The 200 SuperFoods That Will Save Your Life (62 page)

4 ·
Ask yourself, before you eat,
“Am I hungry or stressed?”

You need fuel to burn fuel. Eat a meal no more than three hours before exercising, or have a snack an hour or less before. After exercise, eat within an hour and a half.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has demonstrated that if you wait more than three hours after exercise to eat, you do not get full replenishment of your glycogen stores—you get only 75 percent replenishment—so your muscles do not have what they need for optimal repair.

If you are going to be exercising in the morning—whether a morning run or walk or an exercise session—try to have at least a carbohydrate source prior to moving. If you will be moving for longer than an hour, try to have a carbohydrate and a protein source so that you have more sustained energy. Because liquid foods are easier to digest, which helps prevent cramping during exercise, have something like a single serving of yogurt or a cup of the Livit Energizer Shake (see page 10).

Overall, the main components to focus on for optimal performance and for getting the most benefit from moving are the following.

Choose complex carbohydrates from whole grains, breads, cereals, beans, pasta, and starchy vegetables. They are the most efficient body fuel, the main source of energy for muscle function, and the best way to prevent using protein to maintain your muscle.

Choose lean protein sources (skinless poultry, fish, 1% or nonfat milk, low-fat cheese, egg whites, vegetarian combinations of proteins) so that your protein sources will maintain muscle mass rather than contribute to excess fat. Get your protein from foods. The supplements for proteins or amino acids can cause dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.

Adequate calcium is important for bone density, nerve conduction, and muscle function. Aim for 1,000 to 1,500 milligrams a day. Calcium foods include 1% or nonfat milk, low-fat or nonfat yogurt, low-fat cheese (<5 g fat per ounce), salmon or sardines with bones (water-packed), tofu, broccoli, and kale.

Iron is needed to carry oxygen in the blood to the various tissues, including muscles. Not having enough iron in the body can cause decreased endurance and chronic fatigue. Foods high in iron include lean, fat-trimmed red meat and fortified cereals and grains. Eat a vitamin C source like oranges, grapefruit, or strawberries with your cereals and grains to increase iron absorption. Limit drinking tea with your iron foods, since the tannic acid in tea may interfere with iron absorption.

Support your heart health by including dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which have anti-inflammatory benefits. The American Heart Association has recommended eating fish two to four times a week for protection from heart disease.

Omega-3 dietary sources include wild cold-water fish (salmon, mackerel, herring, and fresh bluefin tuna), fish oil capsules, ground flaxseed, shelled hemp seed, beans (soybeans, navy beans, mung beans, pinto beans, lima beans, peas, split peas, and kidney beans), winter squash, chia (a little-known omega-3–rich super-grain that can be found in tortilla chips and may appear in other products), walnuts, green leafy vegetables (lettuce, broccoli, kale, purslane, and spinach), citrus, melons, cherries, omega-3 rich eggs, extra-virgin olive oil, soybean oil, walnut oil, canola oil, wild venison, and buffalo.

• For individual SuperFoods, see the
Contents
listings on pages
v
–ix.

• For information about nutrients (vitamins [e.g., vitamin A, vitamin B
⁶
, and folate] and minerals [e.g., calcium, iron, and potassium]), see the
Benefits
section and the
Nutritional
Composition paragraph for each SuperFood.

• For information about nutrient sources (carbohydrate, protein, and fat), calories, and dietary fiber, see the
Benefits
section for each SuperFood, as well as the
Nutrition Analysis
section for each recipe.

• For information about the relationship between medical conditions, disorders, and diseases and individual foods, see the
Benefits
section for each SuperFood.

allergic reaction to foods
25
,
33
,
37
,
118
,
207
,
226
,
290

amino acids, essential
165
,
184
,
205
,
233

anti-inflammatory foods
120
–21

antioxidants in foods
14
,
121

bean(s)

flatulence caused by
69
–70

health benefits of
68
–70

berries, health benefits of
9

canola oil
250
–51

carbohydrate(s)
xiv
–xv,
1
–203,
353

dairy and dairy substitutes
192
–203

exchanges
100
–101

fruit(s)
1
–63

fully ripened
18

“S or S”
1

grain(s)
162
–91

vegetable(s)

cruciferous
108
–9

starchy
64
–99

“true”
100
–162

cholesterol

HDL (“good”)
246

LDL (“bad”)
245
–46

coconut oil
250
–51

corn, conversion of, to sugar
75
–76

dairy and dairy substitutes
see under
carbohydrate(s)

dessert(s)
270
–76

diet

compared to a Livit
xiii
–xiv

low-carbohydrate
7
,
162
,
220

low-oxalate
19
;
see also
oxalate(s)

weight-loss
xiv

drug(s)
see
medication(s), interaction of food and

egg whites, health benefits of
218

exercise
204
,
310
,
352
,
353

fat(s)
xiv
,
xv
,
245
–69

monounsaturated
121
,
248

saturated
121
,
245
,
250

trans
121
,
245

fatty acid(s)
121
,
206
,
250
–51

fiber, dietary
1
,
68
–69,
162
–63

fish

adding to diet
229

mercury in
206
,
212
–13

flatulence
69
–70

food(s)

