Here’s a question for you: will eating only organic food give you all the nutrients you need to support and protect your body?

If you said no, you’re on to something and keep reading. And if you said yes, DEFINITELY keep reading.

I’m reminded every day that our food sources, even organic fruits and vegetables, are often severely lacking in the nutrients we need to handle our over-the-top, super-busy lives. While organic is better than non-organic produce, it still doesn’t have the ability to truly nourish us in a powerful way. Why? Think de-mineralized soil and polluted water to start. And think about organic produce that’s been shipped from across the country — even though it’s organic, by the time it gets to you, it’s seriously lost a HUGE amount of the nutritional value.

These are just a few of the things we were talking about last night when I went to a talk given by one of my nutritional superheroes – David Wolfe (that’s David standing next to me, 2nd from the left). David is the creme de la creme of nutritionists, pushing the envelope when it comes to what truly nourishes us. I first saw David when I was at nutrition school at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition several years ago. But this was the first time I ever got to talk to him up close and personal, and what a treat it was!

We were at my friend Glen’s ultra cool, raw foods cafe in West Haven, Connecticut. We spent the evening talking about some of my favorite superfoods. Conventional wisdom would have you think that superfoods are things like blueberries and tomatoes. And in the realm of all foods, they’re pretty good. But those are “old school” superfoods. When I say superfoods I’m talking about things like maca, Inca Berries, goji berries, cacao, and blue green algae, just to name a few.

If some of those things sound pretty foreign, don’t worry, I didn’t know a lot about them either only a few years ago. In fact, before David Wolfe I didn’t even understand the power of cacao – raw chocolate, pictured here. Forget Hershey bars or even some pretty good quality dark chocolate. You can get exponentially more benefits from eating raw chocolate – bursting with nutrients (like tons of magnesium, for one) and a much better way to satisfy those cravings without all the guilt.

I’ll be sharing a lot more about these “new school” superfoods in coming months, — I just wanted to whet your appetite a bit. Just know that if you want to truly nourish your body, integrating in some of these superfoods will help you feel your best. I know because I’ve been doing it for awhile and it’s made a big difference in how I feel.

And just to give you a hint about what I mean, I’m a big fan of maca. Not only does it help give you mental clarity and help with symptoms of menopause but it’s also great for supporting your libido.  I mean seriously, who can’t love that?

Do any of these superfoods ring a bell ? Do tell about your experiences with superfoods.

Filed under: Healthy lifestyle, Optimal Health, Superfoods, Vitamins and Minerals, Whole Food Nutrition, supplements