berries

(This post was originally posted on 1/9/2018, but updated on 1/1/2019.)

What’s up guys.  Quick nuggets of knowledge for today.

We all know that dieting is a lifestyle, not something you do for like 2 weeks and then you quit.  You can’t just go to the gym for 2 weeks, and expect to be lean and muscular like Hugh Jackman, and stay like that forever.

That just ain’t gonna happen.

That’s just not how our bodies work.

Dieting, nutrition, maintaining a lean physique, and living at optimum health requires COMMITMENT.

It requires DEDICATION.

It requires CONSISTENCY.

Living a healthy lifestyle is pretty much an every day, year-round, “until the day you die” type of thing.

It never ends.

So what is a great way to maintaining a lean and healthy physique?

I believe in eating the best, most nutrient-loaded foods—-and eating those EVERY day.

And this means, even eating the same foods.  Over and over and over again.

Every…

day.

Most people would get bored of this.

I don’t.

In my mind, if the food tastes great, it’s good for me, and I’m seeing results, why would I eat anything else?

If the food is scientifically proven to provide your body with the most nutritious elements compared to other foods in its class, then why settle for anything less?

If spinach has the most nutrients compared to lettuce or cabbage, then I’m gonna eat the spinach.

If blueberries are considered the king of berries regarding nutrition, then I’m eating blueberries.

If chicken breast has more protein and lesser fat than chicken thighs, then of course, I’m eating the breast.

Every time.

I mean, don’t get me wrong.  Variety is the spice of life.  And we should mix up our food palate because certain foods carry different nutrients, minerals, and benefits only found in those foods.  I get that.  And I do mix it up, of course.

But generally speaking, about 80% of the time, for me, I’m eating the same foods, every day.

I’ve come to a point where I crave these foods anyway.

On a daily basis.

I can’t go on about my day without eating these foods.

I daydream about my berry smoothie when I’m away from it and my mouth waters when I think about my omelette when I’m hungry.

I eat these every day like clockwork.

My friends and acquaintances may make fun of me saying things like “Dude, don’t you eat anything else?!” Or, “Bro, don’t you get tired of the same foods everyday?!”

All I do is laugh and say, “Well, “no bro, I don’t!”

Just like going to the gym every certain days of the week to train my muscles to stay in shape, I’m nourishing my body with the best foods it needs for peak performance.

So here are 8 foods I eat every day in order to feel more alive, more alert, and to perform at my absolute best at whatever I am doing.

Just like how some people can’t function without their coffee in the morning, my day just isn’t complete unless I eat these 8 foods every day.

These foods taste great, and for me, they’re required for optimum health.

#1:  KALE/SPINACH

Kale is widely-considered as one of the most nutritious and healthiest food on the planet.  Studies have shown this leafy green to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cancer-fighting, and detoxification capabilities that the human body needs to perform at its highest level.

Spinach is another nutrient-rich powerhouse.  This tasty vegetable contains Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Folate, Manganese, and numerous other minerals, and antioxidants.

Spinach is a very quick and easy way to get these powerful nutrients into my body and I’ll easily mix this in with any chicken dish I have on my plate.  I use Earthbound Farm’s Organic Power Greens mix which also contains kale and chard along with the spinach:

 

#2: ACAI/BLUEBERRIES

All berries should be in this category actually, but acai and blueberries rank highest on my list for its high antioxidant content, ability to slow down aging, and its cancer-fighting properties (according to certain credible sources).

I like to mix acai, blueberries,  strawberries, and other berries together to make various type of smoothies, on a daily basis.   My favorite is my Ultimate Acai Berry Peanut Butter Protein Smoothie, which is super delicious, and you can find the recipe right here.  I definitely go organic as much as possible, to limit the amount of pesticidal residue and toxin exposure to my body.

I use Trader Joe’s Organic Acai Frozen Puree Packets, and Costco’s Organic Blueberries:

#3: EGGS

Eggs are one of the leanest sources of protein you can buy.  One whole egg contains about 6 grams of protein at 60 calories.  If I make an omelette, I prefer using all whites, and maybe I’ll throw a whole egg in there with the yolk.  My favorite egg white omelette recipe can be found here.

Here’s what I use:

 

#4: BROCCOLI

Broccoli is one of the most nutritious vegetables on the planet.  It is a great source of multiple vitamins, nutrients, it has anti-inflammatory, digestive, and cancer-fighting properties.  Broccoli is a must-have for me, and I make sure to pack it into my lunch bag every day.

