Foods to Eat Every Day

A daily dose of good nutrition always trumps inconsistent doses of excellent nutrition.

Why? A few reasons:

1. We can’t absorb large doses of great nutrition
2. Large or concentrated doses of nutrients can harm us
3. We expel nutrients or they expire, sometimes in a few hours

We are designed to absorb a little bit of good stuff, every day.

Here are some foods to eat every day.

Organic Sauerkraut.

This is a probiotic, which means it keeps your guts healthy. Having a healthy gut protects us against food poisoning, inflammation, infections, and obesity! Probiotic supplements are expensive and might not have any live bacteria left in them. PLUS real food provides more variety (strains) of bacteria, which is great and more natural. Remember that too much of anything can be toxic.

How much you need: A few Tbsp per day, but eat more if you wish.

Calories: A few Tbsp has about 5 calories.

How to eat it: Use it as a garnish with any meat-veg-potatoes type of meal.

http://www.realfoodtoronto.com/simple-organic-unpasteurized-sauerkraut.html

Blueberries.

They provide antioxidants which fight free radicals, which come from things like stress, pollution, and exercise. We are constantly oxidizing or “rusting” from these free radicals. That’s bad.

But large doses of antioxidants are also harmful, so taking an antioxidant supplements isn’t the best strategy. Furthermore, food provides antioxidants that are more active. Blueberries also taste great and have lots of fibre. Nature wins again.

How much you need: 1/4 cup per day

Calories: 1 cup has 80 calories (whereas 1 cup of mango has about 150 calories and way more sugar and less fibre)

How to eat them: I buy the frozen kind and put them in my shakes or with Greek yogurt.

1/4 cup of frozen blueberries

Fish oil.

This stuff is brilliant.

We used to get a lot of omega 3 fats in our diet when we scourged the earth and hunted game. Now, we only get them if we eat cold water fish or grass-fed animals ($$$$). If you don’t pursue omega 3’s through cold water fish, grass fed animals, or supplements, you’re missing out on the following benefits:

• Better immune function
• Better blood lipids (cholesterol) profile
• Reduced inflammation (pain, arthritis)
• Better mental health
• Better neurological function
• Reduced symptoms of attention deficit
• And maybe better fat metabolism

How much you need: If you’re a small person, have 3000 mg per day of combined EPA/DHA. If you’re big, have 6000 mg. See your doctor if you are on blood thinners. It may be contraindicated.

Calories: 120 calories per 15 mL (tablespoon)

How to take it: liquid. Keep it in the fridge or freezer. Take it a time you’ll remember consisently

Psyllium husk.

It’s a soluble fibre “supplement” that’s actually just a ground up shell, so it’s real food. But you basically take it like a supplement. It helps us feel full/satisfied longer, on less calories, which is your job if you’re trying to lose weight. Another reason to eat psyllium husk is that soluble fibre is going to be missing from a fat loss nutrition plan (because it’s found in bread, oatmeal, black beans, and fruit – the things we might have to eat less of in a fat loss program).

Psyllium also helps us have easier bowel movements, lower bad cholesterol, and it improves gut bacteria.

How much you need: 1-3 tsp per day (5-15 mL)

Calories: 15 per Tbsp (15 mL)

How to take it: Add to shakes, Greek yogurt, or cottage cheese. Increase water intake by 1-2 cups per day per tsp of psyllium husk!

1 Tbsp (15 mL) of psyllium husk