His recipes have transformed the culinary realm and given a whole new meaning to healthy living. Amateur chef Jorge Plaza Marquez is known for an impressive work philosophy that exemplifies nutritious diets to combat inflammatory responses.
The Miami-based chef regularly visits local and foreign markets to forage for ingredients that cater to specific dietary needs. In the past, Marquez has created delicious ketogenic, paleo and vegan recipes in a bid to show people that food can be healthy and flavorful!
Today, the chef touches upon a viral food trend that has taken the market by storm; superfood smoothies!
“Superfoods are hailed by experts as clean, nutrient-rich foods that allegedly lengthen one’s lifespan,” Jorge Plaza Marquez says. “The seven age-defying superfoods are fish, yogurt, chocolate, nuts, olive oil, eggs, and blueberries!”
The fitness aficionado goes on to say that by introducing these foods into your diet, you are warding off age-related illnesses like osteoporosis, heart disease, and diabetes.
Research has shown that superfoods are more than just a millennial buzzword. In fact, the global market for these foods is set to break through the $22.97 billion-threshold before 2024, ringing in a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 5.1% between the 2019-2024 forecast period.
“Personally, my go-to ingredient for a great superfood smoothie is dark leafy greens,” Jorge Plaza Marquez admits. “These serve as an excellent source of zinc, folate, magnesium, vitamin C and calcium – you simply can’t go wrong!”
The chef lists a couple of leafy greens that work best with smoothies; kale, spinach, collard greens, and turnips.
Marquez continues, “Blueberries are another personal favorite of mine, especially because of their antioxidant properties. In fact, there are scientific studies that actually suggest berries are more effective in combating digestive and immune disorders than conventional medical treatments.”
Jorge Plaza Marquez also debunks a popular myth doing the rounds, namely chocolate having zero health benefits!
“Let’s get this straight,” he says, “chocolate is very much in the group of anti-aging superfoods. It is packed with flavonols that help keep blood pressure in check. Kidney disease, dementia, and type 2 diabetes can also be warded off to a certain extent with dark chocolate in particular, as the health benefits come directly from cocoa.”
Another ingredient that chef Marquez recommends? Nuts!
These are a great source of unsaturated fats that not only make for a healthy snack as they are, but also a great addition to your smoothie. They fuel your body, fight fatigue and give you all those valuable minerals and vitamins. Apart from the health disorders I’ve already touched upon, a daily intake of nuts also mitigates memory loss.”
The chef’s final bit of advice?
“Get creative. Try different combinations so there’s never a dull day when you bring your smoothie along,” Jorge Marquez advises. “There are so many ways to tap into a plethora of health benefits in the foods you eat every day. You just have to know where to look!”
More on Jorge Plaza Marquez
Marquez has spent his entire career as an outspoken fitness advocate with a talent for creating nutritious and delicious recipes. The chef himself has overcome weight issues and health disorders in the past, and feels passionately about helping other people do the same.
He devotes his time to creating recipes that suit a number of different palettes and encourages people to place their food intake at the forefront of their fitness regimen.
