Mind Body Green – by DR. KATIE CORAZZO
There are certain foods that always end up in my shopping cart. I stick to a healthy, easy, and quick meal plan. No need for frills or long recipes to stay healthy, but taste doesn’t have be sacrificed either. Don’t forget to load up on these goodies next time you’re at the grocery store!
Eggs
Can you think of a more versatile food? There are endless options when it comes to cooking with eggs. And the whites are packed with protein while the yokes are full of fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins A, E, and D. Don’t have time to cook eggs in the morning? Have them for lunch or dinner! My favorite preparation is over easy with veggies, goat cheese, and salsa.
Green Veggies
Kale, collards, brussel sprouts, broccoli, oh my! Make sure you eat your veggies. Brussels seem to be the craze right now and if you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon, you’re missing out. The health benefits are endless and the taste is fantastic when garlic and lemon are added.
Garlic
This natural antimicrobial can help prevent your most annoying colds and flus. Garlic is also good for your heart, so add one clove per day to your food. Add to your favorite roasted veggies or salad. You can even make fresh salad dressing with chopped garlic, vinegar, and olive oil.
Coconut And Almond Milk
Coconut and almond milk are my favorite alternatives to cow’s milk. Worried about calcium? Almond and coconut milk are fortified with calcium just like cow’s milk and often contain more calcium than cow’s milk. I recommend the unsweetened versions, as they don’t have added sugar, but still taste great. Use them in your smoothies, coffee or when baking.
Sweet Potatoes
Trade in your white potatoes for these nutritious root veggies. Sweet potatoes have more flavor than your standard white potato, so forgo the butter, salt, cheese, and sour cream and enjoy the sweetness. Like carrots, sweet potatoes are high in vitamins A, C, and B6. Cook like a baked potato, roasted in the oven, or add to a salad after cooling.
Coconut Water
Did you know that when you sweat, you’re losing electrolytes? Low electrolytes can leave you with a headache, feeling dizzy, or dehydrated. Coconut water is a great electrolyte replacement drink, and there are plenty of different flavors to choose from. These seem to taste better when served very cold!
Beans and Lentils
Fiber. Fiber. Fiber. 35 grams of fiber per day is what is recommended. Beans and lentils are a great source of fiber and protein. As a vegetarian, I am always making sure I am getting enough protein in my diet and beans help me accomplish that. Add to soup, salad, Mexican night, or mix with quinoa and veggies.
Fresh Herbs
Do you think healthy food has to taste bland? I have good news for you! Add fresh herbs and you now have flavorful healthy food. I’m still a rookie in this department, but whenever I go out on a limb and add rosemary or basil to my cooking, I never regret it. They seem to be more flavorful than spices and contain more nutrients too. I love sprinkling fresh rosemary over my roasted sweet potatoes, sage in my eggs, and cilantro in guacamole. Fresh and delicious.
Quinoa
Quinoa is the only grain that is a complete protein. This means it has all the essential amino acids, or all the aminos that are required for our diet to prevent us from becoming deficient. It’s cooked like rice and only takes about 15 minutes to make. Cook it in vegetable or chicken broth for added flavor.
Lemon
Are you sick of plain water? A squeeze of citrus in your water can quench your thirst while adding flavor and vitamin C. Lemon is also the key when cooking your greens, because acid helps cut the bitterness of the veggies.
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-13047/10-foods-a-naturopathic-doctor-always-buys.html
The only good coconut water comes from fresh, “young coconuts” that haven’t spoiled (turned pink inside). They are soaked in sulfites so you have to be careful opening them so the sulfite doesn’t get inside the good part (or all over your hands). Sulfites won’t hurt most people but some people get anaphalaxis from them and can die (even though it’s in almost ALL preserved foods). The cartons of coconut milk taste like old stuff that’s gone bad/moldy and got mixed in with the ok stuff and pasturized. Nasty. Real, fresh coconut milk doesn’t taste like that at all. Completely different animal. I tasted that carton stuff and dumped it down the sink. My dog wouldn’t even drink it and she loves fresh coconuts. I can see why they add “flavors” to cover up the flavor of MOLD!
The almond milk that comes in cartons is full of carageenan and other things that cause “reactions” so I know it’s not “natural” enough to be honestly called “natural.” It takes about FIVE MINUTES to make fresh almond milk from raw almonds and a nut-bag (after soaking them for a few hours) and it’s WONDERFUL tasting, not at all like that carton crap.