5 Foods That Do More Than Just Taste Good

We all love a good meal. Whether it’s a homemade pasta dish, a warm slice of toast with butter, or that first bite of chocolate after a long day, food has this magical way of making us feel better. But some foods go way beyond just tasting great. They actually do great things for your body too. And no, I’m not talking about boring salads or the latest “superfood” trend. I mean everyday stuff that can give you a boost without needing a whole lifestyle overhaul.

Oats

Let’s start with something cheap, easy, and always in the cupboard. Oats. They’re not just a breakfast filler. They’re packed with fibre that keeps you full, helps with digestion, and even lowers cholesterol. If you ever feel like you need a bit of comfort without the guilt, a bowl of porridge with a drizzle of honey does the job nicely. Plus, oats are brilliant for energy without giving you that crash later.

Avocados 

Yes, they had their trendy moment, but avocados genuinely earn their spot on this list. They’re full of healthy fats, which are great for your brain and heart. And if you’re someone who struggles with feeling full after meals, adding half an avocado to your lunch can actually help you stay satisfied for longer. They also make toast way more exciting.

Broth

This one’s like a hidden gem. A warm mug of beef bone broth doesn’t just feel comforting, it’s packed with nutrients. We’re talking collagen, which is great for your skin and joints, and a bunch of minerals that help support your immune system. It’s one of those foods that feels like it’s giving you a hug from the inside. Whether you sip it on its own or use it as a base for soups and stews, it’s a game changer, especially in colder months or when you’re feeling run down.

Eggs

They’re one of the most affordable sources of high-quality protein, and they come with loads of benefits. Eggs help with brain health thanks to the choline they contain, and they’re also a go-to if you want to build muscle or just have a meal that keeps you going. Boiled, scrambled, poached, or in an omelette, they’re easy and quick, which is a win if you’re always in a rush.

Dark Chocolate 

If you ever needed an excuse to eat chocolate, here it is. A few squares of dark chocolate (we’re talking 70% cocoa or higher) can actually help lower blood pressure and boost your mood. It’s full of antioxidants and has been shown to support heart health. Just go easy on it and avoid the super sugary kinds.

And the best part? You don’t need to change everything you eat to feel the difference. Just adding one or two of these into your week can give your body a bit of extra support without making things complicated. Whether it’s starting the day with oats, swapping your stock cube for beef bone broth, or ending the night with a bit of dark chocolate, these small changes can go a long way.

Fuel Your Life: Essential Strategies for Living Healthy

The practice of a healthy lifestyle revolves around more than just the choice of a precise diet or the clockwork of workout routines. It means taking actual steps that feel good and lead to better health constantly. Many healthy-living tactics do not require drastic change; anyone can make some simple changes to eat better, improve their physical activity, deal with stress better, and get better sleep. This guide explores the key principles of a healthy lifestyle and delivers concrete actions to help you completely transform your existence one step at a time.

1) Balanced Nutrition Is Key

A balanced diet is the most important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Eating a varied diet that incorporates different foods from all food groups is vital to getting all the nutrients you need. 

Focus on adding fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats to your daily meals. Processed foods that are high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats can contribute to a range of health problems. Good nutrition supports physical health, but it can just as easily raise your mental state and energy levels.

2) Hydrate

Hydration is crucial to living a healthy life because our bodies depend on water. It is important for several bodily procedures, including digestion, circulation, and body temperature regulation. You often have seen or heard about different easy ways to keep yourself hydrated. You should drink at least 8 cups of water (in various formats) each day—or more depending on your activity and your climate.

Drinking from a reusable water bottle is a good reminder to drink water throughout the day. Consuming foods with plenty of water content, such as fruits and vegetables, can also be a help in reaching your daily hydration target.

3) Regular Physical Activity

Exercise is another crucial component of a healthy lifestyle. Regular physical activity maintains every sense of developed muscles and bones to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and poor mental health. The minimum is 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity weekly or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity spread out over the week.

For at least two days, engage in muscle-strengthening activities. Opt for an activity you enjoy to make physical exercise a more permanent part of your life. Sustainable exercise such as dancing, walking, biking, or swimming can make daily physical fitness enjoyable.

4) Effective Stress Management

High levels of chronic stress can take both a mental and physical toll on your overall health. Maintaining regular stress management techniques can facilitate continual effective functioning. Mindful eating, meditation, breathing exercises, and yoga are also stress-relief practices. 

If you think about your favorite hobby spending time with family, or not thinking about work can also reduce stress levels in your body. Learn how to recognize what works for you and implement it in your day-to-day living. Establishing good spending habits helps create a more fulfilling, healthier, and more well-balanced life.

5) Peaceful Night

Sleeping well is one of the most important things you can do for your health. The body utilizes sleep time to heal itself, and the brain uses that period to be able to function at 100 percent of its capacity the following day, facilitates cognitive function, enhances mood regulation, and promotes overall well-being. Adults should aim for at least 7-9 hours of high-quality sleep per night. 

To assist your body in self-regulating, go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, regardless of the day. Sleep in a cool, dark, and quiet environment to make sure you are not getting disturbed while you are sleeping during the night. Avoiding screen time before bed makes it easier to fall asleep and avoiding caffeine or heavy meals in the evening can help rest.

6) Maintain Social Connections

Regular social bonding is crucial for our psychological health and general well-being. Establishing and maintaining ties with those around you can provide support, lower stress, and improve happiness. 

Remember to make an effort to maintain connections with the people you love by calling, chatting on social media, or getting together in person. Often, just being with those you love is the most stress-relieving. Participating in social activities, volunteering, and clubs or groups can help build a sense of community and enhance one's mental well-being.

7) Mindful Eating

Mindful eating means approaching food and eating in an attentive and non-judgmental way. It has been shown to help people make healthier food choices, understand hunger and fullness cues, be lighter from within, and develop a healthier relationship with food. From eating slowly (and without distraction), and tasting each bite, to engaging in curiosity about what the body might taste like, the benefits of practice are many. It is also provided by digestion, meal satisfaction, and health overall.

8) Limit Alcohol, Avoid Smoking

Several lifestyle changes can lead to significant health improvements. Alcohol has links to liver disease, heart conditions, and an increased risk of many cancers. Limiting alcohol is recommended—up to one drink per day for females and up to two per day for males. Due to the health hazards linked with tobacco use (which include heart and pulmonary disease, along with many different types of cancer), cessation is always recommended.

9) Preventive Healthcare—Make It A Routine

Preventive health means not just waiting to get ill but working to take targeted steps that provide you with early warning of potential health issues. Preventive care is about more than just regular check-ups; in addition to catching diseases before they get out of hand, it also includes vaccinations and screenings. This is a step toward disease prevention and can provide you with vital information about your body's responses to the world outside. 

