As a nutritionist, one of the most frequently asked questions I get is people wondering I eat every day. The simple answer to that is, mostly plants! If there’s a plant that I can eat, chances are I will eat it. But I’m not perfect and not everything I eat is in my best interest or in line with my nutritional philosophy. But no one’s perfect, right?!

What I eat varies day-to-day because I try to get as many different foods in my life as I can. But here, I narrowed it down to five foods that I make sure to eat every day. When I don’t eat these foods, I don’t feel good. And usually, if I’m not eating these, it’s because I’m binging on the Halloween candy I found hidden in my husband’s office or we’re out of town without access to my blender (oh the horror!). Again, I’m not perfect!

1.     Broccoli Sprouts – Broccoli sprouts are the baby sprouts of broccoli plants. They are super concentrated and super nutritious. Broccoli sprouts belong to the cruciferous vegetable family. (1) They contain the compounds indole and sulforaphane which help promote healthy cell growth and give the sprouts their anticancer properties. (2) More specifically, broccoli sprouts contain isothiocyanates which have recently been found to help turn genes on and off through epigenetics (3) as well as encourage apoptosis, which is a fancy word for programmed cell death. (4) This means they influence whether or not disease is expressed. This is HUGE news! 

2.     Turmeric – You know that golden yellow powder that stains everything? Yep, that’s turmeric! Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory powerhouse! The main component of turmeric is curcumin which gives it that deep yellow color. (5) Turmeric can help lower inflammation throughout the body and has demonstrated in animal studies the ability to lower lipids. (6) Turmeric has been used for centuries in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Indian traditional therapies. (7) The scientific community is just beginning to replicate these miraculous anecdotal results through clinical trials. But with the very limited potential for side-effects, I’m already a huge fan regardless of lacking clinical trials. Make sure to consume turmeric with black or long pepper to help with absorption. (8)

3.     Green Tea – Ready for a fancy word? Great tea contains epigallocatechin-3-gallate or EGCG, which gives it it’s magical powers! Green tea helps to enhance cognitive functioning and mental alertness but has more recently started to be used in cancer treatments, depression, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, ulcerative colitis, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and hypotension (9), just to name a few! EGCG helps to protect the tea plant from disease, pests, and the elements, and when we consume it, when also get to reap the health benefits! (10) 

4.     Flaxseeds – Flaxseeds are an easy addition to many foods including soups, smoothies, oatmeal, and baked goods. They contain a good amount of essential fatty acids, both omega 3’s and omega 6’s. (11) Flaxseeds and flaxseed oil help to lower cholesterol levels and may help to prevent certain cancers. (12) Flaxseeds also contain protein and fiber. Make sure to grind them before consuming because our digestive tract has difficulty breaking down the tough outer coating.

5.     Nuts – Nuts are incredibly nutrient-dense foods, however, unfortunately, they are also very calorie-dense. This means the serving size is very small, usually ¼ cup, and it’s super easy to eat several servings without realizing it! Guilty! They contain protein, vitamins, minerals, and fat, which the fat is where the issue of serving size comes in. In particular, brazil nuts contain high amounts of selenium. Selenium affects all aspects of the immune system. (13) Deficiency in selenium negatively impacts the immune system. Other healthy nuts include almonds, walnuts, and pecans.

There you have it! Five foods I eat every single day. If any of these are unknown to you, I would encourage you to do some research and try them out. Make note of how they make you feel. If you try one and don’t like it, even after several tries, don’t force yourself to eat it! That never works! There may be a good substitute out there that has a similar nutrition profile. Let this be a starting point for you, if you so choose.

The key to good nutrition is always variety. The more whole, unprocessed foods you consume, the more nutrients you will get into your body. So, mix it up! As they say, variety is the spice of life! Eating should be fun, not boring!

Peace, love & kale!

Lindsay

References:

1.     Murray, M. & Pizzorno, J.  (2005).  The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods.  New York, NY: Atria Books.

2.     Hardy, T.M., & Tollefsbol, T.O. (2011). Epigenetic diet: impact on the epigenome and cancer. Epigenomics, 3(4), 503–518. doi:10.2217/epi.11.71 

3.     Moore, L.D., Le, T., & Fan, G.  (2013).  DNA Methylation and Its Basic Function.  Neuropsychopharmacology. 38(1): 23-38.  doi: 10.1038/npp.2012.112

4.     Hardy, T.M., & Tollefsbol, T.O. (2011). Epigenetic diet: impact on the epigenome and cancer. Epigenomics, 3(4), 503–518. doi:10.2217/epi.11.71 

5.     Natural Medicines Database.  (2019).  Turmeric [monograph].  Retrieved from: https://naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com/databases/food,-herbs-supplements/professional.aspx?productid=662

6.     Micozzi, M.S.  (2019).  Fundamentals of Complementary, Alternative, and Integrative Medicine (6th ed.).  St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.

7.     Murray, M. & Pizzorno, J.  (2005).  The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods.  New York, NY: Atria Books.

8.     Natural Medicines Database.  (2019).  Turmeric [monograph].  Retrieved from: https://naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com/databases/food,-herbs-supplements/professional.aspx?productid=662

9.     Natural Medicines Database.  (2019).  Green Tea [monograph].  Retrieved from: https://naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com/databases/food,-herbs-supplements/professional.aspx?productid=960

10.  Hardy, T.M., & Tollefsbol, T.O. (2011). Epigenetic diet: impact on the epigenome and cancer. Epigenomics, 3(4), 503–518. doi:10.2217/epi.11.71 

11.  Murray, M.T. & Pizzorno, J.  (1998).  The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Atria Books.

12.  Bernstein, M., Insel, P., McMahon, K., Ross, D. (2017). Nutrition Sixth Edition. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

13.  Murray, M.T. & Pizzorno, J.  (1998).  The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Atria Books.