The American diet is known to have a lot of bullshit in it. But that’s not going to change anytime soon so let’s focus on what is arguably more important: essential foods that you should be consuming daily, but they are not part of the typical American diet. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that only about 10% of Americans eat the recommended daily serving of fruits and vegetables. Fruits, Veggies, and Spices contain essential antioxidants, fibers, and probiotics that are found to be helpful in maintaining your health and immune system while also preventing various diseases and cancers. Below are six essential food groups that I try to consume daily (ok maybe every other day for some).
- Berries
- Berries are mostly known for their sweet taste, but their vital component is the extremely high amount of antioxidants they contain. According to MayoClinic, “Antioxidants are substances that may protect your cells against free radicals, which may play a role in heart disease, cancer and other diseases.” In general, when purchasing fruits or veggies, the more natural color a plant has, the more antioxidants it has. Fresh berries can be expensive so the primary way I add them to my diet is through blending frozen berries in my morning smoothie. Everyday (when not traveling) I make a high calorie, 100% plant-based smoothie and berries are a staple of this smoothie, allowing me to feel energized and hydrated.
- When I am traveling fresh juice is often 50-80% less expensive than the states. In those cases I just get freshly squeezed juice daily.
- Greens
- Kale (my favorite), greens, dark leafy lettuces, spinach, etc… fit into this category. Dr. Michael Gregor classifies this group as the “healthiest foods on the planet” and states that only about 1/25 Americans eat a dozen servings of these once a month. Ideally one should be getting more than 12 servings of these greens a week. To make this easier, I add kale or spinach into my morning smoothies mentioned above and/or make sure I either have them in my lunch, dinner, or night smoothie (or all three).
- Herbs and Spices
- Spices are for more than just taste. They offer many health benefits and oftentimes contain antioxidants. Peppers, chili powders, curries, saffron, sage, ginger, garlic, onions etc… all have their own benefits. Fresh is always better but powders work too!
- Turmeric may be the most interesting spice. It has been shown to preventing cancers and a variety of other diseases. Additionally it has been linked to faster recovery times from surgical operations and also can help decrease inflammation. Definitely worth looking into but don’t take too much!
- Gut Health (Prebiotics and Probiotics)
- Mayo Clinic: “Prebiotics are specialized plant fibers. They act like fertilizers that stimulate the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut. Prebiotics are found in many fruits and vegetables, especially those that contain complex carbohydrates, such as fiber and resistant starch.”
- Essentially prebiotics help the good bacteria in your gut flourish (the food for the bacteria if you will). Why is this important? Because according to UCLA Health many other sources, 70% of your immune system is within your gut. Also, your gut effects more than your physical health, mental health is effected as well.
- With the popularization of kombucha, most people are more familiar with probiotics. Both are important. When you consume probiotics you are adding live strains of good bacteria to your body. Do both, but don’t overdo it on probiotics!
- Beans / Legumes
- Many Americans are trying to cut back on meat but are not sure how to get protein from other sources. Though the foods I mentioned above do have protein (especially spinach, Popeye wasn’t lying!). Beans and legumes are veggies that are high in protein. This food group includes edamame (can also be used to make tofu), various types beans and peas, lentils, chickpeas, split peas, and tempeh, amongst others. I love this food group because they are high in protein and compare similarly to meat with regards to protein and nutrients while also comparing similar to vegetables with regards to vitamins. You can incorporate some of these in soups and curries while using produce such as tofu and other pea proteins in foods such as Thai noodles or veggie/vegan burgers now known as “vurgers”).
- Exercise
- According to the CDC nearly 3/4 of American adults are overweight. I am not going to go too deep into this because studies show Americans actually exercise on par if not more than those in other countries, the issue is mainly in the diet. If you are trying to gain or lose weight just please be aware of how diet is typically the most important factor.
Consuming more plants has been generally helpful for me and those close to me. Even with a global pandemic, I have not had more than a sore throat (99% of the time from my vice drinking my gin on the rocks) in maybe the last eight years? I believe that consuming an abundance of plants has been a major factor in keeping me healthy, especially during my two month trip. I can’t confirm that these foods will work for you but I hope you are able to do your own research, talk to your doctor or someone you trust and implement foods that work best for your goals.
Some resources that I found helpful for this post:
- How to Not Die – Michael Gregor, M.D.
- UCLAHealth.Org
- CDC
- Mayo Clinic