DEBUNKING DIETS AND ADDING 3 SUPERFOODS!
- Cindy
- October 5, 2020
- Food, Life & Style
- 0 Comments
Here you are with summer looming ahead and (quite) a few kilograms heavier.
Firstly, who was going to see you locked up in your home? Secondly, who was going to notice your expanding middle under all those winter woollies? And then, Bam!! Its Spring! On top of that, friends are expecting to meet up with you – in person and not via Zoom! Whoa- Stop the bus! Suddenly, you notice that your slinky jeans are on the too tight side of sexy and that that tee-shirt that you loved because it showed off your curves is now emulating a few more bulges and demonstrating your lack of control.
Okay, sorry to disappoint, but I’m not going to write about ‘How to lose your muffin top in a week’.
But, if you are frantically scanning the internet for the lowest calories to eat in a day and survive, stop right there. The problem with diets is that they are usually not what you would eat normally and, so, you set yourself up for failure before you even begin.
A better approach would be to start adding nutritious foods to your ‘normal’ eating plan. Adding and not taking away will not make you feel like you are depriving yourself of something. It makes the transition easier.
So, let’s add three – just three – superfoods to your daily eating regime.
There are a number of so called superfoods. These are the foods that are exceptionally nutrient dense. They have ‘super’ amounts of fibre, vitamins, antioxidants and minerals compared to other foods. They are usually, but not absolutely, considered whole foods – that is food in its natural state.
I asked a number of my friends and clients to tell me what they thought a super food would be – and, no, I’m not going to reveal the very creative answers I got.
Next, I turned to the text books and realised the food fundi’s don’t always take an altogether realistic approach. So, I returned to what I know best – my own experience!
For example, dark chocolate is listed as a super food. But, I think if you can’t guarantee that you won’t eat a slab a day, then let’s leave that one out.
And I could mention kale as being a serious superfood but, honestly, there was not one person I asked who said yay! let’s add kale to our day! So, I decided to keep it to three practical options that you could easily ease into your daily living and still reap the benefits. To qualify, they had to be readily available and definitely affordable on an ongoing basis.
No.1. BANANAS
This is a takeaway food in a useable wrapping. It is reasonably priced and available all year round in South Africa. Now, I know you going to think bananas are fattening. But, one a day is not and its health benefits are far reaching. It is a great source of potassium, vitamin A, iron, phosphorus, fibre, vitamin B 6 to name a few. Bananas also have a small amount of tryptophan which is an amino acid used by your body to produce serotonin, your ‘happy hormone’. Plus, bananas’ high natural sugar and carbohydrate content can help curb the craving for sweets or biscuits and keep you fuller for longer. Banana is also a great energy booster. You can eat them fresh, freeze them, whip them up in a smoothie, add them to muffins. They are great on whole grain toast and you can even buy banana chips to eat on the go. That’s not all, when it comes to the packaging, apparently people use the insides of the peels for face care and for insect bites.
No.2. SPINACH
I couldn’t leave this leafy green vegetable off the list as all leafy greens have loads of vitamins, minerals and fibre that help your body to fight many diseases. This superfood is packed with Vitamin A, C and K, magnesium, calcium, folate, iron, manganese, beta carotene and chlorophyll to name a few. Yes, you read that right, these are just a few of the nutrients you can expect from a veggie that many people turn their noses up at. But, it supports eye, heart and brain health. If you are used to it being served looking like a limp dishcloth smothered in a glutinous sauce, then it’s time to change it up. Try just chopping it up and eating it raw in a salad – baby spinach is perfect for this and you don’t even need to get a knife out. Add it to pastas, soups, stir-fries or throw a handful into your smoothie. It is also a fairly cheap vegetable and available most of the year. You can even grow some in the back garden.
No.3. LEMONS
This immune boosting fruit deserves better treatment than sitting sliced atop a piece of fish or bitten into after throwing back a tequila. It may taste acidic but, once digested, it becomes alkaline to the body. It helps to reduce acidity in your body which lowers inflammation thus helping to reduce disease. It is antiviral, antibacterial and is even known to kill some types of parasites. Of all the citrus fruits, it is the highest in vitamin C. It aids digestion promoting a healthy gut – and, if you thought it couldn’t get better, lemons also contain vitamin B6, copper, potassium, magnesium, zinc, calcium, pectin and phosphorus. Start the day with half a lemon squeezed into hot water with a teaspoon of honey if you like things a bit sweeter. Your liver will thank you for it. This is such a versatile fruit that you can use it in salad dressings, meat dishes, vegetable dishes and desserts. Think homemade lemon sorbet! Too much salt is damaging to your body, so why not try using a squeeze of lemon instead of salt. It is far a healthier way to improve flavours. Again, this fruit is readily available and affordable. You can freeze the juice so you always have some on hand. It can also be used for skin and hair treatments.
A better approach would be to start adding nutritious foods to your ‘normal’ eating plan. Adding and not taking away will not make you feel like you are depriving yourself of something. It makes the transition easier.
SUPERFOODS FOR THE FUTURE
As I mentioned earlier, this is just the beginning. There are many more nutrient dense whole foods out there. I’m just getting you started. So, I encourage you to include these three on your shopping list when you next go shopping and making sure that they are readily available in your kitchen.
Once you have incorporated them into your everyday eating, add another three, then another three and so on. In time, you will feel a bit better, a bit slimmer and more motivated to continue your journey to eating healthier.
I’ll be sharing the next super three on my list very shortly!
