10 Superfoods I Can’t Do Without!

We hear so much about superfoods that we need to eat to stay healthy, but have you noticed that they are often from a far off land and are very expensive. Sounds great for the seller of these superfoods, but not so great for the buyers — you and me. You want to do right by your family, so you buckle down and buy that expensive food that is often in liquid or dried form. Suddenly you become the food czar and will only allow the kids or other family members to have small amounts of this wondrous food, threatening to send over-indulgers to some frozen wasteland for punishment.

I know that may sound over the top! Still you know it rang true. But it does not have to be that way, I mean expensive superfoods.

Superfoods are right at your local market. In fact most foods that are not processed or man made are superfoods. What, you don’t believe me!? Okay lets take a look, but first how about some basic rules. These foods have to be in their natural state, NOT PROCESSED. It is easy to find these foods at most markets. Often they will be on the outer walkways of the market, not the aisles.

Live Culture Yogurt

Not all yogurt is created equal. Lots of yogurts are pasteurized, meaning they contain no live cultures when you purchase it. Live culture yogurt contains many different types of lacto-bacilli. Live cultures help feed the digestive tract flora.

• Live culture yogurt helps keep your flora healthy aiding in digestion.
• Live culture yogurt can help with regularity.
• Live culture yogurt helps build the immune system.

To be sure your yogurt is live culture check the label to be sure it states it “contains live cultures.” Better yet, make your own live culture yogurt with our lacto-fermentation eCourse which also teaches how to make greek yogurt, yogurt dips, and cream cheese replacements. Homemade yogurt is over 1,000 times more healthy than store bought. The lacto-fermention eCourese also teaches you how to make homemade yogurt, Greek yogurt, and fruit dips, not to mention all you need to know about fermenting vegetables so you can make your own sauerkraut, pickles, and more.

Raw Coconut Oil

This wonderful oil used to be what theaters put on their fresh popcorn… how yummy! Raw coconut oil has so many health benefits that many books have been written about it. It can handle the high heat of frying without breaking down, and is a direct replacement for oils in recipes. How about we just list a few benefits.

• Coconut oil dramatically boosts the immune system.
• Coconut oil will stabilize blood sugar levels and burn fat in the body.
• Coconut oil helps to balance hormones and stimulates the thyroid.

Coconut oil will also keep in the pantry for a very long time after being opened. To learn more about this wonderful oil I would suggest starting with these three articles; Eat This Fat And Your Body Will Thank You!, Some Fats Make You Want To Dance, Your Body Will Thank You, Dance & Lose Weight

Lemons

That common lemon which you have seen all your life has great properties.

• Great source of vitamin C, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium.
• Lemons can soothe a sore throat, lower blood pressure, flush toxins, clean the colon and serve as a powerful antibacterial.
• Lemons help the body with digestion, breaking down fats in digestion, and give a calming affect on the digestive system.

Are you looking at that lemon differently now? Restaurants already knew lots of these facts; don’t they try to give you water with lemons in it? Lemons are not just to make lemonaid when things get tough. Check-out, “Lemons, Pucker Up and Reap the Benefits!” for more about my little yellow friends.

Sourdough

Sourdough is bread made with natures rising agents. All grains contain gluten and anti-nutrients, but sourdough takes care of both of these issues producing a product that is much heather than commercial grain products.

• Homemade sourdough bread is very low in gluten.
• Homemade sourdough is 2 times as nutritious as store bought breads.
• Homemade sourdough is much easier on the digestive tract.

Homemade sourdough can replace all your grain based foods such as; breads, crackers, pancakes, rolls, muffins, cakes, donuts, etc. Research shows that these foods can help improve health when made a part of a balanced diet. Correctly made sourdough is hard to find. If you are interested in making it at home yourself we have a sourdough eCourse that makes it easy. We also have the books and tools you need to get started.

Make Sourdough At Home – Easily

Nuts

Nut make an easy snack. Take a bag to work or keep them in your backpack. They are a much better choice than what the vending machine has to offer. Take note: don’t eat the roasted ones,since the oils are often rancid; I hope you know the sugar/honey coated ones are not so great either.

