One of the things I’m really trying to do this year is each more varied fruit and veg. I’m such a sucker for routine and the same old same old. I get stuck in food ruts. But I want to eat a bit more varied. Especially as I’ve been feeding Isaac so many different things to get him used to different foods – so why shouldn’t I, eh? Here’s some interesting ideas for foods you could include in your diet.
Most people eat the same foods week after week. The majority of calories come from corn, wheat, rice, meat, and their derivatives (particularly oils).
However, research shows that eating as widely as possible is beneficial. The more variety you can cram into your diet, the better you will feel.
The reason for this is simple: plants contain specific nutrients not found anywhere else. Therefore, you have to eat them to get the benefits. You can’t derive them from another source.
This post takes a look at some of the novel foods you should include in your diet immediately. These are substances that are fairly new to the western diet in the last twenty years and only rarely consumed before then. Check them out below.
Amla
The Amalaki fruit is prized in India and Bangladesh but is barely heard of in the rest of the world. It tastes awful and doesn’t go with any recipes, but it offers some of the most potent health benefits you will see from any ingredient.
For instance, peer-reviewed research shows that amla reduces blood glucose levels significantly in people with diabetes, better than the leading drugs. It also slashes cholesterol and blood pressure, again more than the leading drugs.
And the best bit? It’s dirt cheap. Amla is just pennies per day, meaning you can consume it all day long.
CBD
CBD or cannabidiol is a hemp-derived substance found in many products, including Delta 9 THC Gummies. Again, it’s a novel food in the western diet but may offer significant benefits.
For instance, CBD may reduce stress and chronic pain. It is also a prescription drug for some patients with epilepsy.
CBD works by changing the way the body’s endocannabinoid system works. It is one of the only substances known to do so which is why it is essential to consume it directly.
Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid is usually something you apply topically. However, consuming it orally offers substantial, additional benefits.
Regular hyaluronic acid cannot penetrate the skin barrier. But taking it orally can get it into your body. That’s because hyaluronic acid of a certain molecular weight is able to penetrate into the bloodstream.
Hyaluronic acid has all sorts of wonderful effects on the body. Everyone knows about the cosmetic benefits, but it may help to reduce cancer risk, too.
Researchers believe this because of investigations done on the naked mole rat, a species that lives many times longer than similar rodents. It has high levels of hyaluronic acid in its body which appears to make the formation of cancer nearly impossible. You can gamma-irradiate these creatures, expose them to heavy metals and even change their DNA to make them more prone to cancer and they won’t develop tumors.
Take between 200mg and 400mg of high molecular weight hyaluronic acid daily.
Rapalogs
Never heard of rapalogs? Don’t worry, neither has anyone else.
Rapalogs are substances that are similar to rapamycin, a medicinal product originally found on the island of Rapa Nui, also called Easter Island. Doctors originally used this substance to suppress the immune system in surgery patients. However, researchers later found it extended life in model organisms.
Taking rapamycin in high doses is unsafe because it makes you more susceptible to infectious diseases. However, consuming compounds with a similar action in the body is generally regarded as safe.
But which novel food substances look like rapamycin?
Perhaps the number one is ashwagandha. This substance appears to act in the body virtually the same way while offering some of the benefits of metformin. It lowers blood sugar and changes the way cells operate to make them healthier and last longer.
Seaweed
Blue Zones are parts of the world where the local population appears to live longer, on average, than everywhere else. In the 1950s, the tiny Japanese island of Okinawa had a life expectancy of 85 and more centenarians per head of the population than anywhere else on Earth. Remember, at this time, global life expectancy was only a little over 30.
One theory locals lived so long is their consumption of seaweed. These individuals appear to have thrived on the stuff.
Seaweed was a part of the human diet for centuries. However, it slowly fell out of favor in the west until people hardly consumed it at all.
In the east, though, consumption continued. And because of this, local people thrived. Certain substances in seaweed activated their body’s defenses and made them less prone to chronic diseases. Therefore, they lived longer and healthier lives.
Do you eat a varied diet?
Do you take any supplements?
