Top 10 Healthy Foods You Must Eat

Summary

Dr. Ekberg discusses the top 10 healthiest foods, emphasizing the importance of variety and natural sources. He covers non-starchy vegetables, berries, animal proteins, eggs, fats and oils, nuts, seeds, avocado, tubers, and herbs and spices. He also provides a bonus on dark chocolate, explaining its benefits and how to choose the right type.

Takeaways

• 🌱 **Variety is Key**: Dr. Ekberg emphasizes that a variety of foods is essential for health, rather than focusing on a single 'superfood'.
• 🥦 **Non-Starchy Vegetables**: Leafy greens and low-starch vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower are highly nutritious and should be consumed in abundance.
• 🍓 **Berries Over Fruits**: Berries are recommended over other fruits due to their lower sugar content and higher fiber and nutrient levels.
• 🥩 **Animal Proteins**: Meat, including beef, pork, chicken, lamb, and fish, provides essential amino acids and can be a sustainable food source if the animals are fed naturally.
• 🥚 **Eggs**: High-quality eggs from pasture-raised hens are preferred due to their richer nutrient content, indicated by a deeper orange yolk.
• 🥑 **Fats and Oils**: Natural fats are beneficial and should be consumed in their minimally processed forms, such as grass-fed butter and organic extra virgin olive oil.
• 🥜 **Nuts**: Nuts like macadamia, pecan, walnut, and almonds are healthy when consumed in moderation, providing a good balance of fats, fiber, and protein.
• 🌾 **Seeds**: Chia, flax, hemp, and pumpkin seeds are nutrient-dense and can be used in low-heat cooking or as toppings for added fiber and healthy fats.
• 🍠 **Tubers**: Starchy root vegetables like sweet potatoes and yams can be part of a balanced diet, especially for those not on a low-carb diet.
• 🌿 **Herbs and Spices**: These add flavor and numerous health benefits to meals, with properties like anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects.
• 🍫 **Dark Chocolate**: Enjoying dark chocolate (78-85% cocoa content) in moderation can be a part of a healthy diet, offering nutrients without excessive sugar.

Q & A

What is the main focus of Dr. Ekberg's discussion in the video?

Dr. Ekberg focuses on discussing the top 10 healthiest foods to eat, explaining why these foods are beneficial and emphasizing the importance of variety in one's diet rather than focusing on 'superfoods'.

Why does Dr. Ekberg caution against the idea of superfoods?

Dr. Ekberg cautions against the idea of superfoods because it can lead to a misconception that one food can treat or alter body functions, whereas a balanced diet with a variety of foods is essential for providing all the necessary nutrients.

What is the first category of healthy food Dr. Ekberg mentions and why are they beneficial?

The first category Dr. Ekberg mentions is non-starchy vegetables. They are beneficial because they are high in nutrients, minerals, vitamins, and fiber, and low in carbohydrates, starch, and sugar.

What is Dr. Ekberg's stance on the consumption of fruit and berries?

Dr. Ekberg suggests that while berries and some fruits can be part of a healthy diet, they should be consumed sparingly due to their sugar content. Berries are recommended over other fruits because they are lower in sugar and higher in fiber and nutrients.

Why are animal proteins, particularly those from fatty animals, considered a healthy food category?

Animal proteins are considered healthy because they provide a full spectrum of essential amino acids and can sustain human health for a long time. Fatty animal proteins, in particular, offer enough nutrients that humans could theoretically live on them exclusively.

What is the importance of the diet of the animals from which we consume meat?

The diet of the animals is crucial because the health and nutritional value of the meat are directly related to what the animals ate. For example, cows should eat grass, and if they do, the meat has a better omega-3 to omega-6 ratio, making it healthier.

Why are eggs, particularly those from pasture-raised hens, considered a healthy food?

Eggs from pasture-raised hens are considered healthy because the hens live a natural, healthy life, leading to eggs that are rich in nutrients. The yolks of these eggs are deep orange, indicating higher quality compared to pale yellow yolks from mass-produced eggs.

What is the key consideration when choosing fats and oils for a healthy diet?