Address any concerning health problems from routine health check-ups. Visiting with a doctor for advice on your eating habits can provide tailored advice to help support a healthier lifestyle. Consumer products such as Mounjaro may have a role in weight management, however, healthcare professional advice should be always sought to utilize them responsibly and safely. Consult a medical professional to ensure optimal health results.

10) Keep Work And Relaxation In Check

A healthy work-life balance can ensure better well-being overall. Our careers are key to our identity, but not everything, so try to integrate a greater deal of fun and relaxation into your life. Separate your work and personal lives to avoid burnout and reduce stress. Engage in hobbies, spend time with loved ones, and make time for activities that bring you joy and fulfillment. Being comfortable, working at your own snail's pace, and executing your need to indulge every once in a while by saying it's okay is precious.

11) Stay Mentally Active

Mental stimulation leads to enhanced cognitive health and can decrease the chances of cognitive decline as we grow older. Keep your mind active through creative activities such as reading, doing puzzles, learning new skills, and musical instruments. Being mentally active can increase your memory, your ability to deal with problems, and your creativity at any age. A zest for learning is great and can be used for a lifetime.

12) Everything Counts

Your attitude can greatly impact your physical health. By not only being optimistic and cultivating a sense of gratitude daily, but also being able to rationalize our skills, we can improve our mental health, lower our stress levels, and also enhance our survival mechanisms. 

Take time to think happy thoughts and look for the positive in every single situation. Only when you think positively, you can push yourself to get and believe that they will get results. Also having positive people around you helps you to be focused and always make your life easier. This can reduce your stress levels and also help cope with hardships more efficiently over time, making you healthier and happier overall.

In conclusion, developing a healthy lifestyle involves increasing awareness, and embracing new habits that lead to improved well-being. Let’s recap! If you focus on balanced nutrition, proper hydration, consistent physical activity, stress management, sufficient sleep, maintaining social connections, enjoying a mindful meal, limiting alcohol and not smoking, practicing preventive care, balancing work and leisure time, doing mentally active games, and keeping a positive mindset can help you to achieve health and vigor in life. These practices are central to helping you lay the foundation for a healthier and happier life. Health is not a matter of indulging, since it is a matter of maintaining a level of self-control and being in charge of who you are. If you've just begun your health journey or are already tiptoeing toward a new one, I'm confident these pointers will help you on your way.

The Shocking Dangers Of A High-Sugar Diet

Millions of people are guilty of following a high-sugar diet without even being aware of what’s happening to them. For context, when we talk about “high-sugar diets”, we’re looking at added sugar - not the natural stuff found in fruits, vegetables, and various other things. 

Added sugar is sugar that’s put into things - usually processed foods or sweet snacks - to give a touch more flavor. The latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans say you shouldn’t consume more than 10% of your total calories daily from added sugar. If you eat 2500 calories, a maximum of 200 calories should be added sugar. 

Why is this such a big thing to keep an eye on? Countless studies have looked at the effects of a high-sugar diet and they’ve all come to the same conclusion; it’s terrible for your health. We could list dozens of reasons to avoid this type of diet, but here are the three biggest health concerns: 

Long-Term Complications For Your Oral Health

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that a diet consisting of sugars will be awful for your oral health. Sugar is the leading cause of tooth decay in adults and children, leading to long-term dental problems. 

You’ll have cavities that need fillings, and the sugar can also contribute to gum disease. When this happens, your gums recede and leave your teeth with very little support, so they can fall out. Once one tooth falls out, the others close by are likely to follow. 

You’ll be left with a mouth full of gaps unless you get dental implants to fill everything in. Carry on eating a high-sugar diet and all your teeth will fall out. Not to mention you’ll spend a fortune in life on dental treatment! 

A Greater Risk Of Weight Gain & Obesity

Did you know that sugar is one of the most calorific foods out there? 5g of sugar contains around 20 calories. A pack of candy is going to contain hundreds of calories - and do you know what the worst part is? These calories are “empty”. 

We call them “empty calories” because you gain nothing else from consuming them. There are plenty of calories in some sources of protein - like nuts - but at least you gain protein and fiber from eating them. There are no nutritional benefits to consuming added sugar, and it will make you gain a lot of weight. 

One study looked at the high-sugar diet and found it delivered a much higher risk of obesity when compared to a “normal” diet. 

More Likely To Develop Heart Problems

The same study also concluded that high-sugar diets led to an increased chance of cardiovascular disease. Added sugar is known to raise blood pressure, which is a direct cause of many heart problems. 

Reducing your sugar intake will help you avoid cardiovascular issues - as long as you combine this with other healthy practices, like a regular fitness routine and a balanced diet. 

Keep in mind that we’re talking about added sugars here! Don’t be scared if you’re eating some products and see they have a high sugar count on the label. Check if this is natural or added sugar - natural sugars are necessary to give us energy, so you shouldn’t worry about them too much.

Simple and Effective Methods to Manage Ongoing Pain

When you have to deal with ongoing pain, your quality of life can quickly become affected. Your sleep can become hugely disrupted and you may not be able to carry out all of your usual day to day activities. Finding a method of pain management that is simple and effective will be one of the best things you can do. Not only will this give you some sort of relief from your symptoms, but it will also help you to keep it under control in the future. Whether you’re trying more gentle exercise, or seeking out physical treatment from a professional, there will be a method out there that is well-suited to your issues. Don’t delay in finding the best course of treatment for you; here are some options below to help you get started.

Gentle Exercise

Depending on the type of pain you’re experiencing, you may find that gentle exercise is helpful for your symptoms. In many cases, some sufferers find that yoga, Pilates or even walking can help to reduce pain and improve overall mobility.

Professional Treatment

If you’re suffering with a very specific type of pain such as a neck or back issue, you may want to seek professional treatment. When it comes to Injury Wellness Relief you may find that a chiropractor offers the right type of treatment for you, and it’s an alternative to traditional medicine. If you’re trying to avoid medication, this would certainly be the ideal route for you to take.

Enhance The Quality of Your Sleep

When you don’t get the right amount of sleep each night, your symptoms could progressively become worse and worse. Overnight your muscles work hard to repair and restore themselves, so they need an adequate amount of time to achieve this. If you don’t already have a regular bedtime routine, now would be the perfect time to get started. Try to aim for around eight hours of sleep each evening and create an enjoyable routine that you know you can maintain in the long term.

Improved Nutrition

When you look at aches and pains in the body, you have to consider nutrition as a potential cure or solution to ease the symptoms. There are so many superfoods out there that have been proven to reduce inflammation and improve pain symptoms. Keeping a food diary may help you to pinpoint certain areas that require improvement in your diet. Including more whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes and lean proteins will always help with your overall health too.

