10 Superfoods I Eat Daily
What foods do I eat on a daily basis? And which of these do I consider superfoods?! Honestly, I am not a big fan of the term 'superfood' because I feel all real food have super powers. Today I am going to focus on the foods I almost always eat on a daily basis because they taste amazing, but also because of their superb nutrient content.
And don't worry, goji berries, acai, etc. is NOT going to be on this list. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy those foods but realistically- I most definitely DO NOT eat these foods daily.
Alright, let's do this! What 10 superfoods do I eat everyday? Read on to find out!
1. MCT coconut oil. I eat a ton of coconut products. Coconut flakes, coconut milk and I cook often with coconut oil, too. But my favorite is my beloved MCT coconut oil. The difference is this is pure MCT (middle chain triglycerides) versus regular coconut oil which only has about 67% MCT. Why consume MCT oil? In short, brain power. Your body utitilizes these easy to digest fats more like a fuel source, in particular when consumed with no carbohydrates or sugar. That's why I drink my version of bulletproof coffee, it gets my body in fat burning mode for the day (NOT because I am trying to manipulate my body to lose weight, but because I believe using fat versus sugar for energy is a GOOD thing for our brain, reducing inflammation, etc), gives my brain energy, makes my digestion feel amazing and taste amazing, too! You can also add MCT coconut oil to matcha latte, turmeric milk and even use it as a salad dressing! I probably consume at least 1 Tablespoon of this daily.
2. Vegetables. Of any kind. Yes, I love kale and the other veggies promoted as superfoods- but they all have super powers. Out of all the veggies, I probably always have some sort of dark leafy green vegetable at some point during the day. But I also love cruciferous vegetables for their anti-cancer fighting compounds (I just start adding broccoli sprouts to my salads, pretty excited about this new addition!), carrots for their sweetness and goodness I LOVE me some potatoes!
3. Probiotics. Aka fermented foods. Because they are amazing for immune system, taste amazing and encourage variety and diversity among your gut flora (i.e. the balance of bacteria in your gut). I am a fan of eating fermented foods versus taking probiotics because it helps you to get even more variety of bacteria (although there are clinical reasons to take probiotic supplements for certain conditions/healing protocols). My favorite fermented foods include sauerkraut and kimchi, fermented vegetables, yogurt and kefir, and kombucha. You do NOT need to eat ALL of these everyday to reap the benefits of fermented foods. I aim to get ONE of these different types in my diet on a daily basis. You can slowly increase your intake with time, but again its not necessary to drink a bottle of kombuhca, a yogurt, and a cup of kimchi on a daily basis. Small amounts is usually all that's needed!
4. Dairy fat. I bet you were not expecting that? Yup, I purposefully eat dairy fat on a daily basis. One of the main reasons I love to eat fat from dairy is for its vitamin K2 content, which you can ONLY find in the fat and milk fat of ruminant, grass fed animals (like grass fed beef and bison). Most of us are deficient in this important vitamin because we've been consuming fat free yogurt and skim milk our entire lives. Vitamin K2 is critical in preventing osteoporosis, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, wrinkles, cavities, teeth dentition and the formation of our jaws. It's uber important in making sure calcium is deposited in the right places, and since calcification of the arteries is part of the path that leads to heart disease, it's kind of a big deal. Another reason I love dairy fat is that its one of the few dietary sources of vitamin A (true vitamin A not the precursor beta-carotene) and vitamin D. EVERYONE these days is deficient in these vitamins, especially vitamin D, which is really scary to think about. That's a huge reason why I make sure I go outside every single day for at least 15 minutes AND consume vitamin D rich foods like dairy fat. Dairy fat contains all three fat soluble vitamins- A, D and K2 which is funny that nature knows you need a balance of all three of these. If one is off it throws off the effects of the rest. If you're scared of saturated fat, I challenge you to think differently. Read this series to find out more. My favorite forms of dairy fat are heavy cream, butter, ghee, whole milk, full fat cheese and full fat yogurt/kefir. I consume at least a few of these on a daily basis.
