Super healthy: Do superfoods live up to all the hype?

For a while it was goji berries. Then it was chia seeds. It seems like every few months, your friend with the juicer starts raving about a new so-called "superfood."

Even now, Dr. Oz is probably deep in the jungles of South America, imploring the indigenous population for the secrets of their impossible longevity.

But when it comes to "superfoods," take them with a grain of salt.

While diet is crucial to overall health, says Raina Childers, registered dietitian at SoutheastHEALTH, it's easy for people to get carried away by all the hype surrounding exotic designer foods.

"There are certainly foods that are nutritionally packed, but unfortunately some people have a tendency to focus on whatever 'powerfood' is new instead of taking their whole diet into account," she says.

Too often when people hear stories of amazing health benefits, they assume a spoonful of coconut oil negates the extra french fries they had at lunch.

While the health benefits of obscurities such as wheatgrass extract and black soybeans are legitimate, so are those of other, humbler foods like oatmeal. Childers says it's more important to streamline your diet to be healthier overall than to try compensating with magic bullet foods.

Plant-based foods in particular, like fruits and vegetables, naturally have the type of phyto-chemical properties that the human body knows how to use. These disease-fighting properties reduce inflammation and provide antioxidants that combat free radicals, a type of wayward molecule known to be linked to chronic disease and cancer.

"We've seen as much nutritional benefit from blueberries as we have from açai or goji berries," says Childers. "We also need to find things that are practical. For a lot of families, things like matters of taste and matters of budget are deciding factors."

Because let's face it. We're not rabbits. Not everyone likes to eat his or her vegetables. Janet Anders, registered dietitian at Saint Francis Medical Center, admits the change is hard, but it doesn't have to be boring.

"The truth is, it's difficult to get your daily calorie needs from just broccoli," she says. "But it starts with having an apple instead of the french fries or other little steps."

Luckily there are ways to incorporate healthy foods into your diet without resigning yourself to endless carrot-munching.

Cape Girardeau resident Jessica Pisciotta prefers to drink her vegetables. When ordering her smoothie at Smoothie King, she asks for the "antioxidant enhancer" and extra kale.

A kale smoothie may sound like baby food, but Pisciotta says it's great because the other flavors are what come through – in her case, things like pomegranate and kiwi.

"The kale is great because when you mix it in, you can't even taste it," she says. "And it's a lot healthier than a lot of the other fast-food options around town."

Pisciotta suffers from lupus, but says that by finding ways to eat more natural foods and vegetables, she feels noticeably better.

Debbie Atchison, marketing director for Smoothie King in Cape Girardeau, said that's their goal – to help people adopt healthier lifestyles one step at a time.

"It's important to make your calories count," says Anders. "You have to make sure you're getting the nutrients you need and not just empty calories."

But even conventional produce can get pricey. Frozen vegetables are just as good, if not better than grocery-store produce, says Childers. Once vegetables are picked, their nutrients begin to deteriorate. Frozen vegetables lose fewer nutrients during the shipping process than fresh produce.

"Farmers markets are great places to get fresh produce and support local growers," she says. "But frozen vegetables are fine since the nutrients are locked in right after they're picked."

While there's a lot of talk about veggies, carnivores of the world: exhale.

Meat is still an important part of a healthy diet. Moderation is key, though. Fish like salmon or tuna contain the protein and the types of fatty acids that your body needs to function. As with avocados, nuts and seeds, there is a point of diminishing returns when eating meat.

"They are healthy, but a little goes a long way for good health," cautions Childers. "More is not better; it's just more calories."

Leafy greens, however, are all-you-can-eat. Things like spinach, broccoli, kale and cabbage are all great ways to pack in the nutrients -- just beware that they make some folks gassy.

As it turns out, you're better off focusing on a super diet than on "superfoods." The bottom line is simple: put good in, and you get good out.

Happy munching!