I recently revisited one of my favorite nutritional books, The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, by Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS, one of my favorite nutrition experts. I’ve been wanting to include more simple nutrition information in my blogs, so I plan to focus on different foods/food groups in the next few weeks. Join me in this and read some delicious articles!
In his book, Jonny lists some of his favorite foods, as well as those of his colleagues. I’ll expound on some of these listed below in the next few weeks. Feel free to send me a request for a certain food/food group!
My List:
- Fruit of all kinds – especially blueberries, apples, strawberries, grapes. They are a powerhouse of nutrition and great antioxidants and vitamins and minerals. While I usually don’t suggest fruit juice, I do like a small amount of unsweetened cranberry and pomegranate juices. They zest my water!
- Vegetables – just about any kind! I especially love avocados (really, these are a fruit, but for reader’s sake, they are listed here), cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, mushrooms, beets, sweet potatoes, green beans. I also really love organic sweet corn in season.
- I love almonds, pistachios, macadamia nuts, pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds! One thing I have to do, though, when eating nuts, is portion them out. Otherwise, I’ll eat the whole bag or can. Nuts are great sources of so many good things, but they can be an overindulgence if I allow them.
- Spice foods. This is my own made up category, and includes garlic, onions, leeks, spring onions – any cute little foods that add spice, flavor and zest to my foods, and yes, to my breath 😊. I also love oregano, basil, ginger, turmeric, and any of the peppers.
- I especially love wild salmon (and as Jonny says in his book, to discuss farmed salmon is like talking about another type of fish entirely!), sable fish, haddock, cod, shrimp, crabs, lobster, oysters, clams, and my goodness, this is a long list! Fish is simply a delicious food that is easier to cook than most of us think. Give it a try!
- Yep! I just said it. I love red meat. However, I love organically raised red meat, a good cut of meat, and I don’t eat it every day. Red meat is a powerhouse of nutrition, and I’m sticking to my story!
- Of course, I want my eggs to be free-range, pasture-raised eggs so I’m not getting an unhealthy dose of anti-biotics and hormones with my eggs! However, a good diner egg every once is awhile won’t hurt most of us. Eat the yolks! Much of the nutrition is found here. Again, like fats below, eggs are not demons any longer.
- Good fats. The days of fat-free thinking should be gone from our minds! Did you know the obesity rate in the fat-free 80s rose by 23%? Eat organic butter (so so good), responsibly derived olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil. Our bodies need fat in order to work properly.
- Aaaah. Cool, refreshing water. We can’t live without it, but many of us try to! Drink up! If we all drank 4 oz. of water every hour in our day, we’d have nicer skin, less painful joints, and good bathroom habits. Drink your water!
- Coffee/Wine/Beer. Say what?! I like all three of these beverages, in moderation. They all have healthful properties if not abused. Give me a good cup of java in the am, and a nice merlot in the pm and I’m a happy girl.
- Ice cream. You read this correctly! I might get tossed from any nutrition societies, but this is MY blog and I love ice cream, as many of you know. When I’m looking for a treat, I want something that is better for me than most flour-laden, sugar-laden, sweet baked concoctions. When I choose ice cream, I look for ingredients like fruit and nuts, and am quite happy with a plain vanilla or chocolate. And, shameless plug, you know my favorite brand, of course is Hershey’s Ice Cream – made with real ingredients and a local product! And my favorite people on Earth make ice cream.
There you have it. My list of favorite foods. Think about writing down your favorite list, and if anything isn’t as healthy or good for you as you like, steal some of my list. Stay tuned for more information on favorite foods right here!
To Your Vitality!