Spring break is fast approaching, or maybe you’re even already on spring break. The sun is close to shining for a majority of the time around California and suddenly there’s this pressure to become super healthy 24/7 as a way to prepare for summer. You may feel this sort of discomfort with your diet seeing the media promote girls with a “bikini body”. You may be bombarded with health addicts around you holding their green juices on their way to gym.
Personally, my approach towards health and lifestyle is that everyone should make decisions that make them feel their best. Every body is a “bikini body”. No one should be required to make a change in their diet or exercise because they feel the media or people in their daily lives are pressuring them to.
Regardless of this, I personally have found these foods to be the most beneficial in my overall well being. These foods make me feel at my peak in performance level as a student, in exercise, and as an overall active person. Consuming these foods may also do the same for you.
1. Avocado
Health Benefits: Vitamin K, Folate,Vitamin C, Potassium, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Vitamin E, healthy fats, and fiber
2. Coconut Water and Coconut Meat
Health Benefits of coconut meat: healthy fats, fiber, manganese, copper, and potassium
Health benefits of coconut water: active enzymes, potassium, antioxidants, amino acids, hydration, B-complex vitamins, calcium, iron magnesium, and zinc
3. Acai
Health Benefits: high in anthocyanin, a plant antioxidant associated with lowering cholesterol levels, fiber, vitamin C, ellagic acid, increases blood circulation, iron, monounsaturated fats, calcium, vitamin A
4. Buckwheat, Quinoa
Health Benefits: copper, magnesium, manganese, fiber, phosphorus, whole grains, protein, and complex carbohydrates
5. Berries
Health Benefits:
strawberries: high in antioxidants, folate, potassium, magnesium, fiber
blueberries: folate, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and fiber
raspberries: high concentration of elegiac, acid (a cancer preventing phenolic compound), antioxidants, and fiber
blackberries: vitamin C, promotes good memory, promotes clear skin, reduces inflammation, and fiber
Blueberries: antioxidants potassium, folate, vitamin k, copper, vitamin c, vitamin B6 and phytonutrient content, coupled with its lack of cholesterol, all support heart health. Lowers cholesterol, and helps decrease risk of cancer.
6. Bananas
Health Benefits: potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamin C, magnesium, copper, manganese, overall supports digestion and stable energy.
7. Ginger
Health Benefits:
Healths with inflammation, digestion, helps prevent Cancer, can treat nausea, reduces muscle pain, reduces muscle soreness, and lower blood sugars
8. All Legumes (beans, lentils)
Health Benefits:Very high in fiber and protein. Also has molybdenum, folate, copper, potassium, phosphorus and manganese. iron, vitamin B1, pantothenic acid, zinc, potassium and vitamin B6, helps lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, and colorectal Cancer.
9.Chia Seeds
Health Benefits: omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, fiber zinc, vitamin B3, potassium, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2
10. Lemon
Health Benefits: Niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin A, vitamin E, folate, vitamin c, thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, copper, calcium, iron, magnesium,potassium, zinc, phosphorus and protein.
Here is a recipe with some of these Health Benefits: Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream
Base ingredients:
*4 frozen bananas (Note: nice cream tastes the best when you freeze your bananas when they're perfectly, aka when they're spotty)
*1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
* about 1/4-1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
Toppings:
*mulberries
*chocolate PB2 (or any peanut butter, PB2 has no fat content)
* chia seeds
* coconut flakes
*pomegranate seeds
Preparation:
* blend all the base ingredients in a high speed blender, I use a Nutribullet (note: you want your ice cream to be thick, so don't add too much liquid
*place into a bowl, then add all toppings desired (quantity doesn't matter)
