Here is a simple top ten list of foods that I eat almost everyday. Check it out and add them to your diet as well!
1. Coconut Water: for optimal hydration and potassium intake--electrolyte replenishment.
Try ZICO, Vita CoCo, O.N.E, and fresh young coconut juice from your local health store...
2. Acai Juice: for omega fats, protein, and amazing antioxidant replenishment. Try Samzabon brand. Triple flavor have acai, blueberry and pomegranate blend!
3. Umeboshi plums (asian pickled plums): This is an interesting one....many traditional asian culture say that one umeboshi a day will lead to strength, vitality and digestive health. Umeboshi is a pickled plum--it is an ancient food creation process and was eaten by samari warriors for quick strength. Umeboshi can be found an asian grocery stores and in the asian section at Whole Foods. Umeboshi is an amazing alkalizer...meaning if you have an overly acidic body--umeboshi will help regulate the acid-alkaline balance in your body.
4. Brazil Nut: Just one Brazil nut a day ensures you that you are getting 100% RDA of selenium intake...selenium is an important nutrient that some people are deficient in. (PS..your mom probably had these, but didn't know their value..)
5. Probiotic Yogurt--Helps keep your digestive and immune system healthy and strong! My favorite brand is BIO-KPlus. These tiny yogurt shots are expensive at almost $4 a shot, but this brand is amazing! They even have a dairy-free version with soy that I love. You can't find a better dairy-free option. The flavor is very yummy and its a great morning ritual to acquire. If can't miss my morning bio-kplus shot now!
6. Olive Oil--OK, not too unique, and your mother probably DID have this super food....but did she have the same 50+ bottle selection at her local health food/Whole foods store??? Probably not....Trying different brands and flavors keeps it fun and interesting to consume this amazingly healthy good-for-your-whole-body fat.
7. Green or White Tea/ or Yerba Mate--Teas are becoming known for their amazing antioxidant benefits as well as incredible phytochemical substances. Gosh, green tea has been found to contain a number of healing phytochemicals--white tea is even more concentrated, but a bit more pungent to drink. Yerba Mate--a new tea to the main stream crowd is like a SUPER TEA...A great brand is Guayaki.
A quick explanation of the difference between green tea and yerba mate:
While yerba mate and green tea share many of the same benefits, (antioxidants, polyphenols, flavenoids, bio flavenoids, and theophylline) modern science shows that yerba mate has 52 more active compounds than green tea. There are 196 active compounds in yerba mate compared to the 144 found in green tea. In fact, yerba mate can boast higher polyphenol and antioxidant counts than either green or black teas.
8. Goji Berries--Goji berries are one of those super foods that you may have heard of, but haven't quite tried for yourself. I did a whole post devoted to this fantastic super food...so check it out in archives
9. Tempeh and Seitan--Its true that tofu has long been the number one meat replacement for getting a complete protein. But if you haven't tried seitan or tempeh yet--you are missing out!! These complete protein "meat replacers" are delicious and add a more sophisticated texture and taste to your vegan friendly meal plate! Seitan is basically wheat gluten protein and tempeh is fermented soy beans. Sounds gross, but trust me--seitan can taste better and more tender and succulent than the best meat--if prepared by a master. Here in NYC, GoBo's seitan skewers with two mustard dipping sauces and pickled papaya--is an absolutly crave-worthy dish...
10. Sprouts--Your mother may have loaded up that turkey and cheese sandwich with alfalfa sprouts..but these are not the sprots I am talking about. Sprouts and micro greens are being found to contain amazing phytochemical properties in concentrated quantities compared to their full-grown sibling plants... BROCCO-SPROUTS has been found to contain the antioxidant SGS--which supposedly "lasts for days" instead of hours--like other antioxidants. See the BroccoSprouts website for more info... www.broccosprouts.com
But these sprouts are amazing in pitas, on sandwiches or tossed into salads. They are slightly more hearty and zesty than traditional alfalfa sprouts.
11. Mushrooms--OK, so I promised ten...but how could I forget my favorite veggie--MUSHROOMS! So yes your mom probably served you plenty of white button shrooms with your dinner or on a homemade pizza...but did she serve you delicious shiitake, portobella, crimini, chanterelle, oyster or hen of the woods mushrooms? I doubt t. Mushrooms are being founf to have some amazing phytochemical properties...and taste absolutely gourmet. The five star Michelin chefs of the world would not survive in their kitchen without some high quality shrooms....so cheers to mushrooms. Try shiitake and portobella first, then take a stab at those higher priced chanterelles for a real gourmet kick to your at-home meal! Read more about the phytochemicals in my phytochemicals blog post.
Have any suggestions to this list???? Things I left out?
Let me know!!!!
UPDATE: A few of you wrote in to suggest these foods:
Whole Wheat/LIVE sprouted grain pasta, breads and tortillas
HEMP and HEMPmilk
Macadamia nuts and oil
Coconut Oil
Quinoa and Spelt grains
Taro root chips instead of potato chips
Dark chocolate--80% dark! (how could i forget chocolate!)
...more to come...
