YMCA Healthy Living Magazine, powered by n4 food and health (Summer 2015) | Page 7

levels, stop sugar cravings and even boost
your libido! I’m still yet to find any solid
evidence to support these claims and
there is still a lot of controversy as to
how healthy this oil actually is due to
its high saturated fat content. Whilst
I would be happy to use small
amounts of the oil in moderation (it
does taste pretty good!) I wouldn’t be
pouring it on everything I eat. One oil that has
scientific evidence to support its health properties
is extra virgin olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is a staple
in the Mediterranean diet, is rich in monounsaturated fats,
and has been shown to have protective effects against
cardiovascular disease by reducing inflammation, cholesterol,
blood pressure and oxidative damage.

Kale

Kale needs no explanation. No doubt you have seen it in
smoothies, salads, chips, muffins and cakes, it’s
literally squeezed into everything! But at the end of the day
spinach isn’t all that different. The nutritional properties of
kale and spinach are very similar. There are only very slight
variations but both are very nutrient rich vegetables. I
wouldn’t be going out of my way to eat kale thinking it was a
nutritional powerhouse over spinach or a lot of other leafy
green vegetables such as watercress and silverbeet.

Acai berries

Acai berries, bowls and smoothies are popping up at all the
trendy cafes. The berries are rich in antioxidants, in particular
anthocyan