When Ross & I left to travel this past summer, I felt confident that I would be able to get my hands on enough fruits, vegetables, and high-quality fat to keep me well-fueled. But 3 months into our trip, I began feeling a difference in my body, energy, cravings, and overall sense of vitality. Even though I was still eating plenty of fresh, healthy foods, I just didn’t feel my best, and I knew it was because of the lack of nutrient dense superfoods that were usually present in my daily morning smoothie.
So while in Tuscany, I went to Amazon, bought a travel size Nutribullet blender and all of my favorite superfoods — including goji berries, hemp seeds, maca, chlorella, spirulina, apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, flax seeds, cacao nibs, chia seeds, and greens based protein. After 3 days of my morning smoothie, I felt like myself again for the first time in months. Plus, those nagging cravings for pizza and gelato simply dissipated.
Right now, I am absolutely in love with adding a heaping spoonful of spirulina to every smoothie I make. Spirulina is considered one of the most nutritionally complete of all food supplements, contains all essential amino acids, and is composed of 55-77% protein. The powerhouse of nutrients it contains offers support for those with allergies, protects against cancer, boosts your immune system to fight infection, and aids in weight loss.
When I first started learning about superfoods and the power they have to transform your body and health, my mentor was David Wolfe. If you’re not familiar with his work, he is a raw food advocate who played a large role in making these types of foods available to us in North America. He gives seminars and lectures around the world about the power of superfoods and living a raw food lifestyle. He’s a really interesting and quirky guy, you can check out some of his videos on YouTube, but there’s no doubt that he has some valubale content to share.
He also has a book called, Superfoods: The Food and Medicine of the Future, which is worth checking out, but essentially this blog serves as a mini cheat sheet to what you learn in the book, it’s the done for you superfood lesson!
Here is the full list of the top 10 Superfoods I’m loving right now:
Maca
It all started with a maca butter coffee…I had heard of this superfood before but didn’t give it much thought until I tasted how AMAZING it was in my morning butter coffee. Maca is a plant native to the Andes of Bolivia and Peru, which has been used a source of nourishment and healing for these cultures for ages. It is an adaptogenic herb, which means it enables the body to more easily adapt to and regulate any stressors in the body.
Here’s how to make superfood butter coffee:
- 1 cup of coffee
- ½ tbsp. Grass-fed butter
- ½ tbsp. Unrefined, raw coconut oil
- ½ tbsp. Raw maca powder
- 1 tsp. Raw, local honey (if possible)
- 1 drop therapeutic grade Peppermint essential oil (I use Young Living Peppermint oil for this but any therapeutic grade oil is A-OK)
- Optional: A small amount of dairy-free almond or coconut milk
- **Blend everything together & enjoy!
Click here to view the brand I use.
Chlorella
A teeny, tiny superfood that packs an incredible punch! This green-algae contains the highest amount of chlorophyll of any known plant, and is rich in vitamins B, C, D, E, K and minerals including, phosphorous, calcium, zinc, magnesium and iron. It is most honored as a powerful detoxification tool and excels in removing harmful toxins from your body.
Dr. Mercola shares, When chlorella is taken into your body, its natural action will bind it to lingering heavy metals, chemicals and pesticides found in your digestive tract, which is your body’s pathway to your bloodstream where these harmful toxins are delivered and deposited into your body’s cells. So chlorella first and foremost will help your body eliminate unwanted metals and toxins.
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Bee Pollen
Chances are you may be hearing more about this incredible superfood recently, and for good reason. Kale, quinoa, and avocado have all had their time in the limelight, and now it’s bee pollen’s time to shine!
Made up of amino acids, lipids, vitamins, macro & micronutrients, and flavonoids, it’s a protein rich food offering a form of free amino acids that are ready to be used directly by the body. It’s sweet like honey and you can eat it straight away for a quick boost of energy, sprinkled on sliced fruit or oatmeal, blended into smoothies, alongside some dark chocolate, incorporated in a salad dressing, or spread on some grain-free toast…the options are endless!
And here’s why it’s such an amazing health booster, bee pollen:
- Boosts the immune system with antimicrobial and antiviral properties
- Serves as an effective natural stress reliever by strengthening the nervous system
- Promotes the healing of liver damage
- Energizes naturally
- Reduces the presence of histamine, relieving seasonal allergies
- Helps strengthen blood vessels & assists with circulatory problems
- Contains enzymes that can aid in digestion
Just look at that gorgeous golden glow!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple Cider Vinegar is one of the oldest, most powerful, healing home remedies imaginable.
