I got the idea to use the word, "Champs" as a way to remember what the nutrition powerhouses are, from my friend Jill Nussinow (also known as The Veggie Queen) who uses the acronym in the title of one of her books. I have adapted it slightly so that I could also include berries and greens, so for me it's:
B G Champs
which if you think of like, "Be The Champs" it will help you to remember the most important foods to eat. These seven groups of foods are what to emphasize in your diet, if you want to improve your health, and reduce your risk of the most common chronic diseases. A diet based upon these foods -- with generous amounts of greens and beans, and not too many seeds and nuts if you're over your ideal weight, is packed with multiple types of fibers, and thousands of different phytochemicals, all of which keep us functional and healthy in many different ways. Be sure to consume the seeds and nuts at the same time you eat your biggest portion of leafy greens --the fat soluble phytochemicals in the greens will be better absorbed with fatty acids in your gut at the same time. While all raw nuts and seeds contribute healthy fats to the diet, chia, walnuts, flax and hemp are the richest sources of the omega 3 fatty acids -- so try to select them most of the time. Learn to cook with a variety of herbs and spices -- and liberally include them as much as possible. Their strong smells, and bright colors are evidence of the unique and powerful health-supporting phytochemicals they contain. The Allium family includes onions, garlic, leaks, chives, and shallots, which provide special cancer-fighting nutrients not found in other foods. Those who are sensitive to onions, may find they can better tolerate chives or green onions. Mushrooms have their own special health promoting chemicals, and berries are the champs of the fruit world, providing more nutrition with less sugar than almost any other fruit. The cruciferous family includes broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, arugula, bok choy, kale, turnips and collards. They are known for a chemical called, isothyiocyanate a star of the plant world when it comes to preventing many cancers.
Build your diet upon these seven groups of foods and you can be a nutrition champ too.
B G Champs
which if you think of like, "Be The Champs" it will help you to remember the most important foods to eat. These seven groups of foods are what to emphasize in your diet, if you want to improve your health, and reduce your risk of the most common chronic diseases. A diet based upon these foods -- with generous amounts of greens and beans, and not too many seeds and nuts if you're over your ideal weight, is packed with multiple types of fibers, and thousands of different phytochemicals, all of which keep us functional and healthy in many different ways. Be sure to consume the seeds and nuts at the same time you eat your biggest portion of leafy greens --the fat soluble phytochemicals in the greens will be better absorbed with fatty acids in your gut at the same time. While all raw nuts and seeds contribute healthy fats to the diet, chia, walnuts, flax and hemp are the richest sources of the omega 3 fatty acids -- so try to select them most of the time. Learn to cook with a variety of herbs and spices -- and liberally include them as much as possible. Their strong smells, and bright colors are evidence of the unique and powerful health-supporting phytochemicals they contain. The Allium family includes onions, garlic, leaks, chives, and shallots, which provide special cancer-fighting nutrients not found in other foods. Those who are sensitive to onions, may find they can better tolerate chives or green onions. Mushrooms have their own special health promoting chemicals, and berries are the champs of the fruit world, providing more nutrition with less sugar than almost any other fruit. The cruciferous family includes broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, arugula, bok choy, kale, turnips and collards. They are known for a chemical called, isothyiocyanate a star of the plant world when it comes to preventing many cancers.
Build your diet upon these seven groups of foods and you can be a nutrition champ too.