How to use superfoods

They’re great and all, all those super foods, but it’s all about how you use them. How often, combined with what, and don’t forget that if you’re aiming for a killer body, it still requires working out. Nowadays people have the tendency to throw whatever they please into the blender without actually knowing what it is good for. And throwing in a mixture of different powders is useless. Am I hinting at a bit of frustration? Absolutely.

I’m here to explain a thing or two to you guys. Chia seeds should be soaked before you use them, flax seeds are better beaten than whole and don’t overheat raw chocolate. Breath in, breath out. It’s not like you have to use everything. Pick whatever you think is good for you. Just please try and stick to no more than three super foods in your meal. That way you obtain their rightful worth. If you decide to sprinkle some chia seeds through your yoghurt then you can leave out the flax seeds. Both are great fat burners and good for your digestion, so adding one is more than enough.

Let these seeds soak in water for a little while (15 minutes should be plenty) or else they will swell up in your stomach making your feel a bit bloated. One table spoon in your smoothie or yoghurt is more than enough. Check out this great chia pudding recipe for some inspiration. Easy, nutricious and a real fat burner. Sounds appealing doesn’t it?

Mulberries can be compared to raisins, but then a little less sweet. They are fat free and don’t have any added sugars. Mix them with some unroasted nuts and you’ll have a great (and tasty) snack, or add them to your cottage cheese and muesli. Be careful though with unroasted nuts. They’re super healthy, I could easily eat a kilo on my own, but these babies will tick away quite a bit on the calorie meter.

Packages usually refer to this as coconut fat and you have a normal kind or an unscented variety. The normal kind has a small whiff of coconut, not really the perfect combo with an omelet, but perfect for something like a Thai curry. You can use it for baking, frying or cooking. Coconut oil is also great for your skin when it is dry, and you don’t have to keep it cooled in a fridge. Don’t freak out if you notice that it has melted (this happens when it is kept at room temperature), it is still functional.

There are a few versions for this one. Whole-, broken-, grinded seeds and a flax seed oil. I’m a big contender of the latter. Whole flax seeds are harder to digest. It’s a great source of fat to add to your breakfast. It keeps your sugar levels in line, keeps you satiated so you have less of an urge to snack on anything sweet. I’ll use the seed variety when I make smoothies (one table spoon is enough). Never over heat the oil because then all the nutritious elements evaporate. I often use it to make salad dressings.

Hemp seeds are filled with egg whites. Perfect for shakes after having lifted weights in the gym. It has a bit of a nutty taste, so they’re great to add to salads too. One table spoon is more than enough. Make sure you go for the peeled kind because they are not only easier to eat; they are easy to digest and taste a lot better.

Personally, I think these taste even better after soaking them in water. Or else they have quite a bit of a hard bite if I add them to my yoghurt. Unless I add a handful into my smoothie, then soaking them isn’t really necessary. A hand full of mulberries, a table spoon of goji berries, a bit of frozen fruit (you can find these in any supermarket cold storages), some biological apple juice and a bit of (coconut) water. Throw it all into a blender and as a result you’ll have a mega nutritious smoothie.

Next week I’ll make sure to give you all the deets on the different kings of seeds, grains and what all those shenanigans are good for, which super foods you should have in your kitchen cabinets (because I’m assuming the numerous offers drive you mad) and where to buy them. A super foods for dummies kind of thing.