May 31st, 2011
Lately nutrition and food in general has been on my mind. I know the impact that not eating well has on our bodies but I also love food in general, not just the ‘good for you’ stuff. Over time I have come to the conclusion that tweaking the diet is the way to go for those of us who want good nutrition and who love yummy food. Here are some of my favourite ways to boost my diet:
- Tahini :
sesame paste, packed with calcium and other goodies. Use on its own or try it mixed with a little lemon and garlic and water and used as a sauce or try it mixed with Miso (a fermented soybean paste) as a yummy substitute for vegemite or mixed through rice or veges.
- Pumpkin and sunflower seeds :
great raw, soaked and baked or (my favourite) stir fried in tamari (soy sauce) and garlic and sprinkled on salads or in pasta.
- Flaxseed oil :
Vego alternative to fish oil – great in salad dressings but don’t heat it and keep it in the fridge.
- Cider vinegar :
Wonderful for the digestion and very alkalizing for the system; have a ½ a teaspoon or so in water half an hour before you eat. Also makes a very tasty salad dressing. Make sure you buy one that has the ‘mother’ in it (from health food stores or in the health section).
- Parley and other herbs :
Chopped over anything. I used to love pasta with pesto; now I have Soyaroni with piles of Continental Parsley, finished with a big handful of pumpkin, seeds stir fried in tamari and garlic with a dollop of flaxseed oil added just before serving.
- Nuts : EEspecially Brazil nuts, Walnuts and Almonds. If you have trouble digesting them try ‘activating’ them. This removes the enzyme that inhibits early sprouting and makes them more digestible. To activate soak 12 – 24 hours and then dehydrate in a very low oven (40 degrees) for another 24 hours.
- Cruciferous veggies :
Broccoli, cauliflower, brocilini, brussel sprouts, kale (my favourite), try different ones in different ways to find your favourites.
- Eggs :
An amazingly power packed food, I suppose because it has all the building blocks for a little chicken. Health warnings on cholesterol have been rescinded and 6 or 7 eggs a week are now perfectly fine. Even more depending on other factors. Hardboiled, they are the perfect transportable snack.
- Spiralina and ‘green powders’ :
These can be sprinkled on your food or added to smoothies.
- Superfoods :
You can do a search on ‘superfoods’ and come up with a ever changing array of items. Some of them are a bit pricey, other options are cheaper. Many are yummy and easy to add to your diet.
What are your favourite ways to pump up the nutrition in your diet?