As you can see, there are so many different methods for you to try out, and many of these will lead to an effective solution to your problem. If you are in any doubt regarding your health, make sure you seek out advice from a medical practitioner, who will be able to assess your individual case. The ideas above are simply there for you to explore and try out if they feel comfortable to you, so see how they fit in with your lifestyle and personal preferences.

How to Supercharge Your Metabolism

When you have a slow metabolism, it becomes much more challenging to reach your fitness. Unless there are specific reasons for your sluggish metabolism - like genetics or an illness, there are things you can do that will help speed your metabolism up. 

You likely know someone who has a fast metabolism; they seem to be able to eat whatever they want and never gain a pound. Not only that, but they don’t seem to work out all that often, either. 

Well, if you don’t fall into that lucky category, here are a couple of ways to increase your metabolism.

Water 

While many people state that all the liquids they drink keep them hydrated, and they do contain water - there is nothing as good as water for helping all of your bodily functions - including speeding up your metabolism. 

As soon as you become dehydrated, which is a state that most of us are in daily, the body struggles to complete all of the functions it has. Your metabolism will be noticeably more sluggish. However, you may not even notice this issue until you spend a few days drinking the right amount of water! Try it out and see how you feel after a few days; being more in tune with thirst signals is great for our overall health anyway. 

Spice It Up 

You may have noticed that spicy foods seem to get processed much quicker in the body - and there is a good reason for that. Spicy foods, as well as being very tasty, have capsaicin in them. The capsaicin company helps to boost the metabolism. And it is one of the reasons that Beyonce's cayenne pepper and honey drink was so highly recommended for people who wanted to drop a few pounds. 

The reason behind eating spicy foods is two-fold, though, because not only do they speed up your metabolism, but they also suppress your appetite - so if you struggle with cravings, this can help - but be careful because skipping meals has an adverse effect on your metabolism. 

Vitamins & Minerals

Unless you have an incredibly balanced diet, you will likely need some support in the form of vitamins and minerals to increase your metabolism. Many different options can help your body get the support it needs to burn better. Zinc is great for protein synthesis and energy; magnesium is directly involved in the metabolism process, and iron helps with oxygen transport. Aside from those, you can also check out chromium, L-theanine, CLA, and MK-677.

Protein 

If you’re looking for ways to increase your metabolism, then working on your muscle mass is top of the list. But muscles that aren’t getting the right building blocks aren’t going to help you out. 

You need to do some maths on how much protein you should be eating because it varies based on your weight and your workout routine. Many people don’t realize they are not eating enough protein until they have been in a plateau for months. 

Look for good sources like lean meats, fish, and eggs.

 For those who need to perfect their diet, here are some tips from the pros: The Eating Habits of Superstar Athletes.

How to Find More Enjoyment in Cooking

If you want to maximize how healthy you eat, then you need to find time for home cooking. Home cooking is by far the healthiest way to eat. You can control all the ingredients that go in; you can ensure that everything is organic or is thoroughly washed to your satisfaction. You can even put in your own food. However, after a long, busy day, chopping onions and carrots does not exactly appeal, so that means you need to find ways to enjoy the process a little more. To help you out, here are a few tips:

The Environment

Start within the absolute basics. Is the kitchen a space you want to spend time? If not, then you need to put a little effort into making it a more enjoyable space. Perhaps this is a simple as decluttering and keeping the surfaces clean and tidy, but perhaps you need to upgrade it a little. Unless you are going to do a complete refurb, you might need to get a little creative. Try changing the faucets and all the cupboard and drawer handles; how about putting up a new backsplash to something that offers you a little inspiration? You could repaint, put up a few pictures, or install some floating shelves and pout plants up. Maybe you need a little seating area. If you a working with a small space, then there are plenty of space-saving ideas out there. If you are serious about cooking more, you will find a few ways to enhance the kitchen. 

Mindfulness

There are many benefits to mindfulness, from a reduction in the amount of stress we feel to enhancing our ability to enjoy the present moment and more. Cooking can be a time when you reap the benefits of this practice. Instead of seeing cooking as a chore, try and enjoy the small things, focus on the sound of the chopping, the sizzling of food in the frying pan, the aromas of all the different ingredients, and the texture of foods on your fingertips as you pull things apart or marinate something. The more present you can become, the better you will feel. 

Be Experimental

Getting creative in the kitchen can definitely heighten the experience. Using new ingredients, spices, and herbs, and cooing processes, can turn what was once a chore into a learning session or a science experiment. How about buying random vegetables at the supermarket, ones you have never bought before? How about asking the kids to choose one? You can either find a recipe around it or make something up yourself. You could try having a themed night, like an Indian food night on a Monday and a Mexican food night on a Wednesday. You could try this Mexican street corn recipe. If you have children getting them involved can make it even more fun. You can learn about cuisine from around the world while trying new ingredients and honing your cooking skills. Not to mention creating a broader array of meals that you all love.

How to Make Your Home Cooked Meals More Exciting

Have you ever felt like you were in a rut? More specifically, have you ever felt like you were just getting sick of your own cooking? There is something comforting about getting the chance to cook your own meals. For starters, you’re getting to taste the love of your labor in every bite. On top of that, you’re getting to eat something that is specifically catered to your taste and diet. 

But sometimes, the meals just don’t taste as good as the restaurant's quality, right? Maybe there is something missing? Maybe you’re just getting tired of your own cooking? Here is everything you need to know about getting your home-cooked meals to look, feel, and taste more exciting (and fun too)!

Start By Mixing It Up

Mixing it up is a good way to make your home-cooked meals less boring. This can be done by adding a different ingredient to your dishes or experimenting with new recipes. For example, mixing up your meat or combining different vegetables can add flavor to your meals. If you think about it, cooking is nothing more than chemistry. 

By adjusting the time, temperature, oils, and seasoning, you’re then enhancing the flavors. So make sure to get unique with this and have some fun with it. Besides, even if you want to pick up different eating habits, mixing it all up is still going to drastically help.

Get the Family Involved

Sometimes cooking with friends and family can be a bit of a nightmare, but other times, it can actually be a lot of fun and should be fully embraced!  This can mean bringing in someone to cook with you, inviting family members or friends over to help, or just turning up the music when you’re preparing your meals. The whole point is to make the cooking feel less like a chore, which alone can impact how much fun you’re having and how you’re going to associate the food. So try to bring some company into this so a better association to the meal can happen. 

