Over and over again we hear that navigating what is and isn’t healthy is so overwhelming that many people just quit very soon after initiating a positive change. As well as providing education at The Kitchen, we want to help you make simple changes that have a positive health result.

So what about these 'Superfoods'? In general, this group are classed as foods that have a very high nutritional content per gram. Within this definition, almost any food that is a whole food and hasn't been processed can be classed as a superfood. The more that food technology identifies specific properties in wholefoods, the more we are discovering that even simple foods like broccoli and sweet potato, when in their most natural state, have amazing health benefits. However, to really be a superfood, we like it to be incredible. At The Kitchen we routinely add foods and powders that are powerhouses of extreme nutrition, that when combined with other super foods, herbs, and wholefoods, create incredibly nutrient dense snacks and meals. Some examples we use are:

• Chia Seeds
• Quinoa
• Turmeric
• Spirulina
• Chlorella
• Sprouts
• Goji Berries
• Coconut Oil
• Fermented Foods
• Maca
• Earth Bombs (see previous blog)

The most noticeable difference when consuming Superfoods in diet is that with the right nutrition, in the right balance, the body craves for nothing. When you provide the body with the building blocks of cell building, cravings for empty calories, sweet foods, and stimulants all but disappear, along with illnesses, disease and overall body imbalance.

To make a positive change to your health with superfoods its helpful to think of them initially as additions to your diet, rather than replacements which result in a restriction mentality. The easiest way to go about change is to add more positive foods and practices to your lifestyle, which then results in less room for the negative or unhealthy. There is a belief that to be healthy you must be restrictive, almost punishing to your body, when in fact it is the complete opposite. We need to nurture and nourish our bodies, feeding them with health and balance, in a realistic and caring way. For each food in our diet that does not support positive health, there are numerous other foods that do. Another problem that has come about due to restriction is over exposure of certain foods that are deemed inclusive, which then leads to intolerances. Broadening the variety of food and superfoods that we consume is the easiest way to ensure we are providing our bodies with a balance of essential nutrition, without it becoming too confusing and restricting. If we can increase the variety of foods available every day, then eating healthy becomes easy and second nature.

Another practice worth mentioning is that a healthy body should always be accompanied by a healthy soul and mind, both emotionally and socially. Health is a holistic concept, meaning that it should encompass all aspects of what makes one thrive throughout their life. Having a balance that is important to you is the most important thing. That old saying of ‘everything in moderation’ looks like different things to different people. At The Kitchen we aim to provide educational information that encourages holistic health, and helps you make healthy decisions where you can, and where you want to. Allowing things like your favourite foods, a glass of wine, and a lazy day every now and then will not be detrimental to your physical health, and can be essential to your emotional and social health. Allowing for this type of practice is exactly what the definition of holistic health is all about.

Written by Melly Lou of Liquorice Lifestyle.