Must-eat foods with mega-nutrients

In order to fuel your body and achieve optimum health, you need to eat foods that deliver mega-nutrients. The American diet tends to fall far short of this goal, leading to energy deficits and disease. Pump up your diet and your health by adding these six must-eat foods with mega nutrients to your weekly grocery list. Just remember that everyone’s diet is different, so the effects seen from adding specific foods may vary. It’s important to listen to your body and understand what it’s telling you. 

Greens

Greens are the primary food missing from the modern diet, but your body needs the mega-nutrients they deliver! Whether your body’s craving a boost of iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium or almost any of the vitamins, dark leafy greens have them all. Because there are so many options to choose from - kale, collards, dark romaine lettuce, broccoli, chard, arugula – you should have no problem discovering an option you enjoy.

Seaweed

While seaweed qualifies as the “dark leafy green” of the sea, it’s worth mentioning on its own.  Seaweed is one of the most nutritionally rich foods on the planet. All the nutrients that run off our soils end up feeding seaweed!  You can find seaweed in a variety of forms - dried, in crackers, as part of salads, in flake or liquid form.  Even if you’re wary of the stuff at first, give it a couple tries – maybe even add it to a smoothie or crumble crackers in a soup.

Colorful fruits and veggies

There is no one miracle fruit or vegetable, but when you eat a spectrum of fruits and veggies they work together to nourish your body in many crucial ways.  Look for the fruits and veggies with the darkest colors; they will have the most nutrition. 

Herbs and spices

Keeping your kitchen cabinet loaded with herbs and spices is a great way to add mega nutrition to your diet.  Herbs and spices are loaded with secret ingredients that can help with a variety of health challenges.   Some of my favorites are turmeric, garlic, cilantro, cinnamon, rosemary, ginger, peppermint and basil.  Put them in your salads, your sandwiches, your pasta or whatever! They will give your meal an extra kick of flavor while enhancing your total health.

Whole grains

Many women today have become a bit carb-phobic, but the truth is that whole grains and complex carbohydrates are essential to a healthy lifestyle and metabolism!  Unfortunately, whole grain bread isn’t necessarily the best option. Choose unprocessed grains in their natural state; options include: quinoa, brown rice, bulgur and oats.

Chia seeds

Chia seeds have become one of my favorite foods.  As an athlete, chia seeds are a must-eat before workouts because they will keep your body satisfied and energized for a long period of time. Long distance runners in the Mexican mountains use chia seeds as their secret ingredient; if it can keep them going for 50 miles straight, it will certainly keep you going throughout your day!