Not Yo Mama’s Meal Prep

It’s probably the most beautiful Sunday in the history of Sundays outside right now. Seriously, I don’t think New England has seen weather like this since the Pilgrims landed. But what am I doing midst this wonderful weather? Writing a …

#Totes Tuesday: Superfood Edition

In case you forgot, my name is Alison and I write this blog. I vowed to get better at blogging and I’ve been serious slacking. I may or may not have spent all day yesterday watching that Lindsay Lohan docu-series and going to the doctor instead of getting some blogs written. Sorry but I really needed a day of nothing.

This week’s edition of #TotesTuesday is the superfood edition. As I’ve alluded to in previous posts, I am living with some pretty wonky ailments that no doctor can really diagnose. So I’ve been doing some extensive research on various “super foods” that do more than just nourish you. Here are my current favs:

 

1) #Totes Love Me Some Cacao Powder

You may be more familiar with cacao nibs. These are little specs of what looks like chocolate. Cacao powder is essentially raw cocoa, minimally processed, and turned into a powder. It’s insanely high in magnesium and iron. Both help immensely with your blood. It’s rich in antioxidants. Not to mention it gives you a chocolate flavor without all the processed garbage. The closer to raw form you can get cacao, the better. The more it’s processed the more health benefits removed. That is a good general rule for all food. The more you take it away from it’s natural form, the more nutrients you’re going to lose.

2) #Totes Sucking Out HDL With Coconut Oil

Please excuse the terrible photo. Coconut oil is a new addition to the food world for me. I had this jar in the cupboard for a long time before actually learning how to use it. I use it mainly to roast sweet potatoes. But I went to Life Alive and saw that they literally will add a spoonful or so to smoothies for you. So naturally I decided to do the same. I am NOT advocating you add this to your diet every day. I am very strict about fat in my diet. I don’t use butter, I’m not into cream cheese, and I pretty much only get fat from 1% milk or a source like this. You need to do some diet reflection before adding this to it. It is very high in fat, especially saturated fat. However, this is a type of saturated fat called MCT. MCT has been shown to lower HDL cholesterol and reduce abdominal fat. In addition, coconut oil is great for helping your body remove bacteria, fight viruses, and prevent growth of fungus.

3) #Totes Could Bathe In Nut Butter And Not Be Embarrassed

Nut Butter. Sounds weird, I know. But I say nut butter because there’s more to life than peanut butter. I love PB. Give me a jar of crunchy Teddy’s and I’m a happy camper. However, PB is not the healthiest nut butter out there for you anymore. Almond butter is probably the second most common nut butter out there. This has some more health benefits than PB. There’s also sunflower seed butter, pistachio butter, cashew butter, and just about any type of nut butter. I personally have made the switch to almond butter. It goes better with the raw cacao powder and blends much more easily in smoothies. Almonds have a slightly better mix of vitamins and better fat make ups. Again, I’m really restrictive about fat in my diet. I do not eat spoonfuls of almond butter. I try to limit the amount of added fat I have in a day. As always, I buy minimally processed almond butter with NO added ingredients OR I find a sweet set up like the one above. This is at Whole Foods where you can grind your own nut butter fresh.

4) #Totes Drink Chocolate Milk Like It’s Going Out Of Style

This isn’t technically a superfood. But I will drink a glass of chocolate milk after I work out. I can’t have protein powder, they all bother my stomach. So this is my compromise. Tons of studies show that this is beneficial for muscle recovery and restoring key nutrients lost after workouts. I use 1% Organic Milk and Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup. I don’t like using a lot of chocolate syrup so I just add about a tablespoon. I always buy organic milk. I feel as though the cows are not only happier to make milk in an organic environment but the milk tastes significantly better.

So that’s my #TotesTuesday post. My general rules for foods are:

1. Try to buy foods with a short ingredient list. The shorter the list, the less chance for sketchy additives.

2. Buy produce organic when the skin is thin, you eat the skin, or it’s a leaf. There’s no need to buy an organic orange when the rind is so thick. But spinach where you eat the leaf, may be a good place to start organic.

3. Pick and choose your super foods. Super foods are expensive because they are usually trendy and not mass produced. I try to pick super foods that will do the most for me. Both Cacao Powder and Coconut Oil are good for those with possible immune imbalances. So those are where I splurge each week.

4. Try to keep foods as close to their natural form as possible. Buying a cookie that claims to have a daily serving of vegetables just doesn’t make sense.