Top Ten

Okay, given that most of the blogs we have done so far have been food-orientated, we thought we would steer away from the kitchen by posting another top ten blog about food. Granted that my boyfriend is a lifeguard, a health freak, obsessive and at times retarded, he now has me fully equipped on some weirdass diet thing which actually is not as terrible as I had first imagined. After a long break, this time we're doing Top Ten Superfoods. As a species, humans are always striving to find a way to better themselves and healthy eating is probably the most obvious way to do so, aside from exercising or whatever, but a lot of food you don't even realise is that healthy for you, but really is.

10. Brussels Sprouts



A love it or hate it vegetable that we all remember from Christmas, the B-Sprout is an absolute saint when it comes to dishing out the vitamins and other healthy goodness you never seem to consume enough of. 85g worth of these equals 120% of your guideline daily intake (GDI, remember it) of Vitamin C. Not only that but it's also packing enough Vitamin A and folic acid (essential for hair and nail growth, as well as other cells) as it is. The best part? You probably have a lot more than 85g worth with your Christmas dinner, and let's face it, they don't taste that bad!

9. Ham



A controversial choice in my top ten, but I'm sure it's one that you won't mind me putting here at all, you ruthless cannibals and such. Ham, unfortunately, is packed full of salt which doesn't bode well for various obvious reasons. But ignoring the salty part which most meat-producing companies are attempting to lesser, ham is made from the really crappy parts of a pig, like the back of its right thigh or the back of the skull which, ironically, is the most protein-packed meat. 245g of ham equals 83% of your GDI of protein, outclassing beef, lamb, chicken, turkey and other pig-based meat. Not only that, but it is bursting with thiamine, which is essentially for your heart and muscle growth.

8. Orange



I know, I know, you were expecting an orange anyway, but it simply can't be ignored. Admittedly, it is completely overhyped and really isn't packing as much vitamin c as people associate it with. That being said, it has absolutely enough for both men and women. One orange, average weight of 115g has 130% of your GDI of V-C, which is abundant. This may be true, but aside from its best friend Homeslice C, the orange doesn't have much else in it. Do not confuse it with tangerines, mandarins, clementines or whatever - they might be related, but they have vastly incomparable nutrition content. It is also not true that orange juice is healthier, it is infact less healthy. Most companies add sugar and the like anyway. If you make it yourself, its fine, but who has enough effort to do that, hmm?

7. Broccoli



Directly behind The Orange, also with 130% GDI of VC is The Broccoli. But wait, what? They have the same content and broccoli is a vegetable, ew. Why is broccoli higher in your list than orange, Lex? I'll tell you, invisible person that doesn't exist. Unlike the orange, broccoli is packing much more than the average orange. As well as pumping you full of VC, it also has respectable amount of Vitamin A in it, and that much loved folic acid. All of that for just 85g of tree.

6. Strawberry



British folk often rely on strawberries for all of their tennis-orientated needs, smothered in some very thick but nevertheless tasty cream, it is often considered a very sweet treat. But don't feel so bad. Just surpassing The Orange and The Broccoli is The Strawberry with 137% VC at 140g worth. Yes, considerably more, but strawberries are considerably smaller, Captain Obvious. Unfortunately, of that 140g, 7g is pure natural sugar. Don't let the sweetness overthrow you though, it is all natural and some of which our body needs. The Strawberry doesn't get to beat The Broccoli by just 7% though, they also have a considerable amount of fibre in them too.

5. Spinach



No, that is not a bowl of leaves. The best friend of Popeye is soon to be a best friend of you if you consider what I am about to say; eat spinach. It has a truly unique, er, taste, which some may find utterly horrific and others completely addictive, but 85g of spinach has 159% of your GDI of Vitamin A which is often missed on daily. Not only that but these often neglected and forgotten leaves are stuffed full with folic acid, vitamin c, magnesium, iron and calcium. Yes, these things help your hair, eyes, nails, bones, skin, cell reconstruction and even whiten your teeth. Go onnnnn, try them. EAT THE SPINACH!

4. Pumpkin



A pumpkin Lex? Really? Yes, Happy Halloween and as much as I hate the irony and coincidence, pumpkin is not a trick here - it is most certainly a treat in this case. Surpassing even spinach when it comes to V-A, 85g of pure prepared pumpkin contains 175% of your GDI. I personally have never had pumpkin, mainly because I, along with most Brits don't celebrate Halloween, but I intend on doing so soon. And no, don't kid yourself - pumpkin pie is sweet, creamy and isn't pure. Probably doesn't weight 85g anyway...

3. Kiwi



OH LUXIO, YOU SO FUNNY. WHAT ARE KIWI GOING TO DO TO HALP ME? A lot. 140g of kiwi (roughly two kiwis) contains 196% of your GDI of Vitamin C, seriously outclassing The Strawberry, The Broccoli and the ohsofamous Orange. Kiwis are also very sour and I thoroughly enjoy eating them. Most people cut them in half and spoon the contents out, leaving the fuzzy skin for the bin, well, uh, you should eat the skin like I do. Wait, here me out. The skin is high in flavanoids which have anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and anti-allergenic properties in it, as well as a hefty amount of antioxidants which are amazingly good for your skin. The green fruit itself is also high in fibre and potassium also.

2. Kale



"What is this!?", I hear you scream. "Do you expect me to devour this cute little bush?!" Yes, infact, I do. This is kale and it is often completely forgotten. I used to feed kale to the swans and geese I used to look after, but I never realised that the greens could do me so much good myself. Kale simply defines the word 'superfood'. It is flippin' crammed full of every vitamin under the sun. 85g of it contain 261% of VA, 170% of VC and a whopping 12% VB6. Okay, so 12% isn't whopping, but Vitamin B isn't that common to come by. It really doesn't taste horrid either, it just tastes of grass, which in itself is neutral in flavour. It also has a bit of Vitamin K, and you didn't even know Vitamin K was real. All these vitamins are healthy for your brain, which is coincidental because the kale slab pictured above looks like one.

1. Blackcurrant



When I discovered the true power behind blackcurrants, I think I cried with happiness - but upon realising the numbers behind them, I dislocated my jaw and had to go to hospital for an hour and a half. Ready for this? 112g of blackcurrants contain, in terms of your GDI of Vitamin C, a colossal 338%. That's not the best bit. Despite what you might think or have been led to believe, blackcurrants really are not that sugary. They do contain natural sugars, obviously, but not half as much you would expect. If that doesn't curve your enthusiasm, they also pulsate with potassium and iron too.