Overlooked Foods for Vitality
Posted on 10 January 2010
There are so many foods around it gets confusing knowing what will benefit us the most. So much so that we forget some of the best basics which provide us with life and vitality.
Exuberant physical strength or mental vigor: a person of great vitality. -- Vitality
What is not to like, it seems like the epitome of how we should want and strive to feel. I am a big proponent of eating for Vitality and feel there are certain foods that we often overlook but should be a staple in our diet. Let’s take a look.
1- Fish. A simple one but too often overlooked, in spite of eating healthy many of us don’t eat enough fish. We favour the easier to cook and simpler protein sources like Eggs, Chicken, Turkey and Beef and while these are all great they lack one thing which has the ability to improve the way we function and feel, Omega 3′s.
When Omega 3 fatty acids are eliminated from the diets of rats their behaviour changes radically within a few weeks. They become anxious, stop learning new tasks and panic in stressful situations.
While we aren’t rats this goes to show how detrimental simply eliminating or not getting enough Omega 3′s can be. Eating oily fish while not to the taste of everyone can help keep your brain supply’s topped up and more importantly keep the nerve cells fluid and flexible. My recommendation is to eat a few servings of oily fish like: Mackerel, Herring, Salmon , Sardines and Anchovies a week. Plus keep your diet topped up with Walnuts and Omega 3 Eggs which can help keep your stores topped up. If you can’t eat enough fish or are breast feeding (which depletes omega 3) then also supplement with 2-3 grams per day which is roughly 6-10 capsules, its probably a good idea to take some form of fish oil supplementation anyway.
2- Salad. How many of us eat a large salad everyday. It is something overlooked but hugely enjoyable and satisfying. I consider a salad a food as it contains many raw and healthy ingredients we would not normally eat, things like Spinach, Carrots, Cucumbers, Peppers, Celery and pretty much any other salad leaf you like.
I love starting a meal with a big salad made with a great honey mustard dressing and topped off with some spicy roasted seeds. Make a big bowl and share it with everyone at the table, you will probably all feel more satisfied and be less likely to binge or eat unhealthy foods.
3- Herbs and Spices. How often do your meals seem bland or lack flavour, if its more often than not your probably short of herbs and spices in your cooking. They have the ability to instantly lift your food and give it life along with a host of other beenfits.
I always joke, I wish Doctors handed out “spice racks” instead of prescription drugs…. -- Mike OD
Recently I have been keeping topped up on the following:
- Cinnamon -- A potent anti-bacterial and great in coffee
- Basil -- Awesome in anything tomato based plus great to make a fresh tea from
- Ginger -- Helps with inflammation and circulation
- Pepper -- A good pepper mill is an essential and can be ground over pretty much anything.
For a full run down on some of the benefits and favourites checkout this post 8 Essential Herbs and Spices, it gives a comprehensive run down of the benefits and uses of a variety of the best herbs and spices. So in a nutshell keep your pantry stocked with these and experiment while you cook, its pretty hard to go wrong.
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Comment by sian-girlgetstrong
11 January 2010
Great tips! I have to remember the omega 3…I just find those pills way too big for me to swallow!
Comment by Liam | EverythingZing.com
11 January 2010
When following a low-fat, low-sugar diet herbs and spices are an absolute must. I see so many dieters chomp their way through tasteless, low calorie meals that could be really “spiced up” without adding to the calorie content. You got me into black coffee, so will give the cinnamon a go
Comment by Richard
12 January 2010
Your list is on target! I have to take fish oil capsules or a tablespoon of flax oil each day because I find cooking fish tricky. Or I should say that good fish is so much more expensive than the other protein options.
I would add turmeric to your spice list for the awesome anti-inflammation benefits.
Thanks for the great information!
Cheers,
Richard
Comment by Yash
12 January 2010
I don’t eat fish very often, but I also feel like it’s one of the hardest foods to get “fresh” depending on geography. I say “fresh” because I know that fruits and veggies in supermarket can be months old so they’re not fresh either, but fish is a bit more volatile and the notions of farming and getting fish to eat corn [from Food, Inc. + a little extra digging] just adds to that. I like to make do with cod liver oil.
Ps, sorry for being a Debbie Downer. I do agree that fresh, wild fish is awesome for you.
Comment by Hugh
12 January 2010
All of the foods you write about are natural foods. Natural foods = high energy foods. Love it.
Comment by Kyle
13 January 2010
Love the website. Love what it’s all about. Another food that’s overlooked for vitality (nice phrasing by the way) is Mila (proprietary blend of Chia seeds). It’s health benefits are out of this world with crazy amounts of Omega-3s, fiber, antioxidants, phytonutrients, etc. I’ve been taking it now for about two months and am all about health and fitness (see findmefit.com) and I don’t know what I ever did without the stuff.
Comment by Kat Eden
13 January 2010
I love the word vitality, it’s so energizing. I’m definitely big on fresh and minimally processed foods, but still have that oh-so-female (sorry to stereotype, but it’s true!) urge for chocolate most days.
What I find interesting is that the more healthy my overall diet and lifestyle is, the more aware I am of a lack of vitality in foods such as processed chocolate. I sometimes put it in my mouth and have a sudden image of the word ‘dead’ come to mind. It doesn’t always happen, but it can be a good reminder that choosing certain foods or treats not only may not add vitality to your body but can also take it away.
@ Kat: Try to get used to 70% or darker chocolate a small piece a day is very healthy and can cut the chocolate cravings. Thanks for the comment and reading the blog!