allergic reaction to
25
,
33
,
37
,
118
,
207
,
226
,
290

anti-inflammatory
120
–21

antioxidants in
14
,
121

balance between carbohydrate, protein, and fat, in Livit menus
312
,
317
,
322
,
327

color of
30
,
49
,
114

“free”
277
–308

interaction of medications and
25
,
28
,
284
,
290

mercury poisoning
212
–13

organic
3
,
193

storage of
see the Bringing It Home section for individual SuperFoods

“free” foods
277
–308

fruit(s)
see under
carbohydrate(s)

gluten
163

grain(s)
see under
carbohydrate(s) grocery shopping
334
–47;
see also the Bringing It Home section for individual SuperFoods

at farmer's markets
3

food labels
163
,
334
–36

list
339
–47

recommendations
339

staple Livit foods
337
–38

health-promoting actions/activities
351
–54

herb(s)
277
–308

high fructose corn syrup
75
–76

intestinal gas
69
–70

jalapeños, handling
86

Livit foods, staple
337
–38

Livit menus
311
–33

Livit recipes
3
;
see also names of individual recipes and names of individual ingredients in the Recipe Index

Livit snacks
348
–50

meal plan(s)
311
–33

medication(s), interaction of food and
25
,
28
,
284
,
290

medicinal(s)
277
–308

menu(s)
311
–33

nutrition analysis
see the Nutrition Analysis section for individual recipes

nutritional composition
see the Nutritional Composition paragraph for individual SuperFoods

omega-3 fatty acid(s)
see
fatty acid(s)

omega-6 fatty acid(s)
see
fatty acid(s)

organic food
3
,
193

oxalate(s)
19
,
33
,
266

oxidative stress
1

Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity (ORAC)
14

poultry

safe handling of
211

white vs. dark meat
210

pregnancy, and consumption of certain foods
140
,
240
,
284
,
293
,
304

protein(s)
xiv
,
xv
,
204
–44,
354

shopping
see
grocery shopping

snack(s)
348
–50

steaming food, health benefits of
103

stir-frying food, health benefits of
103

storage of food
see the Bringing It Home section for individual SuperFoods

sugar
75
,
76
,
121
,
270
,
271
,
273
,
274

sweetener(s)
270
–76

thermic effect
201

vegetable(s)
see under
carbohydrate(s)

whole grain
163

zest (citrus fruit peel)
34

Açai Boost
3

Acorn Squash Bisque
66

Acorn Squash with Tempeh Stuffing
65

Agave Teriyaki Sauce
271

Almond Butter Blondies
207

Almond Vegetable Stir-Fry
247

Amaranth Pilaf
164

apples

Apple Quince Pie
56

Apple Raisin Risotto
57

Kim's Autumn Golden Millet Bowl
173

Morning Glory Muffins
186

No-Need-for-Sugar Sweet Lemonade
35

Waldorf Salad Dressed with Kefir
198

Applesauce, Soothing
5

applesauce

Blissful Banana Bread
190

Blueberry Boost Muffins
11

Honey Cake
272

Scrumptious Fudge Brownies
5

Soothing Applesauce
5

Spiced Nonfat Nectarine Muffins
39

Summer Squash Bread
154

Apricot Bock Salad
6

artichokes

Garlichokes
68

Arugula Salad, Dried Blueberry and
12

Arugula Salad, Pomegranate
54

Asparagus, Cheesy
102

asparagus

Cheesy Asparagus
102

Livit Pantry Pasta Primavera
257

Yellow Bean, Asparagus, and Tomato Salad
98

avocado

Cilantro Chicken Wraps
287

Livit Designer Salad
134

Quick Bean and Cheese Burrito
183

Quick Homemade Guacamole
248

Baba Ghanoush
124

Banana Bran Muffin Energy Snack
8

Banana Bread, Blissful
190

bananas

Banana Bran Muffin Energy Snack
8

Blissful Banana Bread
190

Blueberry Boost Muffins
11

Peachy Papaya Smoothie
42

Rhubarb-Banana Crumble
145

White Tea Smoothie
299

Barley Breeze
166

Bean and Cheese Burrito, Quick
183

beans

Balanced Black Beans and Rice
168

Cajun Red Beans and Rice
91

Frijoles Fiesta
80

Greens with Navy Beans
84

Healthy Green Bean Casserole
125

Healthy Refried Bean Quesadilla
94

Homemade Hummus
255

Israeli Cumin Lentil Stew
289

Lean Hummus Spread
77

Quick Bean and Cheese Burrito
183

Quick Black Bean Soup
71

Soothing Lentil Soup
81

Spiced-Up Dhal
295

Sunflower Seed and Kidney Bean Salad
268

Tasty Hemp Seed Butter Spread
254

Vegetarian Chili
85

Beets and Turnips, Caramelized
105

beets

Caramelized Beets and Turnips
105

Dive into Endive Salad
292

Scarlet Quinoa
89