The key consideration is that fats and oils should be in a natural state and minimally processed. They should not be heated excessively, as this can alter their nutritional value. Grass-fed butter, organic extra virgin olive oil, and coconut oil are examples of healthy fats.

Why are nuts considered a healthy food, and what criteria should be met for them to be beneficial?

Nuts are considered healthy because they are high in fiber, protein, and healthy fats. However, they should be consumed in moderation due to their Omega-6 content. The best nuts are those that taste good raw, are low in carbohydrates, and high in fat, such as macadamia nuts, pecans, and walnuts.

What are the benefits of seeds like chia, flax, hemp, and pumpkin, and how should they be consumed?

Seeds are highly nutritious, rich in healthy fats, fiber, and protein, and low in net carbohydrates. They are beneficial for low-heat cooking, smoothies, and can be used as a topping for yogurt instead of cereal. They also provide a good foundation of plant-based Omega-3 fatty acids.

Why are avocados considered a great food, and how do they fit into different dietary needs?

Avocados are considered great because they are high in natural fats, creamy, and versatile in cooking. They are low in carbohydrates and protein, making them a perfect food for fasting mimicking diets or as a satisfying staple in a healthy diet.

What is the significance of tubers or root vegetables in a diet, and how should they be consumed?

Tubers or root vegetables are starchy and serve as an energy reserve. They can be consumed by those who are insulin-sensitive or following a carb-cycling diet, but should be limited by those on a low-carb or ketogenic diet due to their high starch content.

How do herbs and spices contribute to a healthy diet, and what are some examples of their benefits?

Herbs and spices are highly nutritious, providing micronutrients, minerals, vitamins, and some medicinal properties. They enhance the flavor of food and have benefits such as antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral properties, and anti-inflammatory effects.

What is the difference between milk chocolate and dark chocolate, and why are the benefits often attributed to dark chocolate?

The benefits are often attributed to dark chocolate because it contains a higher percentage of cocoa, which is rich in nutrients. Milk chocolate has more sugar, which negates many of the benefits. The darker the chocolate, the less sugar it contains, making it healthier.

How can one gradually adapt to enjoying dark chocolate with a higher cocoa content?

By reducing the intake of sugary foods and sweets, one's taste buds can change, making it easier to appreciate the flavor of dark chocolate. As you get accustomed to real food and cut out sugar, you will find that dark chocolate becomes more satisfying and less bitter.

Outlines

00:00

🥗 Introduction to Healthy Eating

Dr. Ekberg, a holistic doctor and former Olympic decathlete, introduces the topic of the top 10 healthiest foods. He emphasizes the importance of understanding how the body works to master health and encourages viewers to subscribe for more content. He also clarifies that the concept of 'superfoods' is misleading and that a variety of foods is essential for providing all the necessary nutrients. He warns against the misconception that foods can treat or alter body functions, and instead promotes a balanced diet.

05:02

🌱 Non-Starchy Vegetables: A Nutrient-Rich Choice

Dr. Ekberg discusses non-starchy vegetables as the first category of healthy foods. He highlights leafy greens like lettuce, spinach, and kale, which are high in nutrients, minerals, vitamins, and fiber, but low in carbohydrates, starch, and sugar. He also mentions broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts as examples of low-starch vegetables. The focus is on consuming vegetables with less than 5% net carbs, which are beneficial for overall health.

10:07

🍓 Berries: The Best Fruit Option

The third category focuses on berries, which Dr. Ekberg considers the best type of fruit due to their low sugar and high fiber content. He advises consuming berries in moderation, as modern fruits are often sweeter and larger than those available to our ancestors, potentially leading to excessive sugar intake. Berries like strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries are recommended for their nutrient density.

15:11

🥩 Meat and Animal Proteins: Essential Amino Acids

Dr. Ekberg explains that meat and other animal proteins are crucial for providing a full spectrum of essential amino acids. He notes that these foods can sustain human life for extended periods, unlike many other food groups. He recommends choosing grass-fed beef, wild animals like rabbit and venison, and wild-caught fish for their healthier omega-3 to omega-6 ratios, advising against grain-fed beef and farm-raised fish.

