Issue #237: Top 10 Superfoods
Good morning. It’s Saturday, September 9th.
Today’s Quick Win
Inspiration: Superfoods
Moment of Fun: Summer’s Over
Brain Games: Water Levels
“The more colorful the food, the better. I try to add color to my diet, which means vegetables and fruits.”
Percentage of available global fruits that we eat in the Western diet. There are 300,000 edible plant species - how many do you eat? (Source)
This Week
This week we focused on simplifying our nutrition plan.
Issue #235 - there is no perfect diet. That doesn’t mean give up and eat all the garbage stocked on the shelves at your local grocery store. Instead, follow the Thrive25 10-6-1 nutrition plan.
Issue #236 - when we eat fruits and veggies, we just feel better. Why? Fiber and phytonutrients: maintain blood glucose levels, feed natural bacteria, act as an appetite suppressant, improve brain health and strengthen the immune system.
Click HERE to check out previous issues in the Thrive25 archive.
Inspiration
It’s not easy getting 6 servings of fruits and veggies every day. Plus we all fall into our own rut. I certainly fall into the trap of eating the same stuff everyday:
AM Smoothie = Banana, spinach, frozen berries (see Issue #2)
Snack #1 = Organic apple w/ nut butter
Snack #2 = Organic nectarine (when in season)
Dinner = Side of brussels sprouts
But there’s a lot more options out there - when it comes to eating whole foods, the more variety the better.
The magic is in the complexity of these foods to get hundreds of different compounds and micronutrients. Here’s a Top 10 list of “Superfoods” that each have different benefits and can get us out of our same routine.
Blueberries - in addition to all the antioxidants we know about, studies show that blueberries significantly increase our Natural Killer (NK) cells - you know those cells critical to fight off viruses and tumors.
Strawberries - these delicious berries have a ton of fisetin, a senolytic that might be one of the compounds that help with aging. It also kills off senescent cells (zombie cells that age us).
Stone Fruit - these are my favorite in summer, especially white nectarines. Plums have 3x the cancer-fighting polyphenols compared to peaches, and apricots have lutein - which prevents amyloid plaques linked to brain disease.
Kiwi Fruit - more Vitamin C than oranges, plus tons of Vitamin E, but really they support gut health. Kiwis boost the bacteria to improve the gut lining so we don’t get leaky gut.
Mangoes - they have something called mangiferin - which according to William Li has anti-cancer properties and also supports pancreas function (the organ responsible for insulin production and thus our metabolic health).
Carrots - carotenoids (what makes carrots orange) are shown to increase DNA repair. Not much more important than that - so grab the hummus, tzatziki, or peanut butter whatever you need to snack on some carrots.
Eggplant - not my first choice, but when grilled to the point they aren’t so spongy, then I’m all about this veggie with tons of potassium, calcium, and Vitamin K (bone health).
Endive - if you’re tired of spinach and kale salads, this is a great salad alternative that’s got ton of antioxidants.
Broccoli - honestly one of the best foods on the planet - which is why we wrote about it when we way back in Issue #3. It’s full of sulforaphane - which boosts glutathione (the absolute top antioxidant) and helps fights off cancer. In fact, broccoli is associated with reduced risk of prostate cancer (59%) and melanoma (28%).
Watermelon - a secret weapon if you head to the beach. The lycopene in watermelon helps offset the effects of sun exposure (and x-ray radiation if you’re going to the dentist) - basically it prevents DNA damage.
Bonus: Beets - these are such a superfood that Dr. Kara Fitzgerald suggests eating 3 of these a week. They have betaine - making them key to DNA methylation, which Dr. Fitzgerald has found is key to anti-aging.
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Moment of Fun | Summer’s Over
Brain Games | Water Levels
The water level in a reservoir is low, but doubles every day. It takes 60 days to fill the entire reservoir. On what day is the reservoir half full?
Why: Sharpen logic and reasoning skills
Credit: Reader's Digest
**For answer, scroll to the bottom of the post
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Thanks for another great week! Not quite a superfood, but bananas still pack the potassium, help with digestion and give you energy. Now just mix with pancakes…
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** Brain Games Answer **
Day 59. If the water level doubles every day, the reservoir on any given day was half the size the day prior.
Why Thrive25
We’re 40-something dads that felt our bodies and minds start to slow down and we’re not ready for that. We found too much information on every subject. So we started Thrive25 to transform what we’ve learned into something useful for the rest of us to spend just 3-5 min a day to optimize our health & longevity.
This newsletter is for you and we truly value your feedback. Never hesitate to reach out to us at team@thrive25.com.
To health!
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The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25 Labs LLC does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.