I can't eat all that!

I finished the "SuperFoods" book today. Well the parts about each food that is. The rest is full of recipes that you can use all the foods in. I will be checking into that since I am cooking more these days. Check out my first batch of Quinoa:

It is a sidekick for oats per the book. (sidekicks explained below) It came out fabulous! It was also easy to make which helps.

I wanted to put the list up of recommended daily amounts of each super food because I noticed something.

Beans: 4 half cup servings a week.

Blueberries: 1 to 2 cups daily.

Broccoli: 1/2 to 1 cup daily

Oats: 5 to 7 servings a day.

Oranges: 1 serving daily

Pumpkin: 1/2 cup most days.

Wild Salmon: Fish should be eaten 2 to 4 times a week.

Soy: 15 grams of soy protein per day divided into 2 separate meals or snacks.

Spinach: 1 cup steamed or 2 cups raw most days.

Tea: 1 or more cups daily.

Tomatoes: 1 serving of processed per day and multiple servings per week of fresh.

Turkey: (skinless breast) 3 to 4 servings per week of 3 to 4 ounces per serving.

Walnuts: 1 ounce 5 times a week.

Yogurt: 2 cups daily.

Does anyone see a problem? First, I would need to spend a lot of time figuring out how to fit all that into a days worth of eating. (Or over the course of a week, who has that kind of time?) Second, That is a LOT of food! But have no fear. I have decided that we need not stress about it. This is just their recommendation for getting all sorts of vitamins and minerals naturally into your diet. It is the perfect diet per say. No one has a perfect diet. NO ONE! So I am sticking with my plan to just eat better overall. Will I be incorporating these foods into my eating? Damn straight. There was some great info on why we should in the book. Here are just a few tidbits that I liked or found interesting:

"Did you know that by checking the nutrition label on a loaf of bread and making sure it has at least 3 grams of fiber, you could turn an ordinary sandwich into a SuperFoods Rx sandwich?"

"Most respectable scientists in the world today agree that at least 30 percent of all cancers are directly related to nutrition. Some would argue that the figure is as high as 70 percent."

"About half of all cardiovascular disease and a significant percentage of hypertension cases can be traced to diet as well."

"The prostate gland does most of its growing between the ages of 13 and 20. If a boy eats lots of saturated fat during those years (the major fast food span for most Americans), it may increase his chances of developing prostrate cancer later in life. This is a strong argument for making pizza (double the sauce, halve the pepperoni, and sneak in some veggies) the fast food choice for your kids, particularly your sons."  (My  note: It turns out that pizza sauce is a great way to get some tomato into you.)

"Whole grains lower your risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity, diverticulosis, hypertension, certain cancers, and osteoporosis. Despite what you may hear, they do not make you fat (unless you eat way to much of them - which is hard to do!). The reason carbs have the reputation for promoting weight gain is that the vast majority of those eaten by Americans are refined carbs like cookies, doughnuts, breads, and cakes that are loaded with sugar and fat and often trans fats as well. Yes, they are carbohydrates, but they are a world away from the complex carbohydrates that are whole grains. Many people don't realize what a difference there is between whole and refined grains. While whole grains are actually health-promoting, refined grains (such as pasta, white flour, white bread and white rice) have been associated with a variety of negative health effects, such as an increased risk of colorectal, pancreatic and stomach cancers."

Oh and some foods are better for you cooked than raw. (i.e.carrots)

Seriously, everyone with an interest in nutrition needs to read this book. If some of the foods on the list son't suit you they do all have several "sidekicks" which are foods that are similar in their nutrient value. (i.e. Walnuts = almonds, sunflower seeds, etc Broccoli = brussel sprouts, kale, etc)

Things are still going well. I feel like I am making better choices every day. My husband and I went out to dinner to a semi fancy restaurant in the area. (photo at the top of page) I ordered the fish (because fish is good for you and I love it) and tried my first brussel sprout. It was pretty good but my whole dish tasted like they used a stick of butter in the recipe. Not that I was complaining exactly. (tho that much butter isn't the best thing for your arteries) It was a haddock and crab citron and it was delicious. I've also tried a few more of the naked drinks:

Each bottle is 2 servings. So far the Green Machine might be my favorite, tho this was a close second. The best part is that my son also likes the Green Machine drink. Nice! Teens can be hard to convince to eat anything healthy.

Here is one of my new favorite recipes I made up myself. It is egg salad.

Ingredients:  2 free range hard boiled eggs (I get mine from a friend) hellmans olive oil reduced fat mayo (just enough to hold it all together) 10 spinach leaves chopped, 1 spoonful sunflower seeds, and 1 spoon of flax meal. Serve on whole grain bread. I usually have green ice tea to drink with it. It is very filling and everything is good for me!

BTW check out this link that explains what happens to your body after drinking a soda. http://www.nutritionresearchcenter.org/healthnews/what-happens-to-your-body-if-you-drink-a-coke-right-now/  I haven't had a soda in I don't know how long and I can honestly say I don't miss it. I am still drinking a sweetened tea but not always. I figure even sweetened it has to be a better option than soda which isn't a real food per say. Remember, it is all about substituting a healthier choice than what you would normally chose, and moderation. That's it. Start there and see what happens.