Top Ten Foods to Try in 2010

2010 is here and its such a great time for change and renewal and rejuvenation. Making radical changes in our diets and the foods we eat is going to be crucial when it comes to our health. We are so programmed to eat the same foods over and over again even if they aren't contributing to our health. I'm guilty of it as well as I like to stick to my basic greens, seaweeds, seasonal fruit, and occasionally, I'll try something new and refreshing.

So I'm posting some foods to try in 2010 that I'm also going to be brave and try myself.

• Mangosteen is a small purple fruit the size of a tangerine native to Southeast Asia. A wonderful defense for anti-inflammatory diseases as well as an anti-oxidant, companies are making this exotic fruit available mostly in juice form.

• Acai berries originate from Brazil, but became famous when Oprah along with Dr. Oz endorsed it as the #1 Superfood of the World. It helps with weight loss, healthier looking skin, improved digestion and circulation, and better sleep.
  

• Rambutan helps to build tissues, boost the immune system, and also helps to eliminate symptoms of a vitamin C deficiency such as rashes, aches, and gum problems.
  

• Seaweed vegetables are natural detoxifiers that are high in iodine, calcium, iron, and potassium. Some well-known seaweed vegetables are wakame, arame, kelp, dulse, hijiki, and nori. They are great in salads and soups.
  

• Lucuma is an exotic Peruvian fruit that has been used for exotic celebrations among the Peruvian people. It is used often in a raw foods diet. In the United States, it comes in powder form, mostly raw, organic, and sundried. It is best used in smoothies, ice creams, cookies, bars, or any other desserts and can replace agave nectar. It gives some recipes a creamy and smooth texture and has a wonderful source of beta-carotene, iron, and niacin.

• Goji Berries have been used in China for over 6,000 years as a way to promote longevity, improve eyesight, sexual function, and fertility.
  

• Kumquats are cholesterol, fat, and sodium free. They are also rich in fiber, vitamin A & vitamin C with traces of calcium and iron. They are extremely juicy in flavor with a tart inner flesh.
  

• Star fruit actually looks like lime green and yellow fleshy stars when fully ripe. These Malaysian fruits are beautiful in texture and rich in vitamin A & vitamin C and also fiber. The fruit is known to cure hangovers, stimulate the flow of milk for nursing mothers, and also used to treat sore eyes.
  

• Persimmons are a fall fruit perfect for a persimmon egg nog, persimmon pie, or a persimmon pudding sweetened with a good grade of maple syrup. Mostly grown in California, but native to China, persimmons were traditionally used to treat diarrhea, hemorrhoids, and asthma.
  

• Coconuts come in many varieties: green coconuts, Young Thai coconuts, brown coconuts, etc. Everything about the coconut from its oil, its water, and its flesh is highly nutritious and delicious for the body. Its water in high in electrolytes which rejuvenates cellular structure and hydrates the skin.
  

Most of these fruits and vegetables can be found in specialty produce and health food stores when in season. Since most of these fruits originate from Southeast Asia, you can find them at Asian produce specialty stores. Though exotic and not native to the USA, they can provide you with ample nutrients for the body while tantalizing the taste buds.

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Nwenna Kai is the author of The Goddess of Raw Foods available for purchase at www.amazon.com and the upcoming children's book, The MoreLove's coming May 2010. You can the FREE e-book Nwenna Kai's Holiday Recipes at her website www.nwennakai.com by signing up for her weekly e-newsletter at her website. She is the previous owner of Taste of the Goddess Cafe, one of LA's pioneering organic raw food cafes. She is the 2007 winner of the Elizabeth Dole Young Entrepreneurial Scholarship sponsored by Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) for her work as a health and wellness entrepreneur. Visit her website at www.the-guide-to-raw-foods.com and her blog at www.theguidetorawfoods.com/blogspot.com.