LOOK Online for Inspiration

Why not turn online for the best inspiration around? It’s going to be the best way to help you get more creative and comfortable with seasoning and flavors. When you’re ready to get a little more creative in the kitchen, turn to cookbooks or social media platforms for inspiration. These sources are often full of beautiful food photos and recipes that can give you a boost when you’re bored with your usual routine.  

Besides, if you want to try the very best instant pot lamb stew recipe, then you’re going to have to be online to get it. In the end, recipes floating around online are going to give you that push to be creative and to experiment with something that’s entirely new. 

In the end, what matters most is getting to enjoy the food that you made. While going out to restaurants can be great, this is obviously not so healthy. Everyone needs to learn how to cook, and everyone needs to be satisfied with how they cook. So working towards making your home-cooked meals more exciting is going to be the best way around this. Always keep an open mind and just try to have fun with it!

The Best High-Performance Fuel for Athletes

I recently started working with a new Boston-based sports nutrition brand called Fastfood.

I was drawn to Fastfood by the founder Adam Melonas — a chef & IRONMAN triathlete who also runs a world-renowned food innovation lab in Boston.

Fastfood makes a range of high-performance fuel — including Galacto-Gels, Galacto-Gummies, and Hydrators — that deliver consistent energy without crashing, made with real food.

What makes Fastfood different is their Optimal Energy Release System — a blend of 3 carbs including Glucose, Galactose, and Fructose — formulated for consistent, time-released energy.

Galactose is a key component of the Optimal Energy Release System because of its consistent energy and recovery benefits.

Fastfood products are high performance, gut-friendly, and co-created and endorsed by many of the top professional athletes in the world.

If you’re wondering how to fuel properly, it’s recommended to consume 1 serving of Fastfood gels or gummies 45 minutes before you start training to bolster your body’s glycogen stores, plus 1 additional serving immediately upon starting exercise.

During training, start with 3 servings of gels or gummies per hour. Once you know how your body responds to higher levels of fueling, you can increase this up to 5 servings an hour to fuel higher power/speed sessions.

Aim for about 100mg of caffeine per hour (or 2 servings of Fastfood caffeinated gel, gummies, or hydrator), depending on your caffeine tolerance.

Stay hydrated! Consuming solely water will dilute the base level of electrolytes in your body. Fastfood recommends 1 scoop of Hydrator in a 750ml bottle of water per hour to constantly replenish electrolytes.

If you’re consuming Fastfood Hydrator, you should reduce your servings of gel or gummies per hour, as the Hydrator delivers 25g of carbs per serving.

When your workout is over, consume 1 final serving of fuel to aid recovery and replenish glycogen. Consume with protein for increased muscle recovery.

I’ve found Fastfood products really work to give me sustained, consistent energy for even my hardest and longest workouts.

Fastfood is running a special promotion for the next week, leading into their hometown Boston Marathon. Use discount code BOSTONMARATHON23 for 25% off your entire order through race day, Monday April 17. Get your fuel here.

5 Creative Ways to Add Seafood to Your Diet

When most people think of seafood, the same dishes tend to come to mind. Salmon, fish and chips, and similar meals are some of the more notable of these. As tasty and appealing as many of these can be, they can get a little boring if you have them constantly. You shouldn’t have to deal with this.

Since seafood can be much more versatile than you’d think, there are more than a few of them you could consider. With five seafoods everyone needs to try, you could expand your taste horizons more than you’d think. If you want to find some new and amazing meals, it’s more than worth trying them.

1. Cioppino - Seafood doesn’t have to be complicated to make, and this cioppino proves that it can be quick and easy to make, despite being delicious. An Italian-American dish, you can make this with almost any seafood, giving you plenty of different options. 

2. Crab Cakes - Crab cakes can be one of the best ways to enjoy crab without needing to put a lot of effort into making it. All you’d really need is the crab, some mayonnaise, and a few other ingredients, and you’ll be ready to go in minutes. While these don’t take much time or effort to make, they’ll be much tastier than you’d expect, making them worth the effort.

3. Oysters - Everyone knows oysters are one of the more notable seafoods to try, but that doesn’t mean everyone’s actually tried them. Whether you’re going for fried oysters or anything else, these always come out delicious, and you won’t  have to put a lot of time and effort into them.

4. Shrimp Cocktail - There’s a decent chance you’ve heard of shrimp cocktails at some point or another, but you mightn’t have actually tried them. There’s a reason why these are so well-known, primarily thanks to the unique and appealing flavor they offer. Usually, this is shrimp served with horseradish and ketchup, making it one of the easier seafoods to make. Despite its simplicity, it’ll taste amazing.

5. Paella - A traditional dish from Valencia, Spain, paella is best eaten while shared with friends and family. Usually served in a large dish, it mixes together a wealth of flavors, making it a symphony once it hits your mouth. While usually cooked with seafood, chicken can also be used, as well as different rices and spices. Your options are relatively limitless with this, so there’s no reason not to consider it.

Nobody wants to have the same old meals constantly, whether that’s seafood or anything else. You shouldn’t have to settle for having a boring food life regularly. With some seafoods everyone needs to try, you could end up enjoying more meals than you thought you would.

Crab cakes, shrimp cocktails, oysters, and similar options can be some  of the more notable of these. While they could take a little bit of time to make, they’ll be more than worth the effort. They’ll taste amazing, and you’ll be expanding your food horizons before you know it.

Ways to Change Up Your Dull Dinner Routines

It's easy for dinner routines to get boring and stale over time. And if that’s a problem you’ve been facing recently, it's probably time to do something to change that. The good news is that you can switch things up and make dinner time more fun in many different ways.

And that’s precisely what we’re going to talk about today. Dinner times with the family should be fun and enjoyable, as well as a time for you to catch up and socialize. So if you want to learn more about what you can do to change up your dull dinner routines, be sure to make the most of the tips and ideas shared below.

Explore International Cuisines

There’s a whole world of food out there, and you should definitely make the most of the plethora of foods out there if you’re not doing so already. If you’re eating the same bland foods that you’ve been eating your whole life, trying some foreign cuisines with your family at dinner time could be exactly what you need. Whether it's Indian, French or Chinese, or even something more exotic and obscure, you won’t run out of options to try out anytime soon.

Try Some New Recipes

Sometimes, it can be as simple as trying some new recipes that you’ve never cooked before. There are lots of recipes out there that you can try out. Be sure to look for ideas and experiment with them continually. It's a lot like trial and error - you won’t love every new recipe you try but the ones you do you can bookmark and cook them on a regular basis. This 5 minute creamy pesto sauce recipe is a good example of a delicious recipe that you might not have tried before.

