HEALTH + WELLNESS
ALL Hail THE SUPERFOOD
COCONUT OIL AND QUINOA ? PAH ; THEY ’ RE SO 2016 . FROM THE MOMENT BLACK PUDDING WAS HAILED AS A NUTRITIONAL POWERHOUSE LAST YEAR , ALL MANNER OF UNEXPECTED SUPERFOODS HAVE BEEN PULLED OUT FROM THE BACK OF OUR KITCHEN CUPBOARDS AND ENCOURAGED TO BASK IN ALL OF THEIR HEALTH-GIVING GLORY . ONCE A BUZZWORD RESERVED FOR ONLY THE GREENEST OF GREENS ( PREFERABLY JUICED ), THE ‘ SUPERFOOD ’ IS NOW A TERM THAT , ALONG WITH A LOAD OF RELIABLE REGULARS , ENCOMPASSES SOME VERY UNUSUAL SUSPECTS . WE ’ VE ROUNDED UP A LIST OF FOODS STILL MAKING THEIR MARK ON THE HEALTH RADAR , SOME OF WHICH MAY SURPRISE YOU . by Polly Humphris
Black pudding
Even the most adventurous of eaters can be put off by black pudding ’ s other name : ‘ blood sausage ’, and then put off further still when they realise that , barring a handful of oats , it really is made from little else other than pig ’ s blood . If you can get past that though , you ’ ll find this low-carb friend of the fry up is an excellent source of protein as well as being rich in iron , potassium , calcium , magnesium and zinc .
Pork scratchings
Regarded widely as the ultimate companion to a cold pint of beer , pork scratchings are not the first thing that spring to mind when considering your health . Fatty they may be , but two-thirds of that fat is actually a combination of mono- and polyunsaturated fat , which is great for keeping hearts healthy . What ’ s more , a scratching is effectively a curl of concentrated collagen from skin , so it ’ s high in protein with added muscle and bone-health benefits too .
Popcorn
Not cinema popcorn smothered in butter , salt and sugar , of course , but popcorn - as a snack in its natural form - is actually really good for you . Studies in the U . S . have concluded that a single serving of plain popcorn contains almost double the number of antioxidants found in the equivalent portion of fruit and veg thanks to its surprisingly high levels of polyphenol , a group of micronutrients that make ( metaphorical ) mincemeat of pesky free radicals .
Beef liver
Beef liver is a veritable powerhouse of lifegiving goodness : a single 100g portion packs in seven times the recommended daily allowance of copper , twice the amount of riboflavin we need daily , and a whopping 12 times the recommended daily allowance of B12 . As if that wasn ’ t enough , it ’ s also bursting with calcium , potassium and phosphorous and , overall , contains more vitamins and minerals than almost any fruit or vegetable imaginable .
129