Nutrition & Recipes

12 Superfoods for a Healthier Lifestyle

12 Superfoods for a Healthier Lifestyle
The cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle is putting nutritious food loaded with vitamins, amino acids, and probiotics into your body. It’s easier than you might think. Here are some of the healthiest superfoods you should incorporate into your diet.

Quinoa

I love this stuff. Quinoa is a gluten-free whole grain with a slightly nutty flavor. It’s high in protein and fiber, low in fat, and has a low glycemic index. It also contains folic acid, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, and copper.

How to prepare: Soak your quinoa by rinsing it and covering it with water overnight. This removes the phytic acid that inhibits mineral absorption. Rinse well, then make an easy recipe like veggie-turmeric quinoa or quinoa stuffed peppers.

Chia

Chia has been around for millennia, but it’s recently been getting a lot of good press. Chia is high in omega-3 fats, protein, calcium, potassium, and iron. The seeds are also high in fiber and antioxidants.

How to prepare: Try making the Power Protein Smoothie.

Pomegranate

High in antioxidants, vitamins A and C, and fiber, pomegranate is a healthy way to satisfy your sweet tooth.

How to prepare: Split open the fruit and spoon out the seeds. Add pomegranate to your cereal, yogurt or eat plain.

Kale

This dark, leafy green is rich in vitamins, minerals, and enzymes including vitamins K, A, C, and E, as well as magnesium, fiber, calcium, and omega-3 fats.

How to prepare: Eat kale raw. Try my Dharma’s Kale Salad or roll it around some avocado.

Probiotic and Enzyme Salad

Protect your immunity and enhance your beauty with my fermented cabbage, which is teeming with digestive probiotics and enzymes. It will improve your digestion and help you de-gunk your system.

How to prepare: You can find the recipe for the enzyme salad here.

Glowing Green Smoothie

What are you waiting for? If you haven’t tried it, now is the time! The “GGS” not only starts your day with easily digestible vegetables, but it is loaded with fiber, vitamins, enzymes, and other nutrients.

How to prepare: Fill a blender with two cups of water. Add a half head of organic spinach, one head of organic romaine and blend until smooth. Add 3 to 4 sticks of organic celery, one pear, one apple and blend again until smooth. Add one organic banana and the juice from a half a lemon and blend once more.

Oat Groats

These whole grains make the perfect breakfast cereal after you’ve had your glowing green smoothie. They’re high in fiber, low in calories, and contain calcium and iron.

How to prepare: Buy whole oat groats and soak them overnight. Blend them in a food processor with a little avocado, stevia, and water as well as a pinch of Himalayan sea salt and eat as cereal. You can find them in the health store, usually in the bins or the cereal section. If you can't find oat grouts, buy the next best thing: steel-cut oats.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil used to get a bad rap, but studies have shown that it is one of the healthiest oils, especially for cooking. It’s high in lauric acid, which enhances immunity.

How to prepare: When you cook, use small amounts of coconut oil to sauté vegetables or any other recipe that calls for oil.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Raw, unpasteurized, unfiltered apple cider vinegar helps with digestion and is high in potassium, which promotes regularity and cellular cleansing. It’s also a great digestive tract cleanser.

How to prepare: Try using it in your salad dressings instead of balsamic or other vinegars.

Acai

These berries contain omega-3 fats, protein, minerals, fiber, and vitamins. They’re also extremely high in antioxidants and taste delicious.

How to prepare: Blend frozen berries with unsweetened almond milk, cacao, avocado, and stevia for a nutritious smoothie.

Almond milk

Ditch the dairy and instead use almond milk, which is a good source of protein, vitamins, minerals, and beneficial fats.

How to prepare: Purchase organic, unsweetened almond milk from the health food store or make your own.

Stevia

Stevia is an herb that also serves as a natural sweetener. It doesn’t raise blood sugar, and has been shown to prevent tooth decay and actually stabilize blood glucose.

How to prepare: I like NuNaturals Stevia, which has a clean, sweet taste for smoothies and other desserts.