Below are some of the health benefits of including it in your daily diet:
- An immediate improvement in digestion and reflux
- Relief of pollen, food and pet allergies
- Cures sinus infections
- Curbs food cravings
- Brings a healthy, vibrant glow to one’s complexion
- Helps break down fat to assist in weight lossLowers blood pressure
- Assists with chronic fatigue
My magic morning elixir for energy looks like this:
- ½ – 1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)
- 16 ounces water
- Fresh squeezed lemon
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Coconut Oil
Coconut Oil is a heart healthy food made from the meat of tropical coconuts. It is so important to stress the health benefits of high quality, organic fats in the diet and this specific oil helps to:
- Build resistance to viruses and bacteria, fight off yeast, fungus & candida
- Benefit hormones for our thyroid which assists metabolic function & energy levels (no mid-afternoon slump)
- Improve insulin use in the body and reduce sugar cravings which positively affects the regulation of blood sugar levels (and means you won’t be binge eating cookies and ice cream before bed anymore)
- Make kitchen creations taste delicious
- Leave our hair & skin silky smooth and radiant
So which one should you buy?
Make sure the oil is:
- Extra Virgin
- USDA-certified organic
- Fresh & Cold Pressed
Click here to view the brand I use.
Hemp Seeds
Hemp is for more than stylish necklaces from the 90’s. Hemp seeds are actually one of the absolute best sources of plant-based protein as they are considered a complete protein, which means it contains all nine of the essential amino acids necessary for the human body to thrive.
They have the most concentrated balance of protein, essential fats, vitamins and enzymes, combined with a relative absence of sugar, starches and saturated fats. The flavor is subtle and nutty — perfect on top of yogurt in the morning, in a smoothie, on a salad, or sprinkled on some apples with almond butter for an afternoon snack.
1 tablespoon of hemp seeds has approximately 5 grams of complete protein.
Click here to view the brand I use.
(Hemp seed granola with raw coconut yogurt + papaya smoothie from Alchemy in Ubud, Bali)
Flax Seeds
Looking to improve your skin & hair health? Flax seeds to the rescue. I can remember my mom trying to give me flax seed oil when I was younger and I was so not into it. It was only when I became a teenager and my skin was so red and inflamed from my diet that I began to hear her out. To cover the taste of the oil, I would just add it into the smoothies and blend it up. But moving forward, I now love the nutty flavor sprinkled on salads or ground into baked goods.
Flax seeds have lignans, a type of plant compound that have unique healing properties for anti-aging, hormone balance and cellular health.
Skin inflammation can be significantly reduced with just a tablespoon or two a day.
Click here to view the brand I use.
Spirulina
Like Chlorella, Spirulina is a blue-green algae that serves as a powerful detoxifying agent when taken daily. Studies show that it lowers cholesterol and blood pressure, detoxes heavy metals, helps prevent cancer, and boosts energy.
When you look at the chemical composition of spirulina, it’s no wonder that people who regularly consume it have an abundance of energy. Dr. Oz recommends combining 1 tsp spirulina powder with 12 oz lime juice and freezing the mixture in ice cube trays for a healthy boost.
According to Dr. Oz, spirulina and lime enhance energy performance because they unlock sugar from our cells and, when frozen, the cold from the ice boosts metabolic energy while giving our bodies a “wake-up call.”
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Goji Berries
Praised as having the highest amount of antioxidants, goji berries are revered for protecting brain cells and preventing the spread of cancer, lowering cholesterol, protection of the skin & liver, improving eyesight, and reducing stress and fatigue.
One of my favorite ways to enjoy them is soaking 1 – 2 tablespoons overnight, and then combining with an orange, some almond or coconut milk, and a bit of ice for the most refreshing, light, and tasty smoothie.
Goji berry has not only been eaten as food; the Chinese also used it to treat cancer in their traditional medicine. Scientific investigations into goji berry fruit extracts revealed various anti-cancerous properties. They were tested on human cancer cells, which showed considerable control over the growth of cancer cells. Apoptosis, or the sudden death of cells, was observed for cancer cells when goji berry extracts were administered.
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Cacao
I can vividly remember the pure joy I felt when I found out that raw cacao was a superfood….and that, wait for it….can be eaten daily! The important distinguishing factor here is that raw (naturally fermented) cacao and processed chocolate sold in bars are 2 very different products.
Most chocolate bars are made with roasted cocoa, sugar, milk, and a variety of other ingredients that allow it to sit on the shelf for long periods of time. But raw cacao nibs & beans are untouched directly from the cacao fruit. You can also enjoy it in a powder form which is perfect for chocolatey-superfood smoothies.
Get Happy With Cacao : Some days you just need to find your bliss – cacao is one of the healthiest foods, you can consume. Cacao contains the mood improver, anandamide – known as the bliss molecule, which creates a feeling of euphoria.
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Any superfoods you LOVE that I missed? What are they?
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