Nutritional Over-Achievers and How to Harness Them

Previous Lesson Review:
Last lesson you learned the role a healthy digestive system plays in your overall well-being and how you can proactively support it by eating fiber-rich, enzymatically active foods that feed your friendly bacteria.

Your commitment to growing a younger body, reducing stress and staying healthy for life is inspiring! Thank yourself for continuing the Thrive in 30 journey—you’re half-way there!

Over the last several lessons, you’ve learned plenty about how proper nutrition supports your body and helps you thrive. This lesson, I’ll help you put more of that information together so you can choose the best foods for your optimal health and nutrition with confidence.

If You Are What You Eat, Why Not Eat Super?

I’ve introduced you to multiple concepts about the nutritional value of food—you now know the best foods are the ones that are alkaline-forming, rich in fiber, high in antioxidants and full of the healthy fats, carbohydrates and protein that are essential for optimum health and performance.

In this lesson, I’ll identify the best-of-the-best foods—the quality superfoods that deliver nutritional value far above what you’d get from average foods to keep you healthy and strong. You’ve learned that fiber-rich carbohydrates (vegetables!) are the true staples of the Thrive in 30 plan. Among (and in addition to) this foundation are the nutritional over-achievers I make a point to include wherever possible—these superfoods are the dietary equivalents of the world’s top high-performance athletes. If your objective is optimum health, you’ll want to make these foods a regular part of your diet, too—their super-powers might just rub off!

Thrive in 30’s Plant-based Superfood Hall of Fame:

Maca

I include maca as a regular part of my routine for a host of reasons and rely on it to help me thrive whether I’m actively training or in the off-season—read on and I’ll explain why you’ll want to include it, too.

Maca is a turnip-like root vegetable native to the Andean mountains in Peru. Grown at altitudes of 14,000 feet where no other crops can survive, maca is a hardy, resilient plant that’s incredibly rich in amino acids, phytonutrients, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. Maca earns its superfood status not merely on the grounds of this nutritional density, but from maca’s true super-power: its renowned—clinically proven—ability to regulate, support and balance hormonal systems in both men and women.

How can a lowly (albeit nutritious!) root vegetable balance your hormones? Maca (like ginseng) is classed as an adaptogen—an adaptogen is a substance that produces a response in your body which increases your power of resistance against multiple stressors and has a normalizing influence on your body’s multiple systems.

Maca has an uncanny ability to regulate and rejuvenate your adrenal glands—an especially important action in a modern life full of uncomplementary stresses that tire and overwhelm the adrenal system, sapping you of energy and making stress even more challenging. Properly supported, your adrenal gland will restore your stamina, improve mental clarity and your ability to handle stress.

If adrenal support isn’t enough to convince you of maca’s superfood status, consider this: maca’s adaptogenic properties restore hormonal balance in both genders (as proven by scientific studies and human clinical trials).

If you’re a man, maca’s reputation as “the Viagra of the Herbal Kingdom” may be of interest: used traditionally in Peru, maca as a fertility and libido enhancer, recent human clinical trials published in a peer-reviewed medical journal showed a 180% increase in libido and a 200% increase in sperm count. If you’re a woman, you’ll want to remember maca as you approach menopause—it’s a non-estrogen alternative to hormone replacement therapy known to relieve the hot flashes, depression and other symptoms of menopause.

Supporting the adrenal gland and balancing hormones with maca has another key benefit: it slows down the aging process and can reverse some of the physical signs of aging.

The impressive resume of the superfood maca can be capped off with one more thing: maca possesses the amino acid building blocks of serotonin, helping your body curtail stress, support mental health and reduce cravings for artificial stimulants, like refined sugar and caffeine. (I use MacaSure maca—it’s gelatinized to maximize digestibility.)

Chlorella

I could write a book on chlorella! Like maca, it’s easily one of the finest superfoods nature created. Containing more chlorophyll—the alkaline-promoting powerhouse—than any other known plant, chlorella is a freshwater green algae with an amazing growth rate that makes it the fastest growing plant on earth.

Not to be underestimated because of its microscopic size, chlorella packs an impressive punch on many fronts. Chlorella is a strongly alkalizing, complete food that shines as a vitamin and mineral supplement. One of the few plant-based sources of B-12, chlorella is a welcome addition to any vegetarian or vegan diet based on this fact alone.

