Lepidium meyenii, thankfully more commonly known as maca, is a root plant native to the Andes of Peru known for it's positive effects on energy and fertility. "Maca has been a staple in the Peruvian Andes for thousands of years," says Wilde. "This super food increases energy, endurance, strength, and libido. Dried maca powder contains more than 10 percent protein, nearly 20 amino acids, including 7 essential amino acids. As a root crop, maca contains five times more protein than a potato and four times more fiber."
According to Frances Diaz, RD, maca also aids in digestion, and is full of calcium, vitamins B1, B2, and B12, which translates to more energy and endurance during workouts, and better muscle repair. "Maca Root has been shown to increase circulation, giving skin a more youthful look and nourishing the endocrine system for hormonal balance and cleared skin," says Diaz.
Maca can be purchased in a powder form, making it easy to incorporate into your diet by adding to a morning or pre-workout shake or smoothie.
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Cacao
Chocoholics rejoice! No need to rationalize your chocolate cravings, this crowd-pleaser is being heralded as a super food ... but just in it's most natural form: cacao.
"Cacao -- or raw chocolate -- is the highest antioxidant food on the planet, the number one source of magnesium, iron, chromium, and is also extremely high in anandamide, the 'bliss chemical,'" says Diaz. "Raw chocolate balances brain chemistry, builds strong bones, is a natural aphrodisiac, elevates your mood, and gives you way more energy than coffee ever will."
You'll also begin to start seeing the effects of this super food on the outside. "Raw cacao is unprocessed chocolate, which contains sulfur," says Marissa Vicario, CHHC, AADP. "This detoxifies the liver for smooth, clear skin and promotes strong hair and nails." Cacao is also dairy free and sugar free, so feel free to indulge in this healthy treat!
To get your chocolate fix, add raw cacao nibs to homemade trail mix, sprinkle them over Greek yogurt, or mix ground cacao beans into smoothies or a protein shake.
Ah, super foods. You know the deal: Trendy foods with hard to pronounce names (see, "acai") from far off places, that always seem to be especially far from your local grocery store. The coming and going food fads seem like an episode of "Project Runway": One day goji berries are in, the next day, they're out. It's enough to make you pine for simpler times, when all you really needed was an apple a day. A plain, easily spelled, highly accessible, apple.
But before you roll your eyes at the latest foods that are en vogue, bear with us! Super foods are more than just trendy and exotic; they're actually deserving of that luxe label. "Super foods are quality, polynutrient foods that deliver nutritional value far beyond what you'd get from average foods," says Elena Kulakovska, AADP. We're talking foods that are jam-packed with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids, all of which help the body return to a state of balance. So, sorry apples, you may be good for us, but these "it" ingredients are great for us.
Super foods are also known to boost the immune system, lower inflammation and cholesterol, and reduce the risk of cancer. If that laundry list of benefits isn't enough to convince you to believe the hype, then maybe good old fashioned curiosity will get you to expand what goes in your shopping cart.
To give you a nudge in the right direction, we talked to health experts to get the inside scoop on the newest super foods you should be eating. So go ahead, keep sipping on that acai and popping pomegranate seeds, but make room in your daily diet for these new super foods in town.