20:13

🥚 Eggs: Nutrient-Rich from Healthy Hens

Eggs are highlighted as a healthy food source, with a focus on those from pasture-raised hens. Dr. Ekberg describes the benefits of eggs from hens that live a natural, healthy life, producing eggs with deep orange yolks and high nutrient content. He distinguishes between pasture-raised and mass-produced eggs, emphasizing the importance of the hens' diet and living conditions.

25:13

🥑 Fats and Oils: Misunderstood but Necessary

Fats and oils are discussed as essential components of a healthy diet, contrary to common misconceptions. Dr. Ekberg clarifies that body fat is not directly related to dietary fat intake but is more linked to insulin production from fructose, sucrose, and starches. He recommends consuming fats in their natural state, such as grass-fed butter, organic extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, and MCT oil, while avoiding processed and heated fats.

🥜 Nuts: Nutrient-Dense but Moderation is Key

Nuts are categorized as a healthy food option, provided they are consumed in moderation due to their Omega-6 content. Dr. Ekberg recommends nuts that taste good raw, are low in carbohydrates, and high in fat, such as macadamia nuts, pecans, walnuts, and almonds. He also notes that nuts are high in fiber and protein, making them a nutrient-dense food choice.

🌾 Seeds: Versatile and Nutrient-Rich

Dr. Ekberg differentiates seeds from nuts and highlights chia, flax, hemp, and pumpkin seeds as favorites. These seeds are praised for their low cost, high healthy fat content, fiber, and protein. He suggests using them in low-heat cooking, smoothies, and as a topping for yogurt, noting their low net carb content and potential as a foundation for Omega-3 fatty acids, though not a sole source.

🥔 Tubers and Root Vegetables: Starchy but Valuable

Tubers and root vegetables like yams, sweet potatoes, potatoes, rutabagas, turnips, and carrots are recognized for their starchy content. Dr. Ekberg advises that these foods can be part of a diet, especially for those who are insulin-sensitive or engaging in carb cycling. He suggests using them as a carb source in dishes like mashed potatoes or in soups.

🌿 Herbs and Spices: Flavorful and Nutritious

Herbs and spices are celebrated for their nutritional and medicinal properties. Dr. Ekberg mentions garlic, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, cilantro, parsley, dill, and rosemary as examples. He emphasizes their role in enhancing the taste of food and providing micronutrients, vitamins, and minerals, while also noting their natural antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties.

🍫 Chocolate: A Treat with Benefits

Dr. Ekberg concludes with a bonus category: chocolate. He differentiates between milk chocolate and dark chocolate, highlighting the nutritional benefits of cocoa in dark chocolate. He advises choosing chocolate with a high cocoa content (78-85%) to minimize sugar intake and suggests that dark chocolate can be a satisfying treat in moderation. He also encourages viewers to adjust their taste buds to appreciate the less sweet, more natural flavors of dark chocolate.

Keywords

💡Holistic Doctor

A holistic doctor is a healthcare practitioner who considers the whole person, including physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social aspects, when treating a patient. In the video, Dr. Ekberg introduces himself as a holistic doctor, emphasizing his approach to health that goes beyond just treating symptoms and focuses on understanding how the body works as a whole.

💡Superfoods

Superfoods are foods that are considered to be nutrient-rich and beneficial for health, often believed to have the ability to prevent or cure diseases. The video challenges the concept of superfoods, suggesting that it is misleading and that a variety of foods, rather than a single 'super' food, is essential for health. Dr. Ekberg emphasizes that no single food should be considered the ultimate solution to health issues.

💡Non-Starchy Vegetables

Non-starchy vegetables are vegetables that are low in starch and carbohydrates, typically high in nutrients, vitamins, and fiber. In the video, Dr. Ekberg highlights non-starchy vegetables like leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts as a key category of healthy foods. These vegetables are praised for their low carbohydrate content and high nutrient density.

💡Berries

Berries are a type of fruit that are generally lower in sugar and higher in fiber compared to other fruits. The video discusses berries as a healthier fruit option, suggesting that they can be included in a diet but should be consumed in moderation. Dr. Ekberg mentions strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries as examples of berries that are nutrient-rich and lower in sugar.

