The foods you should add to your diet now!

We’re always hearing about the latest ‘superfoods’ – and how they could have a powerful effect on our health and wellbeing.

And while the term ‘superfood’ might be thrown around a little too freely sometimes, there are some fruits and seeds that really are a power-house of nutritional value.

Here, I reveal which ones are worth adding to your shopping basket today…

Sour cherries contain high levels of antioxidants and as a result are anti-inflammatory, can help a person sleep and can improve recovery after a sports injury.

Tart or sour cherries have been found to contain high levels of antioxidants.

As a result the benefits include anti-inflammation, boosted sleep, and improved sports recovery.

Reports have suggested that an increased intake of tart cherries could help to reduce certain post-workout side-effects, such as muscle aches, inflammation and weakness.

More than just the main ingredient in guacamole, avocados seem to be having a real moment in the spotlight, and it’s not surprising.

Avocados are a great source of healthy, mono-saturated fats, which have been shown to lower bad cholesterol and reduce a person’s risk of heart attack or stroke

As many of you will know, cranberries have been used for years as an aid against urinary tract infections.

But studies have suggested these berries could also have a wide range of other benefits – from improving our heart health, helping to prevent certain cancers, to boosting our oral health and helping to reduce infections.

What helps to make them just so good for us are the polyphenols that are present in those little red berries.

Polyphenols have been reported to possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, to name just a few.

With their high levels of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, blueberries have been linked to all kinds of health benefits, including heart health, cancer prevention, enhanced brain function and improved eyesight.

Loaded with antioxidants, soluble fibre and minerals, chia seeds are also a source of omega-3 – though not as easily used by our bodies as that obtained from fish – and contain more calcium, ounce for ounce, than milk.

If you’re after a easy way to add chia seeds into your diet, try out our simple, creamy chia porridge recipe.

Sprinkle the seeds on to porridge that has been mixed with low-calorie, but vitamin-rich rice milk, and you’ve got yourself a healthy, creamy, nutrient-packed breakfast.

Lets see mushrooms :

Having mushrooms on your dinner plate are expected, but on your face? A little less so. It may seem weird to think of formulating skincare products with fungus, but thanks to a number of beauty brands that have discovered its potential, it might become de rigueur fairly soon. Just as one gets great things from eating mushrooms (big doses of vitamin D and polysaccharides, for example), there are several really outstanding benefits they bestow when applied topically.

Another Superfood: Broccoli