5. Collagen and gelatin. If you want glowing skin, sturdy nails, and shiny hair. If you want a strong gut lining. If you want to improve arthritic pain and join pain. If you want to improve your brain power. Basically ya just NEED THESE. One of the main issues I have with American culture these days is when people think of meat, they immediately think of huge chicken breasts in a plastic wrap. We are so far removed from our food that we've forgotten some of the foods that make us who we are! That's why I consume these collagen peptides on a daily basis and drink bone broth on a daily basis, too. That's also why I believe in eating organ meats, like liver. If you are a vegetarian you can consume fish with the bones and marine collagen to help increase these in your diet! If you eat meat, go for collagen peptides and bone broth.
6. Green tea. I love green tea! This stuff is CHOCK full of antioxidants! Since I am pretty caffeine sensitive I cannot handle more than a cup of caffeinated coffee daily. So if I really need a boost, I'll drink a matcha latte. Sometimes in the afternoon after lunch I enjoy sipping on warm green tea with honey. And then other times I get it in the form of probiotics when I drink my homemade kombucha. Green tea helps fight oxidative stress (anti-aging), helps stimulate fatty acid during exercise to improve endurance, and is a wonderful source of antioxidants that reduces your risk of cancer, obesity and diabetes. Heck yes!
7. Local, raw honey. If its local and RAW (meaning not pasteurized), this stuff is FULL of nutrients. If its store bought, it is likely mixed with corn syrup. Sorry guys, but it's worth paying more for the real deal stuff! While I sometimes use stevia and maple syrup, honey is by far my favorite sweetener. I use it in my nightly turmeric milk among other ways of using it (as a glaze for meats, in salad dressings, to sweeten my homemdade fudge, etc). Its antimicrobial, which means it helps fight off the bad stuff (bad bacteria and other pathogens), so I even use it as a face mask or as a pimple treatment!
8. Sunlight. Yes, sunlight is a superfood! As I was mentioning in #4, the majority of Americans are deficit in vitamin D. While I do think many people should supplement with vitamin D (especially if you live somewhere where you don't get sunlight often or you are indoors most of the days), nothing beats getting it from the sunlight. 15 minutes of direct sunlight with NO sunscreen is the best way to absorb more vitamin D in your life. You can also get vitamin D in meat that is fed a proper diet and sustainable lifestyle (if your chickens or cows do not get sunlight that means you are not getting vitamin D when you eat them. And since most of us are deficit in this vitamin, it's pretty damn important to get it from our foods, too). As I mentioned above, other than sunlight you can get vitamin D in dairy fat and fat of sustainable meat as well as egg yolks and bone broth.
9. Chocolate. I LOVE CHOCOLATE. That's enough of a reason to eat it for me! But if its 70% or more chocolate it also has a TON of benefits. Most notably for its great source of antioxidants. Chocolate is also a natural source of caffeine. its dark chocolate can help reduce stress. But most importantly for me, it is my favorite 'soul' food. As in when I eat it, it makes my soul so incredibly happy. I eat chocolate almost everyday after my lunch. My favorite right now is 88% dark chocolate dunked in peanut butter :)
10. Turmeric. If you've been following me for even a day, you probably know I drink turmeric milk on the daily. I also add turmeric to my scrambled eggs, when roasting vegetables and any other way I can sneak it in my diet. While the benefits of turmeric consumption are well documented and known for inflammatory disorders (think inflammatory bowel disease, autoimmune conditions, etc.) it’s also being researched and used to help treat cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis and even help treat obesity! Yup, turmeric has powerful ability to heal us and I recommend consumption of it to literally almost every client I work with. It’s been a major part of my own healing process, too.
Other note worthy contenders: adaptogens like maca powder (and ashwaganda), lemons (in warm water every morning), liver (its like a natural vitamin, full of so many things including bioavailable vitamin A, I take it either in the form of a supplement or I sneak it into foods). Unrefined extra virgin olive oil. Meat (yes I think there meat ad/or fish is a good thing to eat! This is how I get my omega 3 fatty acid intake in through grass fed beef and fatty fish)...
...Oh geez I could keep going but I'll stop for now :)
Tell me: What's your favorite "superfoods" you eat on a daily basis?!
