Most of us eat for pleasure. But some of us also recognise the need for energy too. We need food and drink that can power us through the day and give us the nutrients that we need to perform.
In this post, we take a look at some of the most invigorating food that you can eat and drink. Snack on them or use them as ingredients in your favourite recipes: it’s your choice.
Goji Berries
Goji berries usually come dried. They look like long, red beans and have a kind of sour taste.
Why do they give you energy? The main reason is their ability to bolster your body’s oxidative defenses. People who regularly eat them appear to have better health and may actually live longer.
You can sprinkle them on your porridge in the morning or over a salad. You can also use them as a garnish for a dessert or simply have them as a snack that you keep in your desk drawer.
Strawberries
It’s a similar story with strawberries. For many years, people have seen this tasty fruit as something that people eat in June or July when the harvest comes around. However, strawberries are actually something that you want to be eating year-round.
Why are they so good for you? It’s all because of a compound called fisetin. This molecule actually clears out old, damaged cells from your body, allowing new ones to grow in their place. It’s one of the most potent natural rejuvenating agents currently known to science.
Again, sprinkle strawberries on your porridge in the morning or eat them in a fruit salad. If you want them to last longer, freeze them.
Coffee
I’ve talked about invigorating food, now time to talk drinks. Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world, second only to water. And there’s a good reason for that: it helps to energise people, even when they don’t feel like they can get moving in the morning. Filter coffee is particularly effective in this regard.
Coffee, though, is considerably more than just a caffeine hit, though. Made from beans, it contains a host of other phytonutrients that boost health.
You don’t just have to drink it either. You can use coffee beans to flavour desserts, including espresso-mocha tortes. Delicious.
Beetroot
Beetroot isn’t the most popular food on the planet, but it does enhance blood flow around the body. Beetroot is a potent vasodilator, meaning that it has the ability to open up the arteries more than most standard foods. It can do this because of its high concentration of nitric oxide. Once it gets into the bloodstream, it lowers your blood pressure, leaving you feeling more energised.
You can drink beet juice in the morning – a popular way of consuming the vegetable. You can also put it on salads or even use it as a bean burger ingredient.
Nuts
Nuts are high in essential fatty acids – nutrients that your body must get to be at its best. Try adding more flaxseed, sunflower seeds, walnuts and almonds to your diet and see how you feel.
Love Lilla xx