Work out in the morning, head to work post that, and at the end of the day, if you still have some energy before you fall onto the bed, socialise. Oh and we completely missed out mentioning all the daily chores, cooking nutritious meals to ensure you don’t order take out, and commuting in the heat and pollution among other things. An ordinary day in your life is so far from ordinary. Every single day, you go around being a superhuman, and doing your best. But do you give your body the best too? Do you help it help you? Here are a few energy rich foods that help you power through your hectic routine.
Berries
The benefits of superfoods are plenty, and these bright-colored beauties are ‘berry’ good for your body as they pack a whole lot of antioxidants and disease-fighting nutrients. Now, sourcing berries all year round can be quite an impossible task, so you can simply freeze them and add these to yogurt, cereals, and smoothie bowls or munch on them in the middle of meals when it’s not berry season.
Leafy greens
Love the colour, hate the flavour? Well, your body loves the Vitamin A, C, calcium, phytochemicals, and fiber they bring so there’s nothing you can do except add them to your daily diet. Or… You can try Daily Greens – an effervescent tablet that tastes oh so good and is loaded with the nutrition of 39 farm-fresh ingredients.
Nuts
Rich in plant-protein, make nuts your best friends if you’re trying to turn vegan. These contain healthy fats which may help you reduce the risk of heart diseases. So the next time your grandma is offering you a handful of almonds, don’t make her bust a nut and convince you that they are good for you. Add them to your smoothie bowl, oats, or just munch on them after you finish working out. You could also try almond, cashew, or peanut butter on toast or top your salads with them.
Olive Oil
Great for your skin and hair, and a brilliant source of vitamin E, polyphenols, and heart-healthy fats, olive oil is usually loved by most people and can be easily used to replace butter or margarine in pasta and rice dishes. It also makes for one of the best salad dressings.
Whole Grains
Say no to refined flour and choose whole grains instead. They are loaded with soluble and insoluble fibers, several B vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients and help your body lower cholesterol and protect your heart against diabetes and diseases. Make a conscious choice to replace white bread with whole-grain options, turn to quinoa or brown rice instead of the usual baked potato and buy snacks that are made of whole wheat flour only.
Cruciferous veggies
When your mum forces you to eat broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, and mustard greens you might hate her with a vengeance but your body feels only love for her. These vegetables are sources of fiber, vitamins, and minerals and come with several health benefits. The next time some Indian superfoods are served to you in a meal, don’t slyly put them back. And if you still don’t think you’ll be able to stomach them, just swap these for a tablet of Daily Greens every day.
Fruits, legumes, tomatoes, fish, eggs, and herbs are also among foods that are great for your body. Adding these to your diet is a healthy habit to incorporate- one that will go a long way. Here’s to hoping you’ll like at least a couple of things from this long list and add them to your daily diet.
References:
- Lasekan O. Exotic berries as a functional food. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2014 Nov;17(6):589-95. doi: 10.1097/MCO.0000000000000109. PMID: 25159559. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25159559/)
- Mohammed SG, Qoronfleh MW. Vegetables. Adv Neurobiol. 2020;24:225-277. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-30402-7_9. PMID: 32006363. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32006363/)
- Alasalvar C, Salvadó JS, Ros E. Bioactives and health benefits of nuts and dried fruits. Food Chem. 2020 Jun 1;314:126192. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.126192. Epub 2020 Jan 11. PMID: 31958750. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31958750/)\
- Gorzynik-Debicka M, Przychodzen P, Cappello F, et al. Potential Health Benefits of Olive Oil and Plant Polyphenols. Int J Mol Sci. 2018;19(3):686. Published 2018 Feb 28. doi:10.3390/ijms19030686. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5877547/)
- McRae MP. Health Benefits of Dietary Whole Grains: An Umbrella Review of Meta-analyses. J Chiropr Med. 2017;16(1):10-18. doi:10.1016/j.jcm.2016.08.008. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5310957/)
- The value of bioactive compounds of cruciferous vegetables (Brassica) as antimicrobials and antioxidants: A review, Kenia Mirozlava Favela-González, Ayerim Yedid Hernández-Almanza, Norma Margarita De la Fuente-Salcido, https://doi.org/10.1111/jfbc.13414, (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jfbc.13414)
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