Superfood-Vegetables We Can Grow Ourselves:

Superfoods are natural foods that are packed with nutrition, vitamins and antioxidants. Superfoods do more for us then just being a food source. These highly nutritious foods often come with healthy benefits such as antioxidants. Superfoods work with our body to help improve our immune system, help us to lose weight and provide the literal building blocks that our body uses to make high quality proteins and ammino acids. In short, superfoods help our body to do more without doing more.

Antioxidants are amazing bits of our daily diet. They are in fact a type of protein, vitamin or mineral that helps our body to breakdown nutrients into simpler forms. Amino acids are chains of proteins that our body uses much the same way children use legos. Our body uses amino acids to build specific kinds of protein chains that are then used to build muscle, etc within our bodies. Antioxidants play an important role in helping our body break down amino acids into smaller and simpler forms.

What does this mean for you?

The larger picture of what an antioxidant does for our body is that they help counteract the natural body function of oxidation. Oxidation is chemical reaction that can damage the body on a cellular level. When cells are damaged they do not work at efficient levels and our health drops. Antioxidants help to stop oxidation and work with our body to repair the cellular damage cased by oxidation.

Antioxidants are thought to play an active role in reducing the risk or actually preventing some forms of cancer. They also help our body to overcome and prevent heart disease, stroke, and Rheumatoid arthritis. There is clinical evidence that antioxidants may help to reduce the impact of, or slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease and help to prevent cataracts.

There are a number of superfoods that people can grow for themselves. These vegetables are easy to grow and contribute significantly to peoples health.

Garlic: This is the time of year that I plant garlic. In colder zones it is best to wait until spring, though garlic can be started indoors ahead of time. Garlic has long been considered a healthy food for many reason. The best thing about garlic is that is goes well in many, many dishes. Fresh garlic is awesome and full of flavors that help increase the taste of meals.

Broccoli: Besides being a rich source of antioxidants, broccoli is easy to grow and many people enjoy eating it. This is also a plant that children can grow or help to grow. Teaching children to garden helps to eliminate the battle over eating certain foods, because children will often eat what they grow.

Carrots: This is another great crop for children to grow. Carrots are packed with most of the vitamins we need on a daily basis. They are also a good source of antioxidants. Carrots make great snacks and can be added to many dishes. These are also an easy to grow food.

Spinach: This is a great cool weather crop that is full of vitamins A and Vitamins C both of which are good sources for antioxidants. Spinach also is rich in iron which promotes healthy red blood cells. If you want your circulatory system to work at peak efficiency start with building quality red blood cells.

Squash: Squash is a warm weather crop that once it is established is very easy to grown and will usually produce a great deal of food. Squash are excellent providers of dietary fiber, vitamin C as well as many other nutrients and vitamins. Summer squash and winter squash are great for a summer garden.

Tomatoes: These are my favorite summer fruit. Tomatoes are a source of many antioxidants as well as vitamins. Tomatoes go well with most foods or can be eaten raw. I prefer to eat them raw and their skin helps to aid in digestion by adding dietary fiber.