Super Foods Routine

Disclaimer - I am not a doctor nor a certified dietician. This post is a reflection of my personal routine for my own well-being that I believe may be useful for many of you. So please take what you want from this post with your own judgement!

My family background is unique for a few reasons. My Dad has a total of 10 siblings and my Mom has 4 siblings on her side. The family history of Mom’s family is better than the average population but that’s not the case with my Dad’s side of the house and there is a history of Diabetes, High blood pressure, Cholesterol and probably others. Scientific studies have proven that the genes from your Father are more dominant than your Mother. So inherently I have a gift in my genes that’s simply waiting to take control of my body. It’s only a matter of time before it will and I know I am no exception to this. But I can certainly push myself to lead a better life with life-style changes.

I am also not a strong believer in proprietary dietary procedures and generally prefer thinking about a routine that's long-term. Anything that’s short-term may produce some great results but it’s what you invest in long-term that’s more simple, sustainable, and stable. I strongly believe that you have one life so you have to eat, drink, be merry, and happy. But to do so you need to establish a good routine with superfoods from Mother Nature.

Mother Nature is truly amazing. Everything she offers is unique and powerful. Is there one food from her creation that doesn’t serve a purpose? In fact, a lot of what she offers are considered superfoods that pack a punch and enrich your well-being.

Here are a few simple and effective life-style changes that I have adopted in my daily routine along with Mother Nature’s superfoods.

• Understanding glycemic index of the food you consume - The Glycemic Index (GI) is a number that varies typically from 0 to 100. It’s used to measure how much a specific food increases your blood sugar levels. The higher the number, the greater the impact it has on your blood sugar. You will be surprised how much food in its natural form tastes so good and offers tremendous low GI benefits. My favorites are apples, pears, strawberries, blueberries, carrots, chickpeas, lentils, boiled eggs and more!
• Eating healthy calories - I love having intermittent mini-snacks that are power packed with good calories. The list of such snacks is pretty exhaustive and once again you’d be surprised to find that this list is probably exhaustive for you as well. Similarly, over the years, one thing that I have added to my daily routine is trying to avoid white rice and substituting it with cauliflower rice. I will admit that eating cauliflower rice is an acquired taste but it goes well with almost every curry we make at home so I don’t miss rice anymore and eat healthy carbs. :)
• Eating more seeds and nuts - I pretty much love all seeds and nuts in its natural form. If you do the research, you will be amazed by the benefits provided by each of these seeds and nuts. Again the key is consuming all of this in the appropriate quantity but make it an integral part of your diet.
• Incorporating adequate protein in your diet - Every meal I take has adequate protein. That doesn’t mean I go crazy on it, I ingest what’s required for each meal and also rely on natural sources of protein as much as I can. I avoid red meat in general but do crave for it occasionally so I save it for my cheat day. In general, it’s recommended that each of your meals has at least 15-25 grams of protein.
• No to deep-fried foods - If there is one product at our house that has had maximum usage then that’s the air-fryer which has been a great addition and has provided a terrific ROI. I don’t know how scientifically proven air-fried foods are for your health but it’s certainly better than deep-fried foods. And I love experimenting with new variations of air-fried food with our fryer.
• Drinking adequate water - The one thing on my daily routine that I have to push myself to do everyday is to drink adequate water and at least 2.5L-3L a day. It’s no wonder that water is known as the elixir of life. If you are not drinking enough water then you don't have a balanced diet.
• Eating on time - By far, this is the most important topic on the list. Your body has a biological clock and just like any other machine, you need to ensure it works and get rest adequately. There used to be a time when I was eating irregularly but over the past few years, I have made it a point to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner on time. I have also made it a point to finish my dinner early so there is at least a 10-12 hours gap between my dinner and the next morning cup of coffee or tea.
• Set boundaries for everything - A large portion of your wellness boils down to sticking to a good routine that becomes your regimen. And this includes everything from sleep, exercise, work, entertainment etc.
• Establish cheat days - Earlier on I noted how I want to eat, drink, be merry, and happy. The purpose of a cheat day is to treat myself for keeping up with a good routine. It’s extremely important because I earned it. On my cheat day, I will devour the food that I am longing for. The list of foods I crave is long so it’s easy for me to pick something and treat myself instantly.

I hope you found this post useful. If you are researching a special diet plan, I suggest you think again. It’s easy to create your own simple and effective dietary routine with superfoods from Mother Nature.