Rare treats – 10 exotic foods for fab health
Do you drift past exotic fruits in the supermarket without taking the plunge and purchasing, or read about superfoods but refuse to take the next step and incorporate them in your diet?
It’s time to dispel myths about obscure foods so that you can embrace their energizing properties.
If you’re yearning for rare treats, here are 10 exotic foods for fab health.
1 ) Soursop
The spiky-skinned tart-tasting soursop fruit has fantastic antiviral properties, is good for the immune system and packed with antioxidants. Shop at soursopuk.com and get it delivered to your door.
2) Guava
Guava fruits grown on trees in South America and are packed with vitamin C, potassium and fibre — they reputedly lower blood sugar levels and boost heart health.
3 ) Otaheite apples
Otaheite apples are popular in places like Jamaica, where they’re also called cocoplums. They have a high water content and contain lots of vitamin C, calcium, thiamine and riboflavin.
4) Papaya
The humble papaya claims a potent mix of health-giving properties, including lowering cholesterol, aiding weight loss, boosting immunity and helping to reduce stress.
5) Breadfruit
Breadfruit tastes great fried or roasted and it’s a cure-all that’s high in calcium, carotenoids, copper, iron, protein and vitamin A. It can also be transformed into a gluten-free flour.
6) Chilli Peppers
Chilli Peppers like jalapenos and scotch bonnets are popular and many types of chilli are grown in the UK now. They contain vitamins K1, C and A, as well as lutein, which protects eye health, and ferulic acid, which combats chronic diseases.
7) Sweet potato
Sweet potatoes are high in fibre, contain vitamins A, B and C and antioxidants in the peel protect against damage from free radicals. Look out for the purple sweet potato – it’s less widely available in the UK than its orange relative, but is packed with even more health-enhancing properties.
8 ) Turmeric
Whether you use it to add colour to curries, take it in pill form or brew it into tea, turmeric is terrific for your health — it contains bioactive curcumin, which has strong anti-inflammatory properties and is linked to improved brain function and good heart health.
9 ) Sorrel
With its red colour and lip-smacking taste, sorrel makes an excellent base for a fruit punch. But this amazing herb is also full of flavonoids, iron and vitamin C – it can boost red blood cell production and ease age-related eye conditions.
10 ) Cinnamon
You might most commonly encounter cinnamon as a topping on your chai latte. But its high levels of antioxidants mean it can cut the risk of heart disease and reduce blood sugar levels. For convenience, organic store Kijani Living stocks concentrated cinnamon powder to add to meals.
Complete this decathlon of exotic foods and you’ll soon enjoy Olympian health — as well as spicing up your diet dynamically