The end of 2016 cultivated some pretty bitter reviews by some seriously unsatisfied people. Of all the viral fails 2016 brought us, apparently the year itself came out on top. It’s been compared to emotionally scarring phenomenons like bruised bananas and cheeseburgers with missing cheese… Both equally traumatic if you ask me.
There seemed to be a lot of “DON’T EAT THIS” and “DO MORE SQUATS”, and not enough “Just eat the cake” and “Let’s just rest today”. Damn 2016 – you were one bossy b…
So, in light of 2016’s attempts of fun-policing our lives, let’s agree to start this year off with a positive attitude. I’m talking, more DO’s than DONT’s, more WILL’s than WONT’s, and waaaaayyy more cake. Because I don’t wan’t to look back on 2017 and feel like a bitter little lemon all because I didn’t stop to really enjoy it for 5 minutes (/11 months of the year).
In all seriousness though, we do know it’s super important to have a healthy lifestyle, and I’m pretty sure that 90% of the time we are consciously devoted to our healthy eating plan… But we can’t plan for the entire year! It’s impossible! There’s a strong possibility that random burger attacks could take place this year and we need to be mentally and emotionally prepared for these kinds of encounters.
All I’m saying is, let’s be realistic.
I thought it necessary to provide you guys with a list of foods that might be taboo to some people (studies show these people are also allergic to fun), but actually aren’t bad for you. Here’s a list of foods you SHOULD DEFINITELY EAT going into 2017 and enjoy every single second of it…
- Chocolate
I can already hear the criticising whispers… Well guess what? Studies (real studies this time) have proven that people who regularly consume Cocoa show significantly improved blood pressure, cholesterol levels and blood flow. But remember, it’s the Cocoa in chocolate that has these health benefits… Not the added sugar and fat and other delicious things… Bottom line is you CAN eat the chocolate. Just not a block a night – you know the drill. - Eggs
No, I don’t mean the chocolate kind…
I know this is a personal choice – some people just don’t like them (I get it, they can be weird), sometimes it’s ethically motivated and some people think they’re just too fatty… All I’m saying is, if you like them, EGGS ARE OK! As much as people like to say they’re a huge contributor to heart disease, research doesn’t actually show any connection between the two. What’s different about them compared to other cholesterol-containing foods? I’m about to tell you… Egg yolks contain powerful antioxidants that help protect LDL cholesterol from becoming oxidized and turning into the BAAAAD form associated with heart disease. You can have an egg a day and you’ll remain safely within the heart-healthy guidelines of 300mg of cholesterol a day. - Flour
Hear me out! I’m not talking about just any old flour, because I know things like gluten intolerances/allergies are a lot more common these days – and even without things like Coeliac’s Disease disrupting your eating patterns, all-purpose white flour really isn’t that great for you anyhow.
I’m talking about alternative flours like coconut flour, almond flour, and tapioca flour, all containing many more vitamins and minerals than basic white flour. The reason they’re called alternative? Because you shouldn’t have to cut out all the delicious flour-containing foods in your life! Try out some substitutes and see how it makes you feel… - Dairy
I’m actually nervous adding this one to the list. Obviously another “each to their own” scenario, but none the less an important one to clarify. Cultured dairy foods like yogurt contain probiotics which provide us with heaps of health benefits like Probiotics, and Probiotics in the diet mean good bacteria in the gut, improved health and a reduced risk of certain diseases. There are good’s and bad’s when it comes to Dairy, but moderate consumption of super nutritious forms like Greek Yoghurt are a really yummy addition to a balanced diet. - Tequila
And when I say Tequila, what I really mean is Agave Syrup. It’s made from the sap of the Blue Agave plant (the same plant Tequila is made from!) and even though it’s as sweet as sugar, it has a pretty low Glycemic Index value, so it won’t cause a sharp rise or fall in blood sugar.
FYI – The Glycemic Index is a ranking of carbohydrate in foods according to how they effect our blood sugar levels. 100 represents pure sugar, so for health reasons you want to stick to the lower end of the index.
LOW GI = GOOD, HIGH GI = BAD.
We all know how easy it is to succumb to the sugar cravings and go from 0 to 100, real quick… So swap the sugar for a shot of Agave and enjoy the healthy high man.
Fun Fact: You can completely substitute sugar for Agave as a raw topping, a sweetener for your drinks, and even in cooking. To replace regular naughty sugar with Agave in cooking, use 1/3 cup of agave nectar for every Cup of sugar. It’s that simple.
So there you go. 5 foods you don’t have to live without this year… I guess you can have your cake and eat it too!
Speaking of which, (incase you hadn’t already noticed) