These Superfoods will Help Fuel Your Busy Week Ahead

Story by Kirsten Olling

We’ve all heard about superfoods, but what are they?

Superfoods are foods found in nature that hold an abundance of nutrients. They are exceptionally good for our health and can help us fight off and prevent disease.

Foods from açai and goji berries to mangosteens and kefir are common and known to be delicious, but they can be expensive and even hard to find in the local grocery store.

Here are 5 superfoods that will give you that little extra something in the gym or in the lecture hall. They are easy to find in any supermarket, and you might even have them in your own home.

1. Dried Tart Cherries
Michigan State University conducted a study that showed the potent anthocyanin in tart cherries help control blood sugar, lower cholesterol and even help speed up the recovery of ligaments and tendons after intense cardio workouts.

2. Grapes
They say red wine leads to a healthy heart, but the health benefit lies in the resveratrol  within grapes.

If sipping red wine isn’t your thing, snacking on grapes will do the trick.

3. Blueberries
Blueberries help improve memory and protect your brain from inflammation, while increasing communication between brain cells.

After a long weekend filled with football festivities, we all might need a little boost for our school week.

4. Cacao (Chocolate)
I was obsessed with dark chocolate growing up, but my mom always told me that it was only good for me in small amounts. Turns out, mother knows best.

Cacao contains anandamide, also known as the “bliss molecule”, which helps improve your mood. It also contains a lot of magnesium, which can help fight fatigue when writing that essay at midnight.

The darker the chocolate, the more cacao, or you can just buy raw cacao and make some hot chocolate to really experience the blissful benefits.

5. Bananas
Bananas contain resistant starch, which helps you slim down, all while getting your potassium for the day.

The potassium will help you maintain proper muscle and nerve function, and help store fluids during that workout at the Student Activity Center.

So, hit the Meijer on West Pickard, and power through the rest of your busy week!