5 foods you probably should eat
This article stems from another article I recently updated explaining 5 foods we shouldn’t eat. It feels only right to give the other side too, don’t you think?
So Superfoods. We can’t help be intrigued, right? Magic bullets to lift you into energetic, focussed, creativity overload so you can’t help but take today by storm with? But the superfood hype came into existence when we started eating processed foods (“frankenfoods”!) and forgot what real food actually is. Real foods were (and still are) the first superfoods—properly prepared, nutrient dense, whole foods.
Not to disappoint, true superfood knowledge should excite you. They’re easier to get, cheaper, not overpowering botanicals with severe actions as well as side effects or full of highly processed isolated nutrients our bodies cannot recognise as food, let alone superfood. And most importantly of all, they themselves are highly digestible, as nature intended and your body recognises in a pinch! So superpowers here we come!
Those five foods are meat, oysters, organs, butter and mangoes (or ice cream, I can’t decide). Now not to discredit this with humour, I stand by these, but needed five! They’re also MY absolutes. But read on and see why they’re probably yours too (you’ll see what I mean about the 5th).
1. Meat - Sure it has great bioavailable protein and healthy fats, but it is also a great source of so many other essential vitamins and minerals. Iron, zinc, B vitamins and so much more that you need to thrive. Plus, we don't just need crude protein, we need amino acids and the ones found in animal-based foods (meat, eggs, dairy) are what our bodies need. So the next time you chow down on a steak remember all the valuable nutrients it is providing you with. Interestingly, to get the same calories from beans, you'd need to consume WAY more calories, and you still wouldn't get the same vitamins, minerals or amino acid profile. Let steak be thy medicine!
2. Oysters - while the ocean contains every chemical element in the table of elements and so too should we, oysters are sifters storing any toxins filtered in their shells not the meat itself, which is instead rich in bioavailable electrons, nutrients and minerals like zinc, copper, dha, vitamin D and b12. In fact there is 133% of da b12 in just 1 oyster. Scientists digging in a cave in South Africa uncover evidence of shellfish dinners that date back 164,000 years. Anthropologists say it's evidence of some of the earliest known modern behavior.
3. Organs/pate - most organs are extremely nutritious. In fact, most are more nutrient-dense than muscle meat. They are particularly rich in B-vitamins, such as vitamin B12 and folate. They are also rich in minerals, including iron, magnesium, selenium and zinc, and important fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins A, D, E and K. That said, I’m only prepared to eat them as pate. I’ve tried adding them minced in bolognaise but call me squeamish I’m more a pate linda gal.
4. Butter - A simple, natural part of your diet. It naturally contains a type of fat called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which research shows may help protect against cancer. Butter also contains Vitamins A, D and E, which are essential for healthy eyes (especially night vision), strong bones and healthy skin. Butter is also high in butyrate, an important short-chain fatty acid that supports digestive health, helps control inflammation, and even aids in preventing disease.
5. Mangos/Ice cream - mangoes like all tropical fruits contain enzymes that digest themselves. But they’re high in sugars which is a plus as they’re also only available in summer when energy levels are requisitely high. Also, when it comes to ice cream resistance is futile! We’re made to enjoy food, wired to crave and seek nutrients and ripe seasonal foods at that. But back to ice cream - have you ever frozen mango then whizzed into ice cream? Or frozen bananas whizzed? Cos whole raw milk is illegal in Australia (I had it in Chicago and could easily digest it!) and that I’m lactose intolerant, I ain’t missing out on either, ok???
If I could add one last food it would be to always be trying new foods. Because we get stuck in our go tos and then even the healthiest foods all the time becomes like sugar to our brain - our brain is wired to search for variety of nutrients to keep us healthy. Cos we’re all more probably nutrient not calorie deficient, don’t you think?
