After a quick business trip down to Orlando, I'm now back and have lots of helpful information to share. The good thing about sitting in an airport is that I get to read more than I normally do. And, what I learned gives even more meaning to the saying, "You are what you eat."
There are six foods that you need to be eating NOW:
1) Pomegranate
2) Kiwi
3) Barley
4) Cranberries
5) Broccoli Sprouts
6) Kefir
Over the next few days, we'll be posting the reasons WHY you need to be eating these foods. Let's start with Kefir.
First off, many of you reading this may be wondering what Kefir is.
Kefir is a cultured milk drink, and it scores big in calcium — one 8-ounce serving contains 30 percent of the recommended daily intake — and contains more beneficial bacteria than yogurt.
Kefir can reduce food allergies. In a targeted agricultural research, baby mice fed kefir had a threefold reduction in the amount of an antibody linked to food allergies.
More impressively, Kefir can reduce the risk of breast cancer. Women age 50 and older who consumed fermented milk products had a lower risk than those who ate little or none. There have been several studies on this in Italy and the Netherlands and while the studies were small, the evidence seems to suggest that drinking Kefir certainly couldn't hurt. You still need to be exercising and eating well.
With Kefir, you can avoid triggering lactose intolerance. It contains lactase, the enzyme that people with lactose intolerance are missing according to researchers at Ohio State University.
How to drink Kefir? We're big fans of the flavored Kefir but because of the sugar content (over 22g per serving), we've backed off of it and opted for the PLAIN Kefir mixed with some fresh fruit. Kefir can be found in Publix in the same case as the organic milk. Lifeway is a popular brand. Trader Joe's also has their own brand which is very good and much cheaper.We use it to make smoothies. It's basically like liquid yogurt so it gives the smoothie some substance and makes it very healthy. We like to add a scoop (or two) of protein powder, a banana, some Açaí, and fresh or frozen berries such as blueberries or strawberries. And, speaking of Açaí even though it's not on the list above, it should probably be added because:
Açaí pulp contains:
- A remarkable concentration of antioxidants that help combat premature aging, with 10 times more antioxidants than red grapes and 10 to 30 times the anthocyanins of red wine.
- A synergy of monounsaturated (healthy) fats, dietary fiber and phytosterols to help promote cardiovascular and digestive health.
- An almost perfect essential amino acid complex in conjunction with valuable trace minerals, vital to proper muscle contraction and regeneration.
The fatty acid content in açaí resembles that of olive oil, and is rich in monounsaturated oleic acid. Oleic acid is important for a number of reasons. It helps omega-3 fish oils penetrate the cell membrane; together they help make cell membranes more supple. By keeping the cell membrane supple, all hormones, neurotransmitter and insulin receptors function more efficiently. This is particularly important because high insulin levels create an inflammatory state, and we know, inflammation causes aging.
Look for Sambazon Açaí in the frozen fruit case in Whole Foods.