Create Themed Nights

Creating themed nights for your dinners is a good way to make them a little more fun. You could have a taco night or a curry night or be even more creative. There are really no limits on what you can do with your dinner routines when it comes to picking themes. Try new things and make it a fun part of the family week. You can even combine it with the idea we talked about above; you can build a theme around different international cuisines.

Go Plant-Based One Night a Week

If you want to incorporate a new twist into your family dinner routines, you could just one night a week commit to serving a fully plant-based dish. Lots of people are trying to reduce the amount of meat in their diet, whether for planetary or health reasons. And when you make an effort to find healthy meat-free dishes, you’ll be surprised by what you can achieve. There are so many great vegan and plant-based dishes out there these days.

Add Some Spice

If your dinners have been a little dull recently in terms of the flavors involved, you should think about the ways in which you can play around with spices. Of course, we all have different levels of tolerance when it comes to spicy foods, so tread carefully. But not all spices are about adding heat to a dish. Just make an effort to learn more about the different spices out there and how you can work them into the dishes you cook on a regular basis. You might be surprised by what you can achieve when you get creative with spices.

Get the Family Involved

You can make dinner times a lot more enjoyable by getting everyone involved. If your kids are old enough to get involved in the cooking and food preparation process, that’s something they might find fun. You don’t have to have them doing any of the difficult stuff. But simply getting hands-on and being a part of the process can help them learn about food, pick up skills that will be valuable to them in the future and be more invested in the whole dinner process. And, most importantly, it's a good time and offers the opportunity to bond with your kids.

As you can see, there’s no shortage of ways in which you can change up your dull dinner routines. Be sure to give some of the ideas discussed above a go if you feel like your dinner routines are getting a little stale and boring. Each of the ideas above will add something different to your family’s dinner routines.

Fallen Into A Food Rut? Here’s How To Spice Up Your Diet!

Perhaps you used to love cooking. You enjoyed taking the time to source and test out new recipes, making it a priority to cook wholesome, healthy foods every single day. But, of late, you’ve somehow ended up falling into a bit of a food rut. You’ve found yourself eating the same unhealthy meals day in, day out, or having a simple salad as a healthier option. 

You’re starting to feel like your diet is bland and boring, but for one reason or another, you can’t quite manage to revive your love of cooking or your passion for food, and you’re starting to wonder if you’ll ever find that passion again. While it might seem like you’ve fallen out of love with food, the reality is that it’s easy enough to get back to enjoying cooking and eating healthy, wholesome foods.

Wondering what steps you can take to do that? Have a read of the below guide for everything that you need for getting out of your food rut! 

Upgrade your cooking setup 

It doesn’t have to be anything major, it simply needs to be making some changes to how you have your cooking space set up. This could mean moving things around, or investing in some pieces of new cooking tech, such as new pans, new utensils or a new cooking device, such as an air fryer, multi-cooker or something else that you’ve been wanting for a while. 

It might seem strange but when you’re stuck in a rut, sometimes making some small changes or treating yourself to a little something new can make all the difference to how you feel about getting back in the kitchen. For instance, if you love the new setup of your space, you’re going to want to use it. Or, if you’ve treated yourself to a new cooking device, you’re probably going to be keen to try it out. 

Find some new recipes to try 

Sometimes, swapping out your go-to dishes for something a little unique can be a good step in the right direction towards reigniting your love of cooking. If there’s a dish that you have always enjoyed and often order from your local takeout spot, such as the best cheesesteak in south philly, or have tried in a restaurant, why not try recreating it yourself at home? 

Whether it’s a homemade pickled beets recipe that you’re looking for or a guide for how to make the best Cuban sandwich at home, you’ll be amazed at how much more motivated you feel when you find some new, fun recipes to try out - especially if they’re dishes you’ve always wanted to make. 

Cook for others

In addition to cooking for yourself, a great way to reignite your love for food and your passion for cooking is to cook for others. Host a dinner party for some friends and spend a little time planning out a menu that you know they’ll love and you’ll enjoy preparing and cooking for them. 

Hopefully, the above tips and ideas will help you to reignite your love of cooking and your passion for food.

5 Nutrient-Dense Vegetables to Add to Your Diet

There's a lot of buzz out there about nutrient-dense foods or superfoods.

While an overall healthy dietary pattern (e.g. Mediterranean Diet) is arguably most important for your health, there are certain foods that punch above their weight in terms of health benefits.

One thing that most nutrition experts agree on is that your diet should include lots of vegetables. The below 5 vegetables are some of the best in terms of nutrient-density - packed with vitamins and minerals to support your health and well-being:

Cauliflower

Cauliflower seems to be everywhere these days, thanks to food trends that involve replacing carb-heavy foods with a cauliflower version (see: cauliflower rice or pizza crust). While this might be a good swap in certain cases, it’s a good idea to consume the whole food version to reap maximum health benefits. 

Cauliflowers are rich in vitamins C & K and an excellent source of folate. Cauliflower is also naturally high in fiber and low in calories, making it nearly impossible to overeat. Try this cauliflower soup for dinner this week.

Beets

Beets are one of the best foods to include in your diet. Packed full of manganese, fiber, and folate, beets are thought to dilate blood vessels and possibly lower the risk of heart disease. You can eat them raw, boil them, pickle them, or even just drink beet juice. Beets can give you a much-needed energy boost while helping to fight inflammation and keep your blood pressure in check.

Kale

Love it or hate it, kale is very nutritious. The leafy green is rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, vitamin K, and beta-carotene. Also, kale is thought to support eye health, weight management, and heart health.

BrusselS Sprouts

Did you know that brussels sprouts contain kaempferol which may help fight disease and cancer and prevent against cell damage? Brussels sprouts are also rich in fiber, vitamins C and K, and may help reduce inflammation and normalize blood sugar levels.

Broccoli

Just one cup of broccoli can give you 116% of the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin K and 135% of Vitamin C. It also contains potent antioxidants and bioactive compounds that can fight disease, lower inflammation, keep blood sugar in check, and support brain health.

Conclusion

Your body needs a healthy dose of micronutrients to function optimally. These 5 veggies are some of the most nutrient dense you can buy and make great additions to your plate any time of the day.

Make Fitness Straightforward with These Tips

For a lot of people, working out can be tedious and difficult.

This is primarily because they are doing things they don’t like to do and they aren't aware of some easy ways to stick with a workout program.

They might be following the latest fitness craze or pulling a routine from the internet, without paying attention to what would really work in their own life. Hard workouts are important from time to time, but fitness can be enjoyable if you become smart about it. Simply put, if the thought of working out is a major struggle every day, you’ll never stick with it in the long run.