• Nuts help boost the immune system since they are a great source of zinc.
• Nuts contain great antioxidants and vitamins.
• Nuts are great for snacks since they contain healthful fats which help fight hunger.

What nuts are the best? Really there is only one rule here, try to get raw nuts so the oils, vitamins, and enzymes are not destroyed by roasting. Want to read more about immune boosting foods? 8 Foods That Boost Your Immune System

Greens

Yup, I am talking about the wonderful dark colored ones. Forget that iceberg lettuce. You are looking for the romaine lettuce, spinach, kale, mustard greens, collard greens, broccoli (wow there is that word), Brussels sprouts and cabbage.

• Greens are powerful to detoxify.
• Greens can boost your immune system if you eat them 2-3 times a week.
• Greens help keep the colon clean and bowel movements regular.

Secret to eating greens. Make a fake taco salad. Let me explain. Get a plate of some romaine lettuce, raw spinach, and some other greens that work for you. Next, layer a few broken up tortilla chips, add some protein in the form of the meat of your choice or black beans. Don’t forget to add the avocado, red onions, and tomato. Sprinkle with some shredded cheese of your choice, maybe even some sour-cream and/or salsa and suddenly you have a salad meal. You will not mind eating all the greens when all it’s friends are at the party.

Lacto-Fermented Vegetables

Lacto-fermented vegetables like real sauerkraut and pickles are great tasting and super for the body. These vegetables can be stored in the fridge for months to over a year depending on the vegetable.

• Lacto-fermented vegetables are considered raw and have increased vitamin levels.
• Lacto-fermented vegetables contain higher levels of enzymes to aid in digestion.
• Lacto-fermented vegetables are much higher in nutrition than raw vegetables.

Almost any vegetable can be lacto-fermented and saurkraut and pickles are two examples. Since no heat is used in the processing of lacto-fermented vegetables they are still considered raw but often taste cooked. Making lacto-fermented vegetables is easy and fun. Learn how to ferment vegetables with our lacto-fermentation eCourse, add on the hardware you need and save even more.

The Original Veggie Fermenter (starter kit).
Just add the food and a jar

Avocados

That dark green pear-shaped fruit can offer many rewards to your diet.

• Avocados contain great fats that help to balance hormone production.
• Avocados contain essential amino acids, antioxidants, and fats that help fuel the brain.
• Avocados boost the immune system, help with adrenal function and help with the absorption of fat soliable vitamins like A, E, D, and K.

Don’t ever make a salad with out one of these wonderful goodies if you can help it. Read more about the great benefits of Avocados.

Grass-fed Beef

In case you did not know, beef cattle are supposed to eat grass not grains. Beef are fed grains in confinement operations since they don’t have the pasture lands to support the cattle. This allowed confinement operations to be put just about anywhere, yes even in town. The only issue is, since cattle don’t normally eat grains it tends to make the cattle sick overtime, thus requiring the use of anti-biotics to keep the cattle alive till it can be sold. Notice I did not say healthy. Grass-fed beef is packed full of good oils, minerals and nutrients.

• Grass-fed beef is high in Omega 3s.
• Grass-fed beef is higher in natural minerals, like iron.
• Grass-fed beef is lower in saturated fats.

Also grass-fed beef just tastes better, unless you just like all that unbalanced fat of grain-fed beef.

Wild Caught Alaskan Salmon

Yes, the wild in Alaskan Salmon is important. Farmed salmon is often fed corn and anti-biotics. Not to mention that the fish can, and do eat the other diseased fish in a farmed enviroment.

• Wild caught Alaskan salmon is very high in omega 3s.
• Wild caught Alaskan salmon is very low in toxicity.
• Wild caught Alaskan salmon’s taste is much better than farmed.

How to do tell the difference between wild caught and farmed salmon? Read this article; 3 Toxic Fish, Pregnant Women, and Salmon.

Important

If you notice, the one thing that all these superfoods have in common is variety. It is important that you keep your diet varied in rich foods so you get all the nutrients you need for balanced health. Now you understand why these are 10 Superfoods I Can’t Do Without! You may find after making these “10 Superfoods I Can’t Do Without!” part of your diet, that eating healthy is fun and enjoyable. Do you have a superfoods list of your own?