We can so often get overwhelmed by people telling us what we should and shouldn’t eat. Eat this, it is so healthy and will make you feel great…. don’t eat that, it is bad for your body! With all of the negativity, and sometimes fanaticism around food, on top of the ‘trending diets’ which keep rearing their heads, it is difficult to know whether we are eating a healthy diet and consuming foods that nourish and strengthen our body, immune system and general well-being.
Before you head to Wildsprout to stock your kitchen, let’s take a look at 5 foods we suggest you include in your diet starting today.
Greens
Yes, your parents were right, eat your veggies! Vegetables are not only filled with nourishing nutrients, vitamins and minerals your body needs to function at its optimum, but are also an excellent source of fibre. Try to include more leafy greens like kale, spinach, baby spinach and Swiss chard into your daily diet. You can put them into your salads, green juice or smoothies. Try them raw, steamed, sautéed or in a soup or stew. These are nature’s little nutrient diamonds!
Healthy Fats
Fats have such a bad reputation as being ‘the bad guy’ in a diet, however, without fat in our diet, we will leave our bodies with dry skin, nails and hair may become brittle and you may lose your healthy glow. Your parents were also right here, everything in moderation.
There are healthy fats and there are unhealthy fats – aim to include the former into your diet. Good fats help to reduce inflammation in the body, they absorb and process nutrients, improve your mental health and eye function. Healthy fats include extra virgin olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds and wonderful omega-3 rich foods such as salmon, trout and sardines.
Fermented Foods
What? I hear you saying. Indeed, pickled vegetables are an excellent source of probiotics. We can eat as many healthy foods as we like, but if our body is unable to absorb and process them, then it can’t get the nutrition to feed the body. Keeping a healthy gut with good bacteria to perform these functions is essential to achieve maximum benefit from your healthy food intake. You can take a probiotic supplement of course, but why not get it naturally through food sources such as yoghurt, miso, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi and pickled vegetables which you can add to your salads, or enjoy a lovely glass of bubbly kombucha to help that gut health along.
Fibre
The reason fibre should form such an integral part of your diet is that it is what helps our digestion, lowers cholesterol and balances blood sugar. Fibre is found in many foods so it is easy to find something that will suit your taste. Look for these healthy vegetables when next shopping at Wildsprout: leafy greens like spinach and kale; cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts and cabbage, chia, hemp and flax seeds, oats and berries, beans/legumes, nuts and root vegetables such as sweet potato, beetroot and carrots. Many of these can even be put into your daily smoothie for a quick nutrient-fibre hit!
Protein
Eating protein helps to maintain or increase lean muscle mass, satisfies cravings and regulates blood sugar. Try to find a good balance between animal-based proteins and plant-based proteins, the latter being far less demanding on your body while being digested. An easy way to include plant protein into your diet is through beans and legumes added to your salads, soups or stews or grab a handful of seeds and nuts as a snack or to sprinkle onto your salad. Nut butter and nuts are also wonderful added to your daily power smoothie.
No matter your dietary requirements, there is no reason you should not be able to include all of these 5 foods into your diet daily. Put your health and wellbeing first and shop for the best quality you can get at Wildsprout. You are what you eat after all!