Wednesday, October 7, 2009

The Salad is the Main Course

If we could really consider the gravity of these statistics, we would change.

The average American consumes 3600 calories per day, yet the Center for Disease Control estimates that 95% of all Americans are significantly undernourished.

The Center for Disease Control estimates that for the first time in our nation's history, the current generation of children will not live as long as their parents.

Source: Dr. Joel Fuhrman, Eat Right America Food Scoring Guide, www.EatRightAmerica.com

If you can't possibly make the jump to a mostly plant-based diet, Dr. Fuhrman recommends eating the salad first.

Feed yourself and your family a large salad first. Then serve the rest of the planned meal. Here is a list of high nutrient veggies. Build up those nutrients in your cells. Decrease the toxins.

Make the Salad the Main Course

Nutrient-dense, low calorie foods must be the backbone of any healthy diet. Rather than juggling proportions of fat, carbs and protein, we should focus on getting as many micronutrients (vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals) in as few calories as necessary. True hunger is satisfied by adequate micronutrients, not a set number of calories. You can eat many empty calories without feeling full. This is how you end up overweight. Or you can eat delicious foods that contain few calories but satisfy your hunger in addition to preventing heart disease and cancer, our two biggest American killers.

But what are these foods? Below is a list of the healthiest foods on the planet. Bon appetit!

Top 30 Superfoods / Nutrient Score
1. Collard, mustard and turnip greens 1000
2. Kale 1000
3. Watercress 1000
4. Bok choy 824
5. Spinach 739
6. Brussel sprouts 672
7. Swiss chard 670
8. Arugula 559
9. Radish 554
10. Cabbage 481
11. Bean sprouts 444
12. Red peppers 420
13. Romaine lettuce 389
14. Broccoli 376
15. Carrot juice 344
16. Tomatoes and tomato products 190-300
17. Cauliflower 295
18. Strawberries 212
19. Pomegranate juice 193
20. Blackberries 178
21. Plums 157
22. Raspberries 145
23. Blueberries 130
24. Papaya 118
25. Brazil nuts 116
26. Oranges 109
27. Tofu 86
28. Beans (all varieties) 55-70
29. Seeds: flaxseed, sunflower, sesame 45
30. Walnuts 29

And here's a quick and delicious salad dressing that we love

Raw almond butter - 1 or 2 tablespoon
Balsamic or fig vinegar - 1/3 cup
Unsweetened fruit juice - 4 tablespoons
Mix it up with a fork, don't add salt, pour it on and eat it up!

And until next time,
Be well little cell.