💡Animal Proteins

Animal proteins refer to proteins derived from animal sources, such as meat, poultry, and fish. In the video, Dr. Ekberg discusses the importance of animal proteins, noting that they provide a full spectrum of essential amino acids. He also emphasizes the importance of the source of these proteins, advocating for grass-fed beef and wild-caught fish as healthier options.

💡Eggs

Eggs are a common source of protein and nutrients, and the video discusses the quality of eggs based on the diet and living conditions of the hens. Dr. Ekberg mentions pasture-raised eggs as a healthier choice, as these come from hens that live a more natural life, resulting in eggs that are richer in nutrients and have a deeper orange yolk color.

💡Fats and Oils

Fats and oils are essential sources of dietary fat, which is necessary for various bodily functions. The video clarifies misconceptions about fats, stating that they are not the primary cause of body fat accumulation. Dr. Ekberg recommends natural, minimally processed fats and oils, such as grass-fed butter, extra virgin olive oil, and coconut oil, highlighting their health benefits.

💡Nuts

Nuts are a category of foods that are high in healthy fats, protein, and fiber. The video discusses nuts like macadamia nuts, pecans, walnuts, and almonds as healthy additions to a diet, provided they are consumed in moderation. Dr. Ekberg emphasizes the importance of choosing nuts that taste good raw, are low in carbohydrates, and high in fat.

💡Seeds

Seeds, such as chia, flax, hemp, and pumpkin seeds, are highlighted in the video as nutritious and versatile additions to a diet. Dr. Ekberg notes that these seeds are high in healthy fats, fiber, and protein, and can be used in various ways, such as in smoothies or baked goods. He also mentions their low net carbohydrate content, making them suitable for low-carb diets.

💡Avocado

Avocado is a fruit that is high in healthy fats and low in carbohydrates, making it a popular choice for those on a ketogenic or low-carb diet. In the video, Dr. Ekberg discusses avocado as a great-tasting and satisfying food that can be used in various dishes or eaten on its own. He also mentions its suitability for a fasting mimicking diet due to its low carbohydrate and protein content.

💡Herbs and Spices

Herbs and spices are used in cooking for their flavor and potential health benefits. The video mentions herbs like garlic, ginger, and turmeric, and spices like cinnamon and cardamom, as highly nutritious additions to meals. Dr. Ekberg notes that while they provide micronutrients and have medicinal properties, they should be used as part of a balanced diet rather than as a cure for specific health issues.

💡Chocolate

Chocolate is a treat that many people enjoy, and the video discusses the differences between milk chocolate and dark chocolate. Dr. Ekberg explains that the benefits of chocolate come from the cocoa content, which is rich in nutrients. He advises choosing dark chocolate with a high cocoa content (78% or more) to minimize sugar intake and maximize health benefits, while also discussing how taste preferences can change as one reduces sugar consumption.

Highlights

Introduction to the topic of the top 10 healthiest foods by Dr. Ekberg.

Emphasis on understanding the body's needs rather than focusing on 'superfoods'.

The importance of a varied diet to provide all necessary nutrients.

Misleading nature of labeling foods as 'superfoods' and the need for a balanced approach.

Discussion on the misconception that foods can treat or alter body functions.

Introduction of non-starchy vegetables as a healthy food category.

Benefits of leafy greens like lettuce, spinach, and kale.

Inclusion of broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts as low-starch vegetables.

Advice on identifying vegetables with less than 5% net carbs.

Berries as the best type of fruit due to their low sugar and high fiber content.

Recommendation to consume berries and other fruits in moderation.

Animal proteins as a complete source of essential amino acids.

Importance of choosing grass-fed beef and wild-caught fish for better health benefits.

Eggs as a healthy food source, with a focus on pasture-raised eggs.

Fats and oils as essential components of a healthy diet, with a preference for natural and minimally processed options.

Nuts as a healthy food option, with a focus on those that are raw, low in carbs, and high in fat.

Seeds as a nutritious addition to the diet, particularly chia, flax, hemp, and pumpkin seeds.

Avocado as a versatile and satisfying food, high in natural fats.

