When I talk about food, my patients typically hear me defining food as fuel for the body.
It's fact that if people can learn how to properly choose the foods they eat, the nutrients that we absorb will replenish our bodies and strengthen our immune system and every organ.
For many years, I have read Men’s Health Magazine (my family can attest that I am often quoting things I've read!) and I have always found many of their articles to be informative and applicable both to men's and women's health. In last month's edition, an article ranked “Heart Superfoods," in regards to cost and benefit and got me thinking.
As I have shared before, my clients frequently request supplements and, although I believe in supplements for specific issues and added a list of immune-boosting supplements to my website, I still feel strongly that eating properly and exercising properly will improve overall health and vitality. Not only that, but it will also protect against and reverse infectious and other underlying diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, liver disease and arthritis.
You are probably aware of many of the so-called superfoods: fatty fish such as salmon, olive oil, nuts, green vegetables, etc. You can try supplements to get the nutrients these super foods contain, but supplements that claim to provide everything you need from vegetables, for example, are just not the same as eating the real thing. Studies have shown that the benefit for example, of eating fish, far outweighs the benefit of fish oil supplements. Plus, you have consumed a great meal, rather than trying to choke down those big fish oil pills!
Many people associated eating fish with strong tastes and, after one poor experience, may be unlikely to try again. Take, for example, my wife and daughter who hated to eat fish for years. Recently, they have shifted away from reliance on fish oil supplements to giving the real deal another shot.
Don't get me wrong - my daughter still pulls the "don't feed me salmon" card...but they have both now come to appreciate that there are so many different types of mild tasting and healthy fish available, including cod, flounder, snapper, halibut, tuna, and trout.
...And one of the amazing things about fish is that for those who still think they don’t like it, most mild fish can be dressed up by coating them with great tasting and healthy foods, such as pistachios, almonds, cilantro, garlic and parsley, grass-fed butter, and your favorite mustard. Add a salad, avocado, a glass of red wine and -- again, as my wife and daughter like to remind me -- an ounce of pure 80% or higher chocolate for dessert, and some green tea to follow, and you won’t need any supplements that day!
...If you somehow fit in 25 minutes of exercise that day, you will be WELL on your way to a healthy lifestyle.
If you're interested in healthy and easy recipes that my family and I love, make sure to follow us on Facebook. My go-to recipes, including pistachio-crusted cod and dill salmon are available for your reference!