If you want to make fitness more straightforward, follow these tips to save time and remove some of the grind from the process:

Plan Out Everything Beforehand 

If you have a plan for your workouts, it will make everything so much simpler. You will know exactly what you are doing as soon as you head into the gym or leave the house, without having to stress about the specific exercises to do that day. Going to a gym or out for a run can be daunting and frustrating if you don’t know what you are getting yourself into.

It might seem a little boring to sit down and plan things out, but it's a good idea if you want to create a plan that you enjoy and will look forward to doing. Heading to a gym like Fitness 19 and seeing all of the equipment in front of you can feel overwhelming if you aren't aware of which piece of equipment to use.

Choose the exercises that you are confident doing and will give you a full body workout. If you don’t know where to start, working with a personal trainer can be an excellent idea to build a customized program that works for you. Once you have this program set, you can just stick with it day in and day out, knowing it has been built just for you.

Learn The Key Factors And Fundamentals Of Nutrition 

Nutrition can play a major role in physical performance and weight loss (if that is one of your goals). There are many conflicting opinions out there about the ideal diet, but there are some basic principles to keep in mind. Focus the bulk of your diet around real foods that you enjoy - fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, beans, oatmeal, etc. Take inspiration from the diets of some of the best athletes in the world. Clean sources of carbs, protein, and healthy fats are your friend when trying to maintain your energy levels and build your fitness. A diet that overly restricts any macronutrient is not a good idea and will likely lead to failure over time. Follow the basics, limit junk food (you already know what that is), and your nutrition plan will help you achieve your fitness goals.

Don’t Overthink And Expect Instant Results

We live in a world where people expect results right away. This includes fitness and getting in shape. It's best not to get into the habit of obsessively weighing yourself and trying to get immediate results. This will only lead to a rollercoaster of emotions and will often derail your program before it gets off the ground. Instead, set a clear goal at least months into the future, and simply enjoy the journey to get there. It’s fine to monitor your progress at set checkpoints and adjust based on how you are tracking, but it’s important to play the long game. You can’t expect to achieve all of your goals right away - the most important part is building a plan that enables you to actually enjoy the process on the way to your long-term objectives.

I hope these tips help you create and stick with a fitness plan that works for you in the long run.

How To Be in the Top 1% for Health

If you are looking for a no-nonsense way to get healthier, this article is for you.

The first place to start is with food.

It’s true that you can’t outrun a bad diet and what you put in your mouth arguably has the largest impact on your bodyweight and health.

According to the Top Rated Doctor in Dubai, when it comes to food, healthy eating revolves around real, whole foods. That means food with one or only a few simple ingredients that your great grandmother would recognize as food.

Whether you are a vegan, omnivore, or carnivore, that principle holds true.

If you are eating real, whole foods, there is limited damage you can do to your body.

Within the real, whole food spectrum, you want to focus on foods low on the glycemic index. Ideally the bulk of your diet will be foods with a glycemic index of 35 or lower.

The foods that meet that criteria are primarily non-starchy vegetables (leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, etc.), high-quality protein sources (meat, fish, poultry, eggs, beans, etc.), and healthy fats (nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil).

Base your diet around these foods. If these foods make up 90% or more of your diet, the occasional treat will not be problematic.

That’s it on the diet front. If you eat that way, you’ll be in the top 5% of healthy eaters.

Next on the health hierarchy is exercise. Exercise won’t necessarily help you shed pounds, but it will give you energy and vitality, and will help you live longer.

There is not a ‘best’ form of exercise that universally works for everyone. The best exercise is truly the one you will do consistently.

The key with exercise is consistency. You need to be exercising for at least 30 minutes per day, ideally every single day of the week. Our bodies were meant to move and if you’re sedentary for too long, your body will start to break down.

There are a zillion different types of exercise to choose from — walking, running, swimming, cycling, dancing, yoga, tennis, basketball, etc. It doesn’t matter what you do, just do it regularly.

It is important that you add in some strength training at least 1–2 times per week, especially as you get older. Your muscle starts to break down as you age, so it’s essential to maintain your physical strength as much as possible against these forces.

Exercise for 30 minutes every day, including at least 1–2 strength training sessions per week. Do that and you’ll be in the top 5% of all people in your age group for cardiovascular fitness and strength.

Diet and exercise are the big rocks. Follow these simple principles and the health puzzle starts to fall into place.

The next place to focus is sleep. You’ve heard a lot about sleep and you know it’s good for you. It helps your body repair and cleanse itself. The simple advice is to sleep for at least 7 hours per night. Give yourself an hour to wind down before bed to make falling asleep easier. During this time, just read a real, physical book until you’re tired enough to fall asleep.

Finally, find a way to manage the emotional stress in your life. Eliminating stress is not realistic, so you just need to find ways to cope and enjoy life in spite of stress. For instance, if you have poor mental health and addiction, seeking support from a dual diagnosis treatment center can put you on the pathway to better health. Or, reducing your workload to reduce stress and overwhelm can make you feel more relaxed. Furthermore, there are lots of daily habits to achieve better health and less stress, including yoga, meditation, walks in nature, having a cup of tea with a friend, etc. Even a glass of wine for happy hour counts. Finding a way to ‘down shift’ is one of the common habits among the longest-lived people in the world.

That’s it.

Diet, exercise, sleep, stress management. Oh, and water too. Drinking healthy bottled water with the right pH level, and drinking enough of it, can make a difference.

These are the pillars of health and no-nonsense tips to be in the top 5% in each area.

If you’re in the top 5% in each individual area, you’ll be in the top 1% for overall health.

I hope this article helps you to live longer, better.

Which Refrigerator Should You Choose for Meal Prepping?

Meal prepping is a fantastic way to save time during the week and make good diet choices. Learn which kind of fridge suits your style of meal prepping.

If you’re someone who is looking to make simple, healthier choices in your diet, you should consider meal prepping. Meal prepping is when people make food in advance in order to save time later. Certain time-saving measures may include ordering take-out or eating heavily processed pre-packaged meals, but meal prepping is a time-saving activity that prioritizes eating healthy, home-cooked meals. Learn which refrigerator you should choose for meal prepping.

Why Meal Prep?

It’s no secret that cooking homemade meals takes time. Some people struggle to get out of bed with enough time to make breakfast, while others are puzzled about what to make for lunch. Prepping meals ahead of time in large batches can make it much easier to control what you’re eating and how much money you spend on groceries.

Common Meal Prep Options and Managing Refrigerator Space

One thing that will make meal prepping much easier is having ample fridge and freezer space. For example, one popular meal prep is freezing fresh fruit to turn into smoothies later. To freeze popular fruits like bananas, you need to be able to fit a flat cookie sheet in your freezer; otherwise, the banana slices will get mushy.