Tubers and root vegetables as energy-dense foods suitable for certain dietary needs.

Herbs and spices for their medicinal properties and flavor enhancement.

Chocolate as a treat, with a focus on the benefits of dark chocolate with high cocoa content.

The adaptability of taste buds to less sugar and the appreciation of dark chocolate.

Transcripts

hello health champions today we're going to talk about the top 10 healthiest

foods to eat coming right up hey I'm dr. Ekberg I'm a holistic doctor and a

former Olympic decathlete and if you want to truly master health by

understanding how the body really works make sure you subscribe and hit that

notification bell so you don't miss anything and make sure that you watch

all the way through the video because I'm not just gonna list various

different foods I'm gonna talk about why these foods are good for you and then at

the end we're gonna have a little bonus for you because we all need a little

treat in life at first I was gonna try to list the top ten healthiest foods but

then I thought that's kind of misleading because it leaves out so many other

foods and it also tends to give us the wrong idea about what a food is supposed

to do so often I see examples of superfoods people say this is the food

that you should eat or they'll say something like what's the number-one

healthiest food for us to eat and then people want to find out what that is and

they want to eat nothing but that and that gives us the wrong idea of food it

gives us the idea that the food is supposed to do something I often get the

question so I have a headache what food am I supposed to eat I have high blood

pressure what food am I supposed to eat you're supposed to eat a variety of food

the foods aren't supposed to do anything in terms of treating or changing or

altering body function they're just supposed to provide the stuff that your

body needs all right so we want to get away from the idea of superfoods okay I

think there's some foods that get pretty close like there's just so jam-packed of

