5 Foods to Eat to Feel Better

Been feeling sluggish lately? Or maybe even for quite some time? It could be due to the food you have been eating. This was me about 5 years ago and once I started eating healthier, there was a huge shift in my energy, mood, and overall well-being.

Regularly adding these 5 foods to my diet really helped me feel better and I am sure they can help you too! The beauty of these foods are that they are so versatile — you can use them multiple ways so you won’t get bored with them!

Salmon:

I fell in love with salmon when my wife made it for me once when we were dating. The saltiness and crispiness of the skin, the spices that were on top of it — a combination of thyme, rosemary, basil, sage, and lavender (herbs de provence), the way it made my brain feel while eating it (supercharged from all of those omega-3 fatty-acids!)…. Everything. I have it at least 3 times a week now (fresh and frozen).

I recommend wild-caught salmon instead of farmed due to the contaminants and antibiotics used in fish farming. Besides cooking it pan-fried, you can also bake it in the oven, poach it on the stovetop, or make salmon cakes. If cooking isn’t really your thing, you can buy frozen salmon burgers at your local grocery store and just grill them up! It’s also a very good source of protein.

Spinach:

It’s my go-to leafy green vegetable due to its health benefits and versatility. It is a great source of iron (good for energy), lutein (for eye health), and vitamin K (for bone health). But what I love most about it is it’s versatility.

Enjoy it anytime of day; breakfast: as a staple in smoothies (highly recommended!) or in your eggs or omelet; lunch: as the main ingredient in your salad or an addition to your sandwich; or dinner: include it in your quiche or have it as a side by sauteing it with some olive oil and garlic. I’ve even been known to eat it raw as a snack in the evening but that’s probably too extreme for most people.

Blueberries:

It’s my go-to fruit due to its delicious taste (first and foremost) but again, also due to its healthy benefits and adaptability. It is much lower in sugar than most fruits and has many antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

You can start your day with adding them on top of your oatmeal. For lunch or dinner you can add them on top of your salad. My favorite suggestion is to add a cup or two of frozen blueberries in your smoothies on the weekend. If you are a big fan of them like me, just watch out for eating TOO many fresh blueberries before going to sleep. A Harvard study even recommended eating blueberries three times per week.

Avocado:

There are too many health benefits to name them all here but here are a few of them: They are loaded with healthy fats (which keeps you full between meals and reduces your total and bad “LDL” cholesterol), fiber (which keeps the “pipes” all clear), micronutrients (more potassium than a banana, Vitamin B6 — which helps provide energy for the body, Vitamin E — which helps protect body tissue from damage), and antioxidants like lutein that can help reduce inflammation.

Adding avocado to any food will make it taste better (okay, maybe not cereal). Smoothies, toast, sandwiches; you name it. For lunch or a snack, try wrapping smoked salmon around it. And who doesn’t love guacamole? It’s so delicious!

Almond Butter:

If you are looking for something that tastes nuttier, and slightly richer and less sweet than peanut butter, almond butter is the choice for you! It even has a creamy/crunchy and salted/unsalted option just like peanut butter. Almond butter is lower in saturated fat than peanut butter and also lower in sodium. It has about 4 times as much vitamin E. Studies have found that it helps in weight loss and management. Plus, fewer people are allergic to almonds than they are peanuts (like myself).

There are also many ways to eat it; breakfast: on your toast or a tablespoon or two in your smoothie; lunch: use it as a replacement of the peanut butter in your PB&J; snack: with celery sticks. Yum!

Which of these foods do you already include in your diet?