Another favorite prep option is making soup ahead of time. You can freeze soup in portions in freezer-safe bags. If you lay them flat, you can stack them like books once they’ve frozen. Again, this process takes up quite a bit of space inside your freezer.

French Door and Side-by-Side Refrigerators

There are many different types of freestanding and built-in refrigerators. French door and side-by-side fridges are the styles with the most overall space inside, but that space isn’t equal. In a french door fridge, the fridge space is on top and is quite large. You even get two doors to open. This style is perfect for people who love to make complete lunches ahead of time and keep them in the fridge since there is plenty of space to stack containers.

However, many side-by-side styles have more freezer space and shelving, making them a better choice for smoothie and soup preppers. Make sure the shelf will fit a standard cookie sheet.

The refrigerator you choose for meal prepping ultimately depends on the types of prep you prefer. Regardless, always remember to label your food properly so that you can consume it before it goes bad.

Why Protein is Critical at Your First Meal of the Day

A recent year-long study of nearly 10,000 Australians confirms that highly processed foods are the leading contributor of obesity in the Western world.

As we all know, most processed foods are hyper-palatable — with crave-worthy combinations of sugar, salt, and fat — causing people to overeat.

But the researchers found that it’s something processed food doesn’t have that makes it so problematic: protein.

This study provides evidence for the Protein Leverage Hypothesis, which states that people overeat fats and carbs due to the body’s powerful appetite for protein, which the body prioritizes over everything else.

Because our modern diet consists of so many highly processed and refined foods — which are typically low in protein — people consume more energy-dense foods until their protein needs are satisfied.

“It’s increasingly clear that our bodies eat to satisfy a protein target,” according to Professor David Raubenheimer, Professor of Nutritional Ecology at the University of Sydney. “But the problem is that the food in Western diets has increasingly less protein. So, you have to consume more of it to reach your protein target, which effectively elevates your daily energy intake.”

This means that as the protein in our diet is diluted by fats and carbs —common in processed foods — we will eat more calories to get the protein our bodies desire.

This phenomenon is especially apparent for the meal of the day.

The study found that people who consumed lower amounts of protein in their first meal of the day went on to eat more at subsequent meals, whereas those who ate a high amount of protein at their first meal actually declined their food intake over the rest of the day.

This was true even though the first meal was the smallest for both groups, with the least amount of energy and food consumed, whereas the last meal was the largest.

Eating more protein early in the day helps satisfy your overall protein requirements, causing you to eat less later. This is an important insight for people trying to lose weight more easily.

People who eat a low-protein first meal are found to eat more energy-dense foods high in saturated fat, sugar, salt, or alcohol later in the day, and less ‘healthy’ foods such as vegetables, fruit, legumes, and meat.

While many factors contribute to weight gain — including food, exercise, sleep, and stress — the researchers in charge of this study argue that the body’s strong demand for protein — which is lacking in highly processed food — is the primary driver of energy overconsumption and obesity.

The implications are clear for us.

Avoid highly processed and refined foods.

Prioritize protein over the other macronutrients, especially for your first meal of the day.

If you get at least 30 grams of protein at your first meal, the chances of overeating later in the day are much lower.

This is a powerful ‘hack’ — backed by science — to maintain a healthy weight without really trying.

What to Eat to Increase Heart Rate Variability

Heart-rate variability (HRV) — the time differences between one heart beat and the next — can be a good predictor of overall health.

Lower HRV is associated with negative health outcomes, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, obesity, and psychiatric disorders.

If you want to remain healthy, you should focus on increasing your HRV over time. There are several ways to do this, including regular exercise, good sleep, and stress reduction.

Diet can also play an important role in elevating (or reducing) your HRV. Here are a few foods and specific nutrients to include in your diet to benefit HRV:

Omega-3s / Fish

Omega-3 consumption is associated with increased HRV. This has been observed for both eating fish as well as supplementing with fish oil. Additionally, the Mediterranean Diet — which has fish as a central component — is linked with improved HRV and cardiac function.

Multivitamin

Taking a daily multivitamin has been shown to improve memory and cognition, especially in people with cardiovascular disease. Taking a multivitamin-mineral with 300mg of guarana has also been shown to produce HRV benefits, as well as improving decision-making and regulating the autonomic nervous system.

Yogurt / Probiotics

Yogurt enriched with bioactive components can help to reduce stress and anxiety, which has a beneficial effect on HRV. Specifically, yogurt enriched with alpha-lactalbumin, casein tripeptides and B vitamins was found to improve HRV relative to the consumption of regular yogurt.

Nuts

Nut consumption is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Additionally, nuts have been shown to improve HRV. Specifically, adding pistachios to the diet has been shown to benefit HRV, as well as improve blood pressure and cardiac output.

Red Wine / Polyphenols

Consumption of polyphenol-rich red wine is associated with increased HRV. In contrast, drinking beer and spirits (and the total amount of alcohol consumed) does not have the same effect on HRV. This is likely attributed to the polyphenols in red wine. Polyphenols are also found in abundance in coffee, tea, dark chocolate, and berries.

Vitamin B12

Having good vitamin B12 status is associated with better HRV, whereas a deficiency in B12 is linked with lower HRV. Vitamin B12 is found in large amounts in seafood, meat, milk, cheese, and eggs. Many cereals are also fortified with vitamin B12 or you can consume vitamin B12 as a supplement.

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On the flip side, diets high in saturated fat, trans fat, and high-glycemic carbs have been found to reduce HRV.

Many people are measuring HRV these days with wearable devices such as Oura, Whoop, or the Apple Watch. This can be very helpful to monitor how your HRV changes over time and how it is influenced by lifestyle habits.

Try adding some of the beneficial foods and nutrients mentioned in this article and see if you can move your HRV in the right direction.

Pick A Diet You Can Stick with for the Rest of Your Life

If you are debating which diet to try, consider asking yourself a simple question:

Could you eat this way for the rest of your life?

If the answer is no, move on. This is often the case for overly restrictive diets such as keto, carnivore, or vegan.

If the answer is yes, you’ve likely found the ‘diet’ for you.

Diets such as the Mediterranean Diet or DASH don’t capture most of the headlines because they are not controversial.

But these are the types of diets you can stick with for life.

Some people can eat a very low carb diet over the long haul, but most cannot — often relapsing and binging once they slip up once.

The key is to figure out what will work for you. Not for the next week. For the rest of your life.

There is no need to even label your diet. Instead, think about certain meals you can eat regularly without feeling deprived or hungry afterwards.

For me, it’s pretty simple.