good stuff there's just nothing bad to say about them but we don't want to

think about them as treating anything we want to get away from the number one

healthiest food we want to understand that it's the variety that complements

each other and gives the body all the different building blocks and

all the different catalysts and vitamins and minerals that it's gonna need

another thing I want to caution on is natural foods just because something is

in the section called natural food doesn't mean it's necessarily a health

food they're often made with better ingredients they don't use as many

chemicals but very often there's still highly processed so just be aware of

that and every time I see that section in a grocery store that's called natural

food I can't help but laugh because I ask myself if there is a section called

natural foods why don't they label the rest of the

store unnatural foods just a thought so because there's so many healthy foods I

didn't want to just talk about single items I'm going to talk about categories

and the first category of healthy food I believe are non starchy vegetables all

right so again I'm not listing these in any particular order because it's the

variety that provides the nutrition so non starchy vegetables include leafy

greens so lettuce and spinach and kale and any sort of leaf is going to be very

very high in nutrients in minerals and vitamins in fiber and it's going to be

very low in carbohydrates and starch and sugar so pretty much any leafy green

just eat as much as you can then there are things like broccoli and cauliflower

and Brussels sprouts and these aren't leafy but there's still low starch so

those are also things that you can eat so learn as you go which vegetables have

less than 5% carbs 5% net carbs so you take the total carbs you subtract the

fiber because some things have like 15 grams of carbs but it's almost all fiber

then those are still perfectly fine alright so learn which ones have less

than 5% net ARBs and those you can eat plenty of and

these vegetables provide enormous amounts of nutrients such as vitamins

and minerals primarily number two berries alright there is a lot of talk

about fruits and berries and vegetables so here's my little caveat here I think

that you can eat some berries but I don't think that more is better and I

think that berries are the best type of fruit to eat because most fruit has been

altered our ancestors might have had some access to fruit but their fruit was

small and tart and it was seasonal alright so humans have never had access

to sweet juicy fruit large fruit 365 days a year that we do now and therefore

that provides a lot of sugar even though it does have a lot of nutrients it does

provide more sugar than humans should probably have in the long run so eat

some berries eat a little bit of fruit but eat it sparingly and don't think

that you have to have it all the time now berries are the best

because they are the lowest in sugar they are the highest in fiber and their

jam-packed with vitamins the best berries are strawberries raspberries

blackberries and blueberries right they're the lowest in sugar and the

highest in nutrients category number three are meat animal proteins all right

they provide a full spectrum of essential amino acids they are one of

the few food groups that humans could live on for a very long time and survive

alright most other things that we would eat exclusively for a short time we

would perish we would get some sort of deficiency or we just wouldn't get

enough fuel or nutrients to survive but animal proteins especially the fat kinds

provide enough nutrients that we could live

for years I'm not saying that's optimal even though some carnivores are doing

really well on that so that would include beef pork chicken lamb and any

form of wild animals so rabbit and venison and Buffalo etc and then of

course fish so salmon sardines mackerel the clean fatty fish that provide tons

and tons of the good omega-3s are the best ones to choose now the thing to

remember here is that when you eat an animal then you're only getting food

that is as healthy as what that animal ate and if that animal ate a diet that

was innate for that species all right so I would do my very best to avoid beef

that has been fed to grain because that's very unnatural for a cow to eat

grain they do that because it makes the meat more tender it makes the meat fatty

and it makes the cow grow it's getting getting a growth spurt they're getting

like double the meat out of the cow is to feed it grain for a few months right

so they do that for money and for tenderness and for all the wrong reasons

but a cow is supposed to eat grass and only grass and if it does it's a healthy

cow the omega-3 to omega-6 ratio is going to be in a good balance if you

feed it grain now you're messing with nature and you throw that off so if you

think that grass-fed is too expensive then do the best you can so you start

with one thing and then as you learn and maybe as you develop some habits that

will save you money then you can work your way up all right but do the best

you can and eat food that has been raised in a natural way so for fish you

want to absolutely do wild-caught only because the farm-raised it's just like

the cows they feed them things they're not supposed to eat and then

they're not very healthy when we mess with nature when we try to change the

rules it never ends up in a good way number 4 eggs so there's all sorts of

healthy eggs if they come from healthy animals there's duck eggs and ostrich

eggs and so forth but for practical purposes most people are going to talk

about eggs from hens or chickens and now what you're looking for again is the

higher quality the if the animal if the hen lived a natural healthy life then

it's gonna make natural healthy eggs if we feed the hen garbage and hormones and

food pellets and we keep it inside and we crowd them and we stress them then

the eggs are going to be pale and devoid of nutrients if not toxic so what we're

looking for is a standard called pasture raised in the United States that's a new

standard and it means that even in in commercial production there's a way of

making healthy eggs and it means every chicken lives basically outdoors and

they have at least a hundred and eight square feet per animal per chicken so

that gives them a lot of space they run around outside they eat bugs they eat

grass they eat seeds and sometimes they supplement a little bit with various

grains but that's not a terrible thing for a chicken but the main thing is that

they have to run around and they have to have a choice of what to eat and they

can't be crowded when you look at those eggs you crack them open then the yolk

is a deep orange right the mass-produced cheap eggs from sick

chickens is a pale yellow you can almost not tell that it's yellow that's how

pale they are sometimes whereas the pasture race is a deep orange and what

you can also tell oftentimes is that the yolk will be larger even in like a

medium egg it seems like the yolk is really

now someone brought to my attention I didn't even know this but I have looked

and I've seen these in stores that what you want is pasture-raised not

pasteurized all right pasteurized just means that they take

the cheap eggs from sick chickens and they steam them right they sterilize

them with steam or something so they they pasteurize them all right that's

not what you're looking for category number five is fats and oils a fat has

been demonized because they don't understand that the fat on the body does

not come from the fat that we eat the fat on the body is stored by a hormone

called insulin that is a result of fructose and sucrose and starches and

processed foods but if you eat a diet that doesn't promote insulin then fat is

perfectly fine and they rule the key for the fats and oils is that they need to

be in a natural state in a relatively natural state so it's great if you get

the fat in the food itself but it's totally okay to eat fats and oils like

refined isolated fats and oils as long as they're done in the right way meaning

minimally processed not heated so things like grass-fed butter is excellent

organic grass-fed butter is a great food I go through a lot of that organic extra

