals like manganese, phosphorus, copper, and iron that can help you stay energetic through a hectic morning schedule.
There are numerous other superfoods that are great to add to your diet, but these are the ones I am using the most to boost my mood and energy levels. So, go ahead and give yourself a health boost with these 9 Superfoods to boost your energy for a Super New You!
What power foods give you that awesome mental and physical boost that you need to conquer the day! Please feel free to put down your valuable comments and feedback in the comments below.
Wonderful post, Tanya! The type and quantity of food we eat certainly plays an essential role in determining our energy levels during the day…
Thank you, Dimple.
Tanya, your visual content and your thoughts are perfectly articulated, as always! Thank you for sharing.
My pleasure, Naimesh.
Of course, these aren’t the only superfoods out there. But the ones covered here have the most energy and mood-enhancing power to help you make the most of your day, every day. Thank you for sharing, Tanya.
You are welcome, Manisha.
Beautiful post! Even though all foods give us energy, some foods contain nutrients that could help increase our energy levels and maintain our alertness and focus throughout the day.
p.s. your writing style is ✨
Thank you, Bharad.
Whether they are packed with carbs for readily available energy, or fiber and protein for a slower release of energy, the foods listed here seem like they can help increase our power and stamina. Thank you for sharing. xx
Glad you enjoyed the post, Shruti.
Great post! If I want more energy, incorporating these foods into my diet would be a great place to start!
Yes, it would. 🙂
Beautiful writing wonderfully augmented with visuals, Tanya! Nature has provided us with a variety of tasty and nutritional foods. These nutritional elites or superfoods are a diet investment which can transform our health. 🙂
Thank you, Mitva.
Nicely done. The whole point of superfoods is to build immunity, and extend life ~ I just ensure I pair them with a protein, to decrease the sugar spike in my body.
Thank you for sharing, Sejal.
Wow, this looks beautifully curated and in my opinion, belongs in a magazine! Excited to give these superfoods a try. ❤️
Glad to hear it, Avni.
Each superfood featured seems to contain energising benefits to give me hours of sustainable energy! Now all I need to do is to include them in my diet plan and enjoy an active day ~ every day! I’ve already made the switch in my mind!
Have a splendid, open-minded day!
There are two things I love: breakfast + psychology. And by breakfast I mean oatmeal! Other types of breakfast food make their way into my life now and then, but oatmeal takes the cake! 🙂 And my oatmeal tastes like cake!
Oatmeal that tastes like cake? I’m in!
Wow – that is amazing! These foods are more nutritious than others! I guess I just have to use them the right way. I won’t build my diet around these foods but integrate these foods into my diet. Thank you for sharing. xx
That’s how you’ll profit from the benefits of these foods, Zaheen.
Tanya, I love that you explained this instead of just encouraging us to eat whatever we want. This is actually helpful… Living a healthy lifestyle isn’t about the one magic food you eat. It’s about your whole diet.
Thank you for your feedback, Kashmira. Glad you liked the post.
Wow, foods that offer maximum nutritional benefits! Most of these superfoods can be added to dishes that I am probably already eating. I just need to be sure to mix things up and always eat in moderation to ensure I’m getting a variety of nutrients. 🙂
A little can go a long way on your wellness journey, Gauri.
These superfoods have just become dietary staples over the years, and I’m thankful to have several of these in my pantry right now. We love them in our home! Thanks for sharing! ❤️
That’s amazing!
Such a helpful post, Tanya. 🙂 The next time I find myself making a simple smoothie like strawberry, banana, kiwi, orange – I could add some goji berries and blueberries for more nutritional value and benefits. Keep up the great work.
Thank you, Paridhi.
Such good ideas … Also you can never go wrong with lemon and ginger which I like to make sure is in my diet daily for immunity and aiding digestion (also just tastes really good)!
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” ~ Hippocrates
These superfoods seem extremely beneficial for our health and well-being! Have you tried the goodness of Ghee, Tanya? Ghee is one of those ingredients that has got a bad name for being too fatty, but that’s changing slowly because of the good fats associated with it. 🙂
Yes Anam. 🙂 Ghee is most notably said to stimulate the secretion of stomach acids to help with digestion.
Love this share! By the way, I love drumstick leaves! This super green has a subtle, mildly sour taste. And has the power to heal any ailment with incredible health benefits. xx
Thank you for sharing, Apeksha.
Wonderfully informative post, Tanya. Eating healthy is a struggle for me but I’m getting better… Recently I have incorporated spirulina powder into my diet. Its a microalgae which is high in nutritional value and health benefits.
That’s wonderful, Suchitra. I like to add a pinch of spirulina powder to my lemon ginger detox water and consume it first thing every morning.
To me #healthy means eating foods and building habits that improve our quality of life. I’d be glad to check out these #superfoods over the next few weeks to see what I can add into my regular diet to reap massive benefits. Thank you for sharing! ❤️
Glad to hear it, Komal.
I’ve been looking for healthy, diet-friendly recipes and nutrition advice ~ I guess I’ve come to the right place. 🙂 This blog is a great example of how to incorporate various superfoods into our daily diet. By the way, I love goji berries! Reminds me of that time I was in Brasil for my birthday and had the best smoothie bowl for breakfast! ❤️
I bet those are warm thoughts. 🙂