Which Superfoods are Worth Your While?

 Nobody likes to myth bust more than I do. And so, when I recently spoke to Domino magazine about superfoods (and affordable substitutes) I was ready to offer full-on snark. However, as I reviewed each item on the list, I was reminded that many of these foods are heralded as super for a reason. Additionally, I believe foods can send subliminal messages. Perhaps, when we’re eating goji berries we feel we’re on our nutrition game. So, let’s have a look at these alleged superfoods…

 Hemp seeds hemp seeds have a combo of good, essential fats (essential means body cannot produce). One type of fat in hemp seeds are omega 3’s.  You’re probably acquainted with those good fats found in salmon and other fatty fish. But hemp also has GLA’s. GLA’s are great for healthy skin and hormone health; they are good omega 6’s. These GLA’s aren’t founding traditional foods. So, while you can get omega 3’s in fatty fish, walnuts and chia seeds,  GLA’s are usually supplemented in evening primrose or borage oil.

Worth it? Yes, particularly for women for PMS, hair or nail health.

Goji berries – even though superfoods seem trendy to us, most of them have a long history of use. Gojis have been used for thousands of years. Goji berries have beneficial effects on your blood sugar. They’re also important for eye health, as the antioxidants in goji’s can prevent macular degeneration. And any couple concerned with fertility should go goji, they benefit both sperm health and ovulation.

Worth it? Yes, for fertility, eye health and weight control.

Moringa- moringa is definitely having a moment. My issues with moringa are that a) the actual research is scant and b) that it tastes horrible. I did purchase some moringa powder to play with, will circle back. It’s rich in C, B6 and iron and has some diuretic effects.

Worth it?  I’m curious but unconvinced.

Bee pollen- I feel bee pollen should get more attention. Perhaps the reason it doesn’t is that it’s expensive to produce and not an inexpensive item to purchase. Bee pollen has natural, anti-bacterial properties. It also good for allergy sufferers. If you’re scanning this list for the superfood to help your metabolism, I’d pick pollen.

Worth it? Yup for immunity, allergies and weight loss.

*also some evidence it’s helpful for those TTC.

 Chia seeds- chia seeds have almost become commonplace, in healthy circles, with good reason. Chia seeds are LOADED with fiber and contain omega 3’s. They are natural hunger busters because of their ability to swell in liquid. I use our Cocochia (chia, coconut and probiotics) almost daily. 

Worth it? Yes, chia helps appetite, constipation and is a non-fish source of omega 3

As you can see, different superfoods make sense depending on your goals and needs. And although basics aren’t as sexy, if you aren’t regularly eating greens, drinking water and sleeping, 7 hours or more per night, start there first, before getting super.

Which superfoods to you use? Any I didn’t mention that you’re curious about?

Beckham’s Bee Panacea: Yay Or Step Away?

We’re slacking. We pride ourselves on being  on the front lines of nutrition knowledge and yet when Harper’s Bazaar asked for thoughts on Victoria Beckham’s sought after supplement I hadn’t heard of it. Bee Panacea hmn. Panacea is a bold statement. I think we learned from Dr Oz that we have to watch our overly enthusiastic language when it comes to nutrition. So we’re introducing a new feature called Yay or Step Away? I can’t take credit for this, one of our clients included this with a query (and I promptly told her I’d steal that slogan).

Curious about a product or trend? Use #YOSA @Foodtrainers on twitter or insta

OK back to the bees

What the heck is this? It’s a blend of superfoods (ginger and goji berries and spirulina). Here is the full ingredient list from Virgin Raw Foods:

Raw Royal Honey, Organic Maca, Organic Cinnamon, Goji Berries, Reishi, Bee Pollen, Astragalus, Organic Spirulina, Organic Chlorella, Propolis, Organic Ginger, Ginseng, Organic Schizandra Berries, Royal Jelly, Chaga, Shilajit, Cordyceps, Ormus

I’ll admit, I’m normally more of an a la carte girl when it comes to my diet. I use cinnamon, spirulina (be sure you’re signed up for our newsletter, more on this one Monday) and bee pollen regularly.  However, when I scanned the ingredient list looking for evidence to indict these panacea people, I was pretty impressed. So I did what any reluctantly curious person would do and shelled out over 45 dollars for ingredients I already own.

The claims: with my panacea package came a little chart showing how the different ingredients help with everything from digestion to detox. Words like “adaptability” and “longevity” led to eye rolls and sighs but I persevered. I opened my expensive jar and found an unattractive, brown paste. This may have been off putting if not for the scent which is sort of spicy from the ginger and cinnamon. I tried it (straight on a spoon) and liked it. It has a sweetness that we thoroughly enjoyed at the end of our sugarlessness. The reports that it tastes like chocolate… I think that’s a stretch.

