Fail-Safe Ways To Cram Super Foods Into Your Life
We miss the old days. You know, before the health police told us about super foods. Back then we were happy to eat as many sugar-tastic and calorific meals as our heart desired. Now they put labels on everything. So if we just breathe in an e-number, or an ounce of sugar, it’s like they’re watching us… judging us. Every day the net is flooded with gluten-free healthy food hacks, active lifestyle tips and mysterious buzzwords like “super foods”. And, each super food has crazy properties, like the ability to cure diseases, build our immunity or improve our heart health. So, after some resistance, we realized we need these in our lives. But how do we eat all of them? Where should we start? There’s so many to choose, it’s confusing. So, we’ve compiled some fail-safe tips to help you squeeze as many super foods as you can into your day.
Sprinkle Them
One of the fail-safe ways to add some super nutrition into your routine is to ease yourself in. Start by sprinkling seeds on everything and you might even forget you put them there. You really can take your pick, from omega 3 and fiber-rich flaxseeds or magnesium-rich pumpkin seeds to immune boosting sunflower seeds or chia seeds. If there was a race, chia might be the winning seed, as its overloaded with omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, antioxidants, iron, calcium and has more protein than eggs! There are also no rules, so you can sprinkle them on anything, from yogurt, oats or muesli to stir fries, smoothies and salads. You can also cook with super spices like tumeric or other nutrient-rich foods like garlic, red hot chili peppers or ginger, to give each meal an extra kick.
Combine Them
Another super food hack is to combine as many healthy super foods into each meal as possible. You can make it into a super-health game. So for breakfast, mix anti-oxidant rich oats, yogurt or acia with strawberries, blueberries, rasberries, banana or grapefruit. You can choose new fruit combinations each time and they are all packed with vitamin C and heart-healthy benefits. For lunch, spice up your salads with spinach, kale, beets, lentils, beans, avocado, tomatoes, pepper or eggs which are all bursting with nutrients. For dinner, combine salmon or lean chicken with sweet potatoes and brocolli, cauliflower, beans or kale. You can enjoy some guilty pleasures every so often. If you love pizza or pasta, try add some tomatoes or pepper. Red wine is also known for it’s anti-oxidant rich properties. So, really, the combinations are really endless!
Snack Them
If you’re feeling the mid-afternoon hunger pains, then reaching for an unhealthy snack like cake or candy is really tempting. But, it might give you quick sugar-high, before you crash. So here are some energy-releasing super snacks, to help get you through the day. Try nuts like almonds, cashews or walnuts or any of the seeds. You can also drink green tea, which has crazy anti-oxidants that work for the heart, brain and help fight cancer. Fruits are also a great energy boost that you can snack alone or mix into a smoothie, from obvious ones like apples, banana or oranges, to more exotic ones like gogi berries, papaya, mango, grapefruit, passion fruit, kiwi or pomegranate. You can also still be healthy with a small piece of dark chocolate, known for its anti-oxidant powers.
Although navigating the crazy world of super foods sounds confusing, once you start, you’ll be able to show the health experts how it’s done! You might even start to feel a little more healthy too…