At whopping 65% protein, chlorella is an incredibly efficient source of protein, possessing 19 amino acids—including all ten essential amino acids—as well as essential fatty acids and a host of vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Clean and green, chlorella is being researched as a future alternative to protein farming.

Renowned for its cleansing and detoxifying abilities, chlorella enhances your immune system at a cellular level. I use it as a daily preventative measure to building better health by building a stronger body.

Able to quadruple in a single day, chlorella’s impressive growth rate stems from a compound called chlorella growth factor (CGF)—combined with nucleic acids (RNA and DNA), the superfood chlorella is a supplement built for healing. Consuming chlorella regularly speeds cell regeneration, enhancing healing, expediting muscle recovery and slowing the signs of aging. The CGF in chlorella stimulates tissue repair, supporting your immune system in times of stress and helping you avoid getting sick. If you choose to take a chlorella supplement, look for one that’s had the cell-walls cracked so your body can digest its goodness. (I use ChlorEssence because it has no additives and has the highest CGF content I’ve found in a chlorella supplement.)

Hemp

Hemp may have been new to you when I introduced it in Lesson 3, but now you know it’s a high-protein powerhouse that delivers the most balanced amino acid profile of any plant-based protein. Hemp has more value to offer than simply being packed with over 20 amino acids, including the ten essential amino acids your body must acquire through diet—it has plenty of other super-powers, too.

Hemp is easily classified as a nutritional over-achiever, in part because it’s also high in chlorophyll—which helps alkalize your body’s pH—as well as being rich in Omega-3 and -6 essential fatty acids, hemp is chock-full of fiber, vitamins and minerals. Easily digestible and nutrient-rich in its natural state, hemp doesn’t require any processing to deliver its benefits, leaving its enzymes intact so they can contribute to your body’s digestive abilities. Another key benefit? Hemp has anti-inflammatory properties that will help your body recover faster from the rigors of training.

On top of all these fabulous features, hemp is a highly sustainable crop that hasn’t seen the genetic modifications of other plant-protein crops like soy. Fast growing, oxygen producing and requiring minimal to no chemical intervention in farming, hemp is an eco-friendly wonder-crop with incredible potential for good.

Flax

Celebrated for its high Omega-3 content, flax is a vital addition to a plant-based diet—especially if you’re active! In Lesson 3’s section on good fats, you learned about the multiple health benefits of Omega-3 and the other essential fatty acids—in addition to these benefits (like fighting LDL cholesterol and assisting with nervous system function), flax has anti-inflammatory effects, too.

If you’re an athlete, the Omega-3 in flax helps your body burn fat as fuel. A bonus for anyone trying to lose body fat—fat-to-fuel conversion is particularly helpful in building your endurance, since fat provides longer, sustained energy that comes into play after carbohydrate energy has been exhausted. Also an excellent source of potassium—a key electrolyte that supports smooth muscle contractions when you’re active—flax plays a role in regulating fluid balance and keeping you hydrated.

Flax is high in both soluble and insoluble fiber—as little as one ounce provides 32% of the USDA’s recommended daily fiber requirements. To get the most out of flax—in terms of its bounty of Omega-3s, fiber and other nutrients—you need to grind the seeds before you eat them to break through their tough outer shell (otherwise the only benefit you’ll enjoy is their crunch!).

White Chia

Packed with trace minerals, vitamins and essential fats, white chia is an ancient South American plant belonging to the mint family. Its seeds are small and round (similar to poppy seeds) and are a sound addition to any diet.

Because of its EFA profile, white chia seeds are most often compared with flaxseed. Both are rich in Omega-3—but white chia can be eaten whole and doesn’t need to be ground like flax does to make it digestible. White Chia tops the charts when it comes to fiber—it boasts more beneficial soluble and insoluble fiber than any other natural source. In fact, for every 12g (2 flat tablespoons) serving, top brands of white chia provide more than 5,000mg of fiber.

What gives white chia its superfood status? Its 20 percent high-quality protein and antioxidant content are a good place to start, but its real value is the specific combination of minerals it contains. White chia is high in magnesium, potassium, calcium and iron—nutrients particularly well-suited to supporting post-training recovery because of their use in muscle contractions and the rate they’re lost through sweat.

Dark Leafy Greens

Really, dark leafy greens count among the true staple foods when eating to thrive—they’re stellar examples of the fiber-rich carbohydrates I’ve stressed in nearly every lesson I’ve shared so far. So why include them in this section on superfoods, too? The nutritional value of dark leafy greens warrants special mention in the superfood pantheon, not only because dark leafy greens are an excellent source of calcium and are vitamin and mineral rich, but also because they’re alkaline-forming and full of active enzymes.

