Foods with Benefits

SUPERFOODS: Superfoods are a special category of foods found in nature. By definition they are calorie sparse and nutrient dense meaning they pack a lot of punch for their weight as far as goodness goes. They are superior sources of anti-oxidants and essential nutrients - nutrients we need but cannot make ourselves. 

Believe it or not, there are a LOT of awesome superfoods out there and it should be your aim to begin discovering them in their vast array, loving them, and incorporating them into your daily eating habits. 

Remember! We are not eating to lose weight and we are not dieting. We are eating to LIVE. Weight loss may occur, but this is only secondary to a bigger picture of overall health and wellness. 

I need to tangent for a second and have a "Come to Jesus" with everyone. I realize that all of the information I am sharing with you is A LOT....but the truth is...it's not much at all and there is SO much more. Please do not let this discourage, but rather ENCOURAGE, because the way you can begin to nourish your body is within a place of discovery and learning. You just do what you can and be excited about the fact that what you are doing was better than the day before. The way I eat and live is not something I'll ever get right or ever have fully accomplished. It is a series of changes that happen over time and help me evolve into someone healthier every day. All I am trying to do and all YOU should be trying to do is nourish the natural version of yourself. You will slip comfortably and gradually into that skin and you can ENJOY the process. 

So many of us go to these extremes because we want results SO fast. We are not willing to wait. We are cranky and miserable and we are desperate. We have screwed ourselves up so badly and we self destruct and then we resolve to start over on a Monday and then it all starts again on WED. Come on, People. Let's STOP this cycle. Who is with me??!!! Let's start talking about things we CAN enjoy that are within the boundaries of Healthy Living. If you are making good choices 90% of the time then the other 10%, we can afford to fudge. 

Next time you make a new resolve and begin a new and determined way of existing...ask yourself if you can maintain it over time. Picture yourself eating that way in 10 yrs from now. Is it REALLY realistic? Really? Most often it is not, but we throw ourselves into these extremes because we want instant gratification. Do you know how many times I've tried to get a pair of my jeans over my big butt and I'll start sweating and getting all knotty in my stomach and then I'll look at my husband and tell him I hate him (like it's his poor fault) and the world and I'm never eating again!!! I'm a little dramatic. But then I remind myself that those jeans are only going to get tighter if I skip even ONE meal and it'll only get worse. I then PROMISE never to diet again, eat healthy, and use a little bit of darn self control! It's a continuous place we have to make ourselves go....to the place that is right and true.

I am aiming for something different than most and I want to discover and share ways of eating and living that will change you into YOU! Not someone else. I want to teach you things that you are able to maintain. All we are doing is taking things you are ALREADY eating and finding alternatives for them. The rest of it is about what you CAN have and CAN incorporate. Ultimately we are ADDING...not taking away....although it may feel that way at this point. I believe in hard work and discipline and I'm not a huge fan of the whining, but I also believe in pacing yourself. I am not here to set you up for failure. Inhale and Exhale and know that every little bitty change you make is a success and be proud of yourself for it. 

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SO Let's go back to the topic of Super Foods!

The foods we eat not only exist to satiate hunger, they impact the entire inner workings of our beings in one way or another. We need to start looking at our food and acknowledging what it is and whether is is beneficial or harmful to us. 

I realize this may be extreme but, I believe that once we acknowledge food as toxic and harmful to our bodies and then we make the conscious choice to consume it that it is kind of like smoking a cigarette. Cigarettes get such a bad wrap for causing cancer, but what about pesticides and other food additives and ingredients that have all been linked to many forms of cancer? Think about it for a while. Tell me if you disagree. Don't be a sheep and by the way...the wolf is in fact NOT your Grandma. 

Be an informed consumer!!!!

So let's start talking about foods that heal, and nourish and bring life. I like to call them my....

FOODS WITH BENEFITS!

(think about this every time you eat a delicious super food. Wink at it and then delight in it)

There are lots of super foods and one isn't necessarily better than another, but what IS cool is that they all have nutritional values that serve certain purposes like brain function or better digestion or energy or healthy skin and hair. FUN! 

I am going to list my top ten Foods With Benefits.

If you click on the word, it will take you to a link that will give you more info on their nutritional value

1. GREENS:

Ok. I realize that I'm kind of cheating on this one, but that's the great thing about taking your greens...you can consume multiple super foods in one scoop! Greens include things such as chlorophyll, spirulina, alfalfa, wheat grass and so on. But they include a whole host of other delicious super foods that you may never even think to consume. The greens I take are Garden of Life RAW Organic Green Super Food

2. BLUEBERRIES

3. SWEET POTATOES

4. THE COCONUT AND IT'S ENTOURAGE

5. GOJI BERRIES

6. WALNUTS

7. SALMON

8. SPINACH

9. RICE BRAN

10. BOK CHOY

Ok. That was Really hard to pick only 10. 

I'd love to hear what some of your favorite super foods are.

We'll talk more about certain super foods as we go along and it will 

be a great way for us to start introducing new foods to our diet.

Experiment and Experience!!

Sorry for the long post. Hope you enjoyed!