virgin olive oil organic coconut oil and recently you can find more and more

frequent and affordable MCT oil medium medium chain triglycerides and then some

other fats that people don't understand are actually pretty good are lard and

tallow meaning pork fat and beef fat again if it comes from a healthy animal

then they're perfectly fine so if I make some beef broth some bone broth from

healthy grass-fed organic animals if you make a big pot you might get four

or five pounds of tallow left over so you can skim that off you can save it

and use for cooking and if you know where it comes from then it's a healthy

fat and something to keep in mind about these concentrated fats is that most

pesticides most toxins most hormones are fat soluble that means that if you

concentrate the fat into these products you're also going to concentrate the

toxins that's why fats it's worth spending a

few extra dollars on getting the organic and the clean stuff because if you don't

then you're buying a product that has concentrated the toxins along with it

category number six are nuts and they can be an incredibly healthy

food right you don't want to overdo it because they do contain some Omega 6s

you don't want to make it like the main part you won't want to make it a

foundation of your diet but mixed in as part of all the other stuff it's a very

very healthy food and you want to focus on the nuts that meet three criteria the

ones that taste good raw because raw maintains keeps more nutrients alive

once you roast them or process them then they lose nutrients and you can alter

some of the fats in there you also want something that is low in carbohydrates

and you want something that's high in fat because the highest one in fat means

they have the lowest amount of carbohydrate and in that order

we have macadamia nuts and pecans and walnuts and almonds so these meet all of

those criteria that I talked about walnuts and almonds are a little bit

higher in carbohydrate but you're not going to eat a ton of these nuts because

they're so dense that you're typically going to be okay even on a low carb or a

ketogenic diet another great thing about nuts is that they're also very high in

fiber and they're very high in protein so you're getting a lot of nutrients all

packed into a little bit of food category number seven is seeds and

they're often kind of lumped together with the nuts but I like to put them

separate because they are quite different and you don't really use them

the same way a lot of the times and especially not the ones that I emphasize

so my favorite seeds are chia flax hemp and pumpkin and while the nuts are

things that you can often bring in a snack bag and you just take a few and it

you can crunch on them and it tastes good you're probably not gonna be

munching on flax seed and chia seed they sort of just sit there in your mouth and

you got to chew forever and they don't taste bad but it's not the way that you

typically eat those but they're great for low heat cooking you can make sort

of like an oatmeal with them you can bake bread with them as long as you keep

the heat down they're great for smoothies and if you eat something like

yogurt then instead of cereal you can just grind up some of this and put on

the yogurt instead of cereal and what seeds have speaking for them is that

they're usually very very inexpensive especially recently as they become more

popular you can find in the United States you can find these at Costco and

it's like they're just giving them away almost and they're extremely high in

healthy fats in fiber and in protein it's like they just packed those things

in there and there's virtually zero carbohydrate in there even though the

total carbs can look high it's almost all fiber so the net carbs are very very

low they're like three four percent and you don't want to rely on plant food for

Omega threes exclusively but they can be a good foundation and Chia and flax have

the highest level of omega-3 fatty acids in of any plant but you

still want to get some omega-3s from fish because the Chia and flax omega-3s

they're just the precursor and the conversion doesn't happen the way it's

supposed to and it doesn't happen in a very large degree to a very large

percentage some people say you can eat these omega-3s and make fish oil but it

doesn't work like that a lot of people convert as little as 1%

of the omega-3s implants into the actual omega-3 that we get from fish number

eight is avocado and I think that's not necessarily a superfood because like I

said I don't want to think of foods that way but I think it's so great in so many

ways that I made it its own category all right

it is great tasting it's creamy it's high in natural fats you can eat it raw

you can just open it up and spoon it or you can cook with it you can put it in

dishes you can make guacamole from it and it is so satisfying that it becomes

almost a meal in itself it goes with anything like who can argue with avocado

another thing I recently talked about the fasting mimicking diet and avocado

would be the perfect food there because it's high in fat and it's very low in

carbohydrate and it's very low in protein so it's like it's really the

perfect food don't think of it as a superfood just think of it as a great

staple that fits with everything category number nine is something called

tubers or root vegetables they grow underground and they're usually pretty

starchy they serve as an energy reserve for the plant and examples would be yam

or sweet potato potatoes rutabagas turnips carrots and something called

celery a core celery root now these are very starchy so some people want to

avoid them if you are trying lose weight if you're on a very low carb

diet if you're doing keto or if you're insulin-resistant then you do not want

to eat these hardly at all but if your insulin sensitive you reach your goal

weight or if you're doing some some carb cycling maybe you're doing keto during

the week and then you're loading up a little bit more on carbs during the

weekend then these are the perfect foods to get some quality food with some carbs