Breakfast = Oatmeal (or oat bran), topped with walnuts, blueberries, and cinnamon

Lunch = Big salad with leafy greens (kale, arugula, spinach), other veggies (tomatoes, peppers, etc.), lean protein (grilled chicken, turkey, shrimp), some cheese and nuts, dressed with extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Dinner = Lean Protein (chicken, fish, meat) + veggies (asparagus, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower)

Snacks = Fruit (apples, pears), nuts (almonds, cashews), light cheese

I can eat these meals (with slight variations) over and over again without getting bored. They fill me up, are nutritious, and taste good (to me, anyway).

I’ve experimented with just about every diet, but most don’t stand the test of time (even if they are ‘healthy’).

Don’t worry about what the experts say (even me).

Find the eating plan — or specific meals — that work for you day in and day out and stick with that.

A healthy diet only works if you can do it consistently.

What you do consistently throughout your life matters far more than what you do on any given day.

So figure out how you want to eat forever and start eating that way today.

Sign up for my new online course Top 10 Habits for Living Well. The course is based upon a decade of research, expert insight, and personal experimentation. Apply the most proven tactics to become happier, healthier, & more successful.

How to Select Truly High-Protein Foods

Many people are prioritizing protein these days, and for good reason.

Protein is the most satiating macronutrient, helping you feel more full with less food. Protein also notoriously supports muscle recovery and growth, which is especially important as we age.

But a lot of people think they are eating high-protein foods when they are really not.

Certain foods, like almonds, contain a moderate amount of protein (6g of protein per 1 oz. serving), but they are actually dominant in another macronutrient (that same 1 oz. serving of almonds contains 14g of fat).

Almonds are a healthy food, but they should be viewed as a better source of monounsaturated fat than protein. All nuts fall into this category.

Beans would be another similar example. Black beans have a decent amount of protein (15g of protein per 1 cup serving), but they are more dominant in carbohydrates (41g of carbs in that same 1 cup serving). Beans are a healthy food, and a great source of complex carbs, but they are not a protein powerhouse.

The key to choosing a truly high-protein food is to ensure it contains at least 40% protein. There is a trick to determine if a food passes the 40% protein test:

1. Find protein grams per serving on the nutrition label and multiply by 10.

2. Compare the protein times 10 value to total calories per serving.

3. If protein x 10 is equal to or more than calories, the food is at least 40% protein and should be considered a high-protein food.

4. If protein x 10 is lower than calories, the food is less than 40% protein and should not be considered a high-protein food.

Credit: Ted Naiman, Instagram

You can use this trick at the grocery store by quickly running the numbers based on the nutrition label.

All sources of lean protein will easily pass the test, including chicken breast, turkey, shrimp, and fish.

You’ll need to select lean beef to qualify. Most fattier cuts of meat, as well as processed meat such as bacon and sausage, will be higher in fat than protein and won’t pass the 40% test.

Whole eggs actually contain slightly lower than 40% protein (6g of protein in a 70+ calorie egg), but egg whites easily pass the test (4g of protein and only 18 calories per egg white).

Most forms of full-fat Greek yogurt will fall below the 40% threshold, and the same can be said for yogurt with lots of added sugar.

However, non-fat Greek yogurt without added sugar easily passes the test. That variety of yogurt contains 16g of protein and only 90 calories per serving, making it a terrific high-protein choice.

Although most of the high-protein foods mentioned so far are animal products, fear not if you are a vegan — there are plant-based options that pass the test including seitan (21g protein, 104 calories per serving), tofu (17g protein, 144 calories per serving), lupin beans (26g protein, 198 calories per serving), textured vegetable protein (9g protein, 56 calories per serving), nutritional yeast (3g protein, 20 calories per serving), and certain forms of bean-based pasta (24g protein, 180 calories per serving).

There are plenty of options from which to choose.

Whether you are a vegetarian or an omnivore, if you are trying to prioritize protein in your diet, make sure your high-protein foods pass the 40% test.

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Sign up for my new online course Top 10 Habits for Living Well. The course is based upon a decade of research, expert insight, and personal experimentation. Apply the most proven tactics to become happier, healthier, & more successful.

The Best Foods for Gut Health

If you want to boost health and immunity, focus on nourishing your gut.

70% of the immune system is located in the gut. The foods we eat affect the bacteria in our gut, which in turn affect immune cells.

The microbiome and the immune system are intertwined, and diet plays a critical role to support both.

Here are the best food groups and specific foods to eat for optimal gut health:

High-Fiber Foods

Fiber helps with gut health by aiding digestion and preventing constipation. Some of the best high-fiber foods for gut health include:

• Dark leafy greens (kale, arugula, spinach, chard)

• Fruit (especially berries and apples and pears with the skin on)

• Oats and oat bran

• Beans and lentils

• Nuts and seeds (especially walnuts, almonds, and pumpkin seeds)

Probiotic / Fermented Foods

Probiotic foods contain living microorganisms that can build up beneficial bacteria in your gut. These are excellent probiotic foods to include in your diet:

• Yogurt (Low-fat or nonfat Greek yogurt without added sugar is best)

• Kefir (fermented milk that is similar to yogurt)

• Sauerkraut (fermented cabbage)

• Kimchi (fermented vegetables)

Prebiotic Foods

Prebiotic foods contain a type of soluble fiber that helps create good bacteria in the gut. Here are some of the best prebiotic foods:

• Bananas (choose slightly green bananas to reap the benefits of resistant starch)

• Asparagus

• Onions

• Oats

• Garlic

• Chicory root

• Dandelion greens

• Jerusalem artichokes

Polyphenols

Polyphenols can help promote the growth of good bacteria in the gut and help fight the bad bacteria. Foods high in polyphenols usually taste great too. These are all great sources of polyphenols:

• Coffee

• Tea

• Dark Chocolate (at least 85% cocoa)

• Berries

• Red Wine

Anti-Inflammatory Foods

Inflammation is linked with nearly every major disease, including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s. Anti-inflammatory foods help keep chronic inflammation at bay while also supporting gut health. These are great examples of anti-inflammatory foods to eat regularly:

• Fatty Fish (including salmon, sardines, herring, tuna, and mackeral)

• Walnuts

• Flax seeds

• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

• Turmeric

• Cherries and Pineapple

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Those are all the important foods groups to support a healthy gut. An excellent strategy to feed your gut is to create meals combining all of the above elements.

For example, oatmeal (high fiber, prebiotics) with yogurt (probiotics), topped with walnuts (anti-inflammatory), blueberries (polyphenols) and bananas (prebiotics), enjoyed with a cup of coffee or green tea (polyphenols). That would be a fantastic breakfast for gut health.

Pick the foods you like best from the above groups and mix and match to optimally feed your gut.

And if you want to suggest these foods to others, take a look at the best video maker. It will help you to create and edit a prominent video of your diet which helps you in managing your gut health.