Want an even more compelling reason to count dark leafy greens as a superfood? Variety! With so many readily available sources to be had, you’re bound to discover a few favorites—and their ubiquitous nature means you’ll be able to include them on your menu wherever you go.

Pseudograins

These earned a whole column in our lesson on alkaline forming foods, though I didn’t cover them in much detail. What exactly are pseudograins? They’re actually seeds—and not grains in the classic sense. Pseudograins are often referred to as grains, in part because of their talent for graceful substitution in place of common grains.

Unlike the common grains in the standard North American diet (wheat, rye and oats) pseudograins don’t contain gluten. This lack of gluten makes them easily digestible and suitable for celiacs, who are gluten-intolerant, or those just sensitive to gluten.

I count pseudograins as a superfood group—while many pseudograins can stand on their own as superfoods in their own right, as a group the nutritional value of pseudograins stands head and shoulders above most other foods.

All alkaline-forming, here are the best examples—along with some of their individual superfood qualities:

• Buckwheat: rich in essential amino acid tryptophan—the critical component in serotonin production—buckwheat is a good choice for enhancing mood and mental clarity. High in protein, buckwheat’s particular protein structure is being studied for its unusually strong ability to bind to cholesterol. Also a good source of manganese and vitamins B and E, buckwheat contains compounds that are being studied for the treatment of type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol.
• Amaranth: with two times the calcium of milk, three times the fiber and five times the iron of wheat flour, amaranth is also quite high in potassium, phosphorous and vitamins A, E and C. Particularly rich in lysine—an essential amino acid very difficult to find in plant-based sources—amaranth is a calcium-delivery powerhouse (lysine helps your body absorb calcium in the digestive tract, so in addition to being calcium-rich as a food, amaranth’s super-power is making sure its calcium is highly bio-available). It’s also 90% digestible, giving amaranth star-status as a high net-gain food.
• Quinoa: packed with B-vitamins and 20 percent protein—the highest of any pseudograin—quinoa is another good source of iron and potassium. Nutritionally similar to amaranth, quinoa is also quite high in lysine.
• Wild rice: another source of lysine and high in B-vitamins, this original North American aquatic grass thrives in the wild (native to the northern regions of Canadian Prairie provinces), so it’s seldom treated with pesticides.

Sprouts

You learned all about sprouts in your last lesson, so you already know that enzymatically alive and nutrient packed sprouts are one of the most complete and nutritional foods available. Sprouts deliver high net-gain nutrition with minimal energy cost through their pre-digested proteins and bio-available amino acids.

Coconut

Not just for macaroons, coconut is like getting two distinct superfoods in one: coconut oil and coconut water.

Coconut oil is rich in medium-chain triglycerides, or MCTs. Medium-chain triglycerides are unique—they’re a form of saturated fat—yet have several health benefits. Your body utilizes MCTs differently from other fats: digesting medium-chain triglycerides is nearly effortless and unlike saturated fats that do not contain MCTs (which become stored in your cells), MCTs are utilized in your liver. Within moments of being consumed, medium-chain triglycerides are converted by your liver to providing immediate energy.

Solid at room temperature, coconut oil is the only fat you’ll want to use for frying—that’s because it’s one of the only oils that can be heated to high temperatures without being converted into trans fats.

Coconut water is packed with electrolytes, making it ideal for keeping your body naturally hydrated. Where many athletes turn to sport drinks that are full of processed sugars, artificial flavors and additives, I choose coconut water to keep me hydrated.

Take Action:

• Make meals using some of the superfoods listed in this lesson and find creative ways to incorporate them into your routine. By now you’re probably already including dark leafy greens, sprouts and possibly pseudograins-continue to do so! If you’re not, start!

• Of the less-common superfoods you learned about today, the two with the biggest potential to make an impact on your health and wellness are maca and chlorella. If you’re open to taking whole food supplements, MacaSure, an organic maca supplement and Chloressence, a chlorella supplement would be strong additions to your regime.

I’ve realized great results from making both maca and chlorella regularly—I even included them in my formula for Vega One All-In-One Nutritional Shake (if you’re already using it, you’re getting your daily dose of maca and chlorella, too)

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How to avoid common, silent allergens that can rob you of vitality and challenge your body unnecessarily.

To whole food, whole body wellness!

Brendan