Thirsty Thursday is here! Are you celebrating by drinking half your body weight in ounces of water? I certainly am, and also tried a new-to-me drink today.
Mystic mango kombucha! I’ve come to the following conclusions about kombucha:
- It’s overpriced ($3.69? Yuck!)
- It’s not that tasty
- It gives me gas
My stomach is really sensitive to bacteria and kombucha is no excpetion. I’ve been tooting like crazy all day! You’re welcome. Okay, onto the morning’s workout – because segueing from bowel movements to workouts is so natural.
Workout
For the third morning in a row, I brought K&K to the gym with me! Today, I busted through the HIIT the Beach routine from the Beach Babe DVD and, naturally, totally loved it! You can feel their high and positive energy as you do the routine (you’ll feel it even more if you watch the behind the scenes video – so inspiring!). Afterwards, I busted through three rounds of this homemade lower body circuit:
I have a feeling my quads are going to be very sore tomorrow. Change creates change, right?
Lunch
When lunch time rolled around, I went down to the dining common and found…nothing. There was literally next-to-no options. Amaranth grits? Mmm no thank you. Funky burritos? Double no. So, I did the only logical thing.
Go to Whole Foods! …where I got sucked into my impulse kombucha purchase.
I rolled with tahini sesame greens and a spinach salad with veggies and fresh lime-mint vinaigrette.
I also snagged a container of local, organic tofu salad, which was totally divine.
Dinner
I was on deadline for an article tonight, so I was writing like a mad woman all day. That being said, dinner was welcomed with open arms and a tummy that was ready for some grub.
Thankfully, there were much more appealing dishes on the menu tonight. Kristen and I enjoyed cilantro tofu and veggie skewers and a side of gahhhlicky spinach and roasted veggies. The spinach was so delicious but a tad on the oily side. I rolled with it, though.
Do Superfoods Really Exist?
A friend of mine asked me if I would do a post on superfoods (i.e. what they are and why should/shouldn’t we eat them). So, I’m happy to oblige!
When did you first see the term superfood? Most likely, it was at the grocery store or on television. The term superfood is essentially a marketing term that is not backed by scientific evidence. For this reason, it is not a term commonly used by nutrition professionals.
Superfood was first used in 2004 by Dr. Steven G. Pratt, M.D., with the release of his first book, “Superfoods Rx: Fourteen Foods that Will Change Your Life.” Since then, Pratt has gone on to create an effective business off of this term. It’s nothing new we haven’t heard before: oats reduce risk of obesity and walnuts reduce our risk of heart disease (You can read the complete list here). There is merit to Pratt’s words – that we should consume foods that are both nutrient dense and help us live longer, happier and fruitful (no pun intended) lives. However, the idea that these are “superfoods” is not backed by scientific evidence and really has no meaning. When consumed in moderation and in conjunction with each other, together, a variety of nutrient dense foods can improve your health.
The idea behind consuming superfoods is that if you eat them, you will obtain a high amount of phytonutrients (nutrients that fight off cancer and disease) and a low amount of cholesterol and food additivies. The problem here is that there is no scale or measuring tool that superfoods are compared to, so there in lies the gray area. So, anyone could essentially call any food a superfood.
My philosophy is this: all fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts are “super” in conjunction with each other. We can’t really obtain all that we need from one food. We can, however, obtain all that we need by eating a diet rich in a combination of the above four plant-based food categories. When we consume foods that improve our quality of life, they are “super” in their own right. So, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you will not magically reduce inflammation by eating goji berries every day of your life. Rats! 
Stay lovely,
Heather
Question of the Day: What is your take on superfoods? Did you / do you believe in the philosophy?
I’m so glad you tried Kombucha. I’ve been drinking it on and off for a while and have just started to drink it every morning for a couple of weeks to see if it helps with my acne (probiotics). The Mystic Mango is the sweetest of all the flavors and is my least favorite. Kombucha has many health benefits so I’m hoping I’ll notice something!
I’m not a huge fan of the term superfood and I don’t like the idea of rating/glorifying foods in general. What foods are “good for you” totally vary from person to person: factors like activity level, pregnancy/breastfeeding, underweight/overweight change things so much!
1. I love that your sassyness (my new word) comes through even when you are writing…seriously, love it!
2. I also recently tried kombucha and had the same side effects as you. Yes, all of them
3. I never throught about superfoods this way, but definitely agree with you. It makes logical sense. And did you ever notice that these “14 superfoods” are always changing?
I’m glad you’re a fan of the sass. It’s never goin’ away!
The reason the superfoods are always changing is due to the fact that it is not scientifically defined or proven. Anyone can call anything a superfood, so that’s why we hear so much mumbo jumbo about it.
i just try to eat as healthfully as possible and choose the foods with the most nutrients – so maybe those are MY superfoods!
i have been having the same gaseous issue as you except it’s due to the fact that there has been SOO much broccoli available for consumption in my house. ah, the price of eating a “superfood”? haha
that spinach does look shiny but the dinner looks divine. smart move on whole foods. tahini greens?! be still my heart.
Yeah, broccoli can have that effect! It’s full of readily available fiber and people’s stomachs can be really sensitive to that. P.S. – Is it May yet?!
[...] woke me up around 7:45 a.m., at which point I decided to hit the gym! My legs were quite sore from yesterday’s workout, so I decided to do some light cardio to get them loose. I began with 10 minutes on the StairMaster [...]
I drink a kombucha never day! Never really upsets my stomach. Yogurt and kombucha really help my digestion so they are daily staples.
How do you know when you should give up something that makes you toot like crazy? For example, I really love So Delicious Coconut Milk ice cream, but it turns me into a deflating human balloon. It doesn’t make me feel poorly though. Is excessive tooting always a symptom that a food is bad for your body?
I don’t like the term superfood because I think it makes people feel that if they eat that one food they can eat whatever else and live to be 100 years old pain free. Also, if you don’t like (or are allergic to) a “superfood”, you’re made to feel like you don’t care about your health because you won’t eat this one food that is supposed to perform magic. I think it puts excessive stress on people – and we worry enough as it is!
Hi Kaela! Gas can be an indication of many things. Are you experiencing any pain or discomfort?
No pain, and the only discomfort is social.
If you were experiencing pain and/or vomiting or diarrhea, I’d advise you to stop eating it. Your stomach might just be sensitive to it. It doesn’t happen with any other soy products, does it?
I guess I’m just sensitive to it. It doesn’t upset my stomach or give me any pains or diarrhea. Just tons of gas. And no, it doesn’t happen with other soy products. I’ve been trying to better plan when I’m going to eat it to avoid embarrassing situations. Thanks for the help, Heather!