without getting into grains and things that cause inflammation they are however

very starchy so you don't want to eat too much of them but they're great you

can use them instead of potatoes for mashed potatoes or you can use several

of them to mix them up a little bit to get some more variety and a deeper

flavor they're also great to chop up in little cubes if you're doing a vegetable

soup or a beef soup or something like that category number 10 is herbs and

spices so things like garlic and ginger and turmeric cinnamon cloves cardamom

cilantro parsley dill rosemary all of these are highly highly nutritious all

right they provide micronutrients you're not gonna get many macronutrients you're

not gonna get any protein or fat or carbs to speak of but you're gonna get

lots of minerals you're gonna get lots of vitamins and you're gonna get some

things with medicinal properties but on a natural level so I don't want to think

of them as medication right there are supplements you can use herbs and and

these do have some tremendous benefits but again think of them mostly as things

that make food taste wonderful all right but garlic ginger turmeric they do have

antibacterial antifungal antiviral properties the turmeric is

anti-inflammatory it helps with gut healing so and cinnamon has been shown

to have some benefits one blood sugar so there are some tremendous

benefits to these just don't get go crazy and start using them as drugs

don't think of them as taking something for something just incorporate them

frequently in a healthy diet all right here's a little bonus for you

and it's something that isn't necessarily like a food but we have to

have some treats in life I think that makes life a little sweeter but we want

to understand what we're getting so chocolate is something that gets people

really excited and a lot of people they say oh I'll give up anything but I'm not

gonna give up chocolate but there's a big difference between milk chocolate

and dark chocolates so when people talk about the benefits of chocolate they say

oh well dark chocolate has all these benefits the reason is that cocoa has

nutrients all right the cocoa bean is a plant with

some nutrients that can be very beneficial but milk chocolate has a lot

of sugar that ruins and more than ruins the benefits so the darker the chocolate

is the less sugar it has and the way you can sort of get a rough idea is that if

you're getting a 78% cocoa content in the chocolate then the rest is sugar so

you just whatever isn't cocoa is sugar if it's got 85% cocoa it's 15% sugar

right so chocolate is pretty high in carbohydrate but most of that

carbohydrate is fiber so you can subtract it so I like chocolate that's

somewhere between 78 and 85 sometimes I think that 78 is the only good one and

other times I think oh the 78 is too sweet and I prefer the 85 but the darker

it is the more satisfying it is the less you feel the need to overeat and with a

piece of 78 percent chocolate so if you have something like a lint bar

that one has eight pieces in a bar so if you have one piece that's 1/8 of a bar

that gives you about 1.5 grams of sugar all right so if you're trying to keep

absolute zero on the sugar then don't eat chocolate but if you have one or

maybe two pieces you're not adding a tremendous amount and if you get up to

85% you're getting about one gram of sugar per piece a lot of my patients

will tell me that you know I can tolerate some dark chocolate but I can't

get higher than 50% cocoa content everything else is just too bitter

well don't fear you can change that all right it's gonna take a little bit of

time but the more you cut out the sweets and the sugar out of your diet the more

your taste buds change right most of our tastes are learned and the

more you get away from sugar the more you're gonna find a lot of things that

you thought were normally sweet they're disgustingly sweet and as you work your

way up as you get more adapted to real food and you cut out the sugar

you're gonna start appreciating the flavor of all these things you're gonna

learn what they actually taste like and then you're not gonna have a problem

with very dark chocolates so 75 78 85 even 90% chocolate is going to be very

flavorful and not all that bitter and if you don't like chocolate then don't

worry you don't have to learn it's not something that you have to have it's not

a basic food group stick with the other ten that we talked about and you'll be

fine if you enjoyed this video then go ahead and check out that one thank you

so much for watching and I'll see you in the next video