I’ve been using a tsp. from my jar in the morning before a workout and find it’s the perfect little something. I also traveled with this last weekend and liked having a portable source of my superfoods. Even for me, there’s a limit as to how many supplements to schlep. I’ve also added this to smoothies and tea.

Ok, I know you’re waiting for the big reveal. Am I suddenly taller, thinner and ageless? Of course not. I think the notion that additions to our diet produce dramatic results is sort of silly.  You can expect a product that’s anti-inflammatory, a bonafide bloat beater and a great travel tool. In our very first yay or step away, I’m going “yay”. Don’t worry we’ll have fun with many “step aways” in the future.

Have you heard of this? Tried it? Do you use any of the ingredients? Do you like this new feature? Tweet or insta us using #YOSA @Foodtrainers and we’ll give you our reviews.

Healthier Than Thou

Do you have a list of books you want to read? I have  a lengthy one in the memo section of my Blackberry. Some books I save for a vacation or weekend away, others I never get around to. And there’s a third category that don’t make the list because I purchase them immediately. That’s what happened with A.J. Jacob’s Drop Dead Healthy.

In this book Jacobs, a writer for Esquire goes “on a quest to become as healthy as humanly possible.” After all, as he says, fifty percent of health is determined by behavior. In two years, this New Yorker, husband and father tries everything from barefoot running to raw foodism. However, this is not just an account of all  the things tried, this is entertaining and very informative.

Sit Less

The reason sitting is bad goes beyond the fact that when we’re sitting we’re not doing more active things. Lipase helps muscles absorb fat. When  we sit, we don’t produce lipase so fat can “go off and do naughty things”. Sitting is a problem even for those who go to the gym . Sitters have 64% increased chance of fatal heart disease.  Even standing is better but Jacobs takes it one step further and gets one of my longtime dream items, a treadmill desk. Actually, he gets a treadmill and fashions it into a desk.. He logged many miles writing this book.

Ice, Ice Baby

While some tips are straightforward, as Jacobs says “diet defies reductionism”. In commentary on superfoods, readers are encouraged not to forget about Clark Kent foods apples and oranges are still super. I love advice that doesn’t  take that much to accomplish. How’s this one…ice. Your body expends energy to heat an ice-cold beverage. It’s about 1 calorie for every icy ounce. If you drink 8 glasses a day that’s 70 extra calories burned.   I cranked up our ice machine after reading this. Next, I’m switching to iced tea.

Down with John Harvey Kellogg and the Potato

While most of us know the “whites” such as white bread, white potatoes, white rice aren’t healthy, if you’re like me you put the baked potato in its own category. It’s a whole food, has some fiber, notable potassium, I can clearly make a case for them. One of Jacob’s salient dietary lessons  listed in the appendix includes avoiding potatoes. We are told “the venerable baked potato increases blood sugar nearly as fast as table sugar”

And if there were parts of the book that made me rethink certain things, there was lots of confirmation for health behaviors I support.  Jacobs jovially points to John Harvey Kellogg for causing obesity epidemic. The truth is,  we would all be  better off we’d be without cold cereal. I’ve long been a fan of protein breakfasts and the cereal aisle, with the exception of oatmeal, is probably one to skip.

We Must Floss

As I was reading this book, I had a client come into the office suffering from periodontal disease. She’s a health nut, watches everything she eats but says “with all the things I did I didn’t floss.” Sure enough, Jacobs tackles dental health even checking out a “dental spa”. Flossing can add 6.4 years to your life. And if you need some motivation how about “you need to clean your tooth cracks before thousands types of bacteria migrate into your bloodstream”. For the overachievers reading this, you should floss before brushing. This way you dislodge the bacteria and then brush it away.

BPA Poetry

There’s lots of food information about toxins and germs. After reading, I removed showerheads and cleaned them with wire brush. I also washed my hands the way you’re supposed to wash them versus the quickie version. I  have yet to wash underwear separately from other laundry but I’ll let you surmise why that’s suggested. As for BPA’s in plastic, try this poem “four, five, one, and two/All the rest are bad for you.”

As Jacobs adopts more and more healthy behaviors, he observes himself judging others.  He becomes self-righteous glaring at Europeans smoking Gigantes and correcting people’s eating.  In the course of experimenting Jacobs also lost weight, improved his blood lipids and decreased his body fat. I really enjoyed this book but I would caution reading it if you’re vulnerable to this sort of advice as I am. I am now thinking about my Blackberry and brain cancer, noise pollution and whether I’m harming myself running on the West Side Highway breathing in car fumes (you are more vulnerable to fumes while exercising).  Perhaps I need to reread the chapter on stress.

Do you floss? Drink icy beverages? What health behavior could you focus more on? And what books are high on your reading list?