My wife and I had breakfast this morning at a restaurant that was entirely her choice . It turned out to be an excellent decision, as I had the opportunity to try something I had never had before: pumpkin pancakes. If she wants to eat there again I would be more than willing.
I remember when I was in medical school we really did not study very much about nutrition. It just was not a subject that was considered important, so unfortunately we did not pay much attention to whether or not we were eating properly.
Over the past few years I have learned more about good diet and nutrition than I did during the whole time I was practicing medicine full-time. After breakfast this morning, I got to thinking about a book I read a few years ago, which was about the concept of “superfoods.”
I think those pumpkin pancakes got me thinking about the book, because pumpkins are considered a superfood. When most people think of pumpkins they think of Halloween, but there’s much more to them than that. You might be wondering — if pumpkins are a superfood, are they a vegetable or a fruit? The answer is that they are a fruit that is part of the gourd family.
Pumpkins are low-calorie, fiber-rich, low-cost, and can be purchased year-round — canned in the off season. This healthy fruit contains a high concentration of nutrients that can help ward off disease, like pantothenic acid, potassium, vitamins E and C, and magnesium.
The key nutrient that boosts pumpkin to the top of the Superfoods list is a synergistic combination of carotenoids. I could write for a couple of days about carotenoids, but let me just say that they have a hand in a healthy heart.
Take a look at this list of other superfoods. These foods, in combination with other healthy eating habits, will definitely help you shrink that gut you might be developing.
Here they are: Salmon, Tomatoes, Walnuts, Turkey, Beans, Broccoli, Blueberries, Yogurt, Oats, Oranges, Spinach, and Green or Black Tea.
And last but not least, there is the all-important addition of pharmaceutical grade fish oil to your diet, which could be considered a superfood in its own right. So it’s 13 superfoods plus one supplement with superfood powers of its own. My own pharmaceutical-grade fish oil contains the essential omega-3 fatty acids that are so important for your health.
Another tip: try adding some garlic and cinnamon to your diet — they are excellent in fighting fat.
Weight loss is a result of synergy: the right food, the right fish oil formula, the right exercise, and the right amount of rest, and you can make the old spare tire disappear.