I get my broccoli fix from Costco’s Organic Normandy Vegetables mix, which also includes cauliflower and mixed carrots.  This mix goes great with my Peanut Butter Salmon Burger recipe here.

 

#5: PEANUT BUTTER / NUTS

These are perfect for a quick snack or as an energy booster.   If I need a quick pick-me-upper, or to squash that little pang of hunger, I’ll just reach for a handful of mixed nuts.  I get a variety of different nuts in this package here that contains cashews, almonds, brazil nuts, pecans, hazelnuts—–a whole spectrum of different nuts, each with their own nutritional profile and distinct benefits for my body.

Alternatively,  I’ll just dab some peanut butter on any protein source I’m having at the moment, whether it be a chicken breast, or even an omelette.   That’s right, peanut butter on my omelette!  Don’t knock it ’til you try it!

And nothing beats grabbing a spoon and eating peanut butter straight out of the jar.  I feel like a little kid again every time I do that but hey, we’re all a little kid at heart, right?

My peanuts and peanut butter of choice:

 

#6: CHICKEN

Chicken is my go-to meat source for protein.  No bones about it.  I always go for chicken breast whenever possible.  Whenever I eat out, its always one of the first things I look for on the menu.  What kind of chicken do they serve here?  And, is it grilled, not breaded or fried? Lol.

Chicken breast is one of the leanest proteins out there, and I’ll always add it to my omelettes or whatever dish I can conjure up.  Tastes amazing with peanut butter!  We’ll dig into that on later posts…In the meantime, try my ginger garlic chicken cauliflour fried rice!  Recipe here.

I like freshly grilled chicken breasts whenever I have the time to prepare them and enjoy them, but if I’m in a rush and short on time, for a quick chicken fix, I like a whole roasted chicken, antibiotic-free:

 

#7: PROTEIN POWDER

I gotta have my protein powder.  No smoothie or acai bowl of mine is complete without protein powder.

Nothing feeds my muscles quicker after a workout than a protein shake.

And if I happen to wake up in the middle of the night with a quick pang of hunger, I’ll reach for a quick protein shake.

Here’s what I use:

Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein goes great with any recipe calling for a protein powder, whether it be a smoothie, cookie, pancake, whatever.  It is by far, one of the leanest whey protein powders out there with only 2g of carbs and 110 calories per 24g protein serving.  It also has very few ingredients compared to other powders you’ll find.   It even tastes great just by itself mixed with plain old water.  A very versatile powder, and I use it for everything.  That’s pretty rare when it comes to (whey) protein powders.

I use this protein powder for nearly ALL of my recipes.  Check out my Blackberry Amaretto Protein Waffle recipe, found here.

#8 :  DARK CHOCOLATE / CACAO NIBS

Yup, you read that right.  Dark chocolate.  I’ll reach for this for a quick dessert after a nice healthy meal, or to relieve some stress.  The darker the chocolate, the more antioxidants and nutrients are in it, such as fiber, manganese, iron, magnesium, etc.

I like it at between 70% to 80% cacao.  The higher the percentage of cacao, the more nutritious it is.  For me,  between 70%-80% is the sweet spot for nutritious benefit and flavor.  It still has that great chocolatey taste without getting too bitter, (because dark chocolate can be very bitter at 80+%).

Cacao nibs are the purest form of chocolate, and contain the highest amount of nutrients versus a lower cacao percentage chocolate.  I’ll throw cacao nibs into smoothies, or sprinkle them onto my acai bowls, like in my Blueberry Acai Cacao Protein Smoothie Bowl recipe.

My dark chocolate and cacao nibs of choice:

The key to enjoying the benefits of dark chocolate for me, is in moderation.  Generally, I’ll probably only have a square or two of the Ghirardelli bar, per day.  (If I’m trying to get shredded though, I may omit these altogether, but that’s another post entirely.)  And I’ll sprinkle maybe about 2 tsp of cacao nibs into my smoothie.  You gotta practice restraint when it comes to even, dark chocolate.  I’m sure you all know, once you start, it’s very hard to stop!

These are the 8 foods i eat every day, almost without fail.  I need them to feel fulfilled and to function at my absolute best.

What about you guys?  What are the foods you must eat every day in order to stay focused, work hard, and to be your best self?  Sound off in the comments section below!

 

Quick FTC disclaimer:  Although I am a Costco employee, I have purchased all said products with my own money and am not compensated from Costco, or any other company, in any way for my product recommendations.  I genuinely like these products and use them.  As always, any reviews or opinions are strictly my own.