ONE + ONE = ?

FOOD SYNERGY

ONE  +  ONE  =  ?

In recent years much scientific evidence points towards the fact that certain components in the foods we eat such as minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals, fiber, and fats interact with each other to give our bodies extra disease protection and a higher level of health. This new nutritional concept is called food synergy. As a result of various research 10 Synergy Super Foods have come to light. The magic 10 have all sorts of synergistic potential going for them.

Before I go further, for those who are not sure exactly what is the meaning of synergy.

SYNERGY: Is the interaction of multiple elements in a system to produce an effect different from or greater than the sum of their individual effects. The term synergy comes from the Greek word synergia συνέργια from synergos, meaning “working together”.

To explain synergy in my own words I would say that the outcome is worth more than the sum of the components. So basically one plus one does not equal two…

Food Synergy components:

1. WHOLE GRAINS

2. VEGETABLES

3. NUTS

4. GREEN TEA

5. FISH

6. TOMATOES

7. CITRUS

8. FLAXSEED

9. LOW-FAT DIARY

10. OLIVE OIL

I base my whole cuisine on Synergy. My cuisine is based on a fusion of Japanese & Greek cuisine. In a broader sense my cuisine brings together Mediterranean and Asian cooking. If you do just a little research you will discover that so much has been written to confirm that the two healthiest cuisines of the world happen to be Mediterranean and Japanese. The Synergistic effects within the marriage of these two healthy cuisines still have many mysteries yet to be discovered.

There are all types of food synergy, from different nutrients that are found together in the same whole food, to nutrients in different foods that work better together, to the synergy in certain dietary patterns.

1. TURMERIC & PEPPER Recent nutrition research reveals these food synergy combinations:Turmeric & Black Pepper Turmeric has long been studied for its anticancer properties, anti-inflammatory effects, and tumor-fighting activities known in nutrition-speak as anti-angiogenesis. The active agent in the spice is a plant chemical, or polyphenol, called curcumin. One of the problems with using turmeric to improve your health is its low bioavailability when eaten on its own. But there’s a solution, and it’s probably in your pantry. Adding black pepper to turmeric or turmeric-spiced food enhances curcumin’s bioavailability by 1,000 times, due to black pepper’s hot property called piperine. This is one reason it’s thought that curry has both turmeric (curcumin) and black pepper combined. So keep in mind, you’ll get the benefits of turmeric if you pepper up your curries.

2. BROCCOLI & TOMATO Research revealed that the combination of tomato and broccoli was more effective at slowing prostate tumor growth than either was alone.

3. APPLE AND CHOCOLATE. Apples with the peel on. It turns out that the bulk of an apple’s anticancer properties are hidden in the peel. The phytochemicals in the apple flesh seem to work best with the phytochemicals in the peel to reduce the risk of cancer.

4. TOMATO & OLIVE OIL. Cooked tomatoes with the peel on, along with olive oil. Ninety-eight percent of the flavonols (powerful phytochemicals) in tomatoes is found in the tomato skin, along with great amounts of two carotenoids. Absorption of these key nutrients is much greater when the tomatoes are cooked and when you eat some smart fat (like olive oil) along with the cooked tomatoes.

Cruciferous vegetables are of the family brassicaceae, also called Cruciferae, these vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, cress, bock choy and broccoli. Two phytochemicals naturally found in cruciferous vegetables (cambene and indole 3-carbinol) were more active when combined, according to research that tested the compounds alone and together in rats. The researchers found that the two compounds were able to protect the rats against liver cancer much better together. Both cambene and indole 3-carbinol are known to activate important detoxification enzymes that help the body eliminate carcinogens before they harm our genes. Foods rich in cambene include Brussels sprouts and certain varieties of broccoli. And all cruciferous veggies are rich in indole 3-carbinol.

CONCLUSION

A low fat and low carb diet is not a bad thing at all for sure, nevertheless a bit old school perhaps. Never forget that nutrition and healthy food as a subject is bottomless pit of a subject. Every year new research, new ideas and opinions will always emerge. To keep savvy one will have to keep up with the newest data and that’s just about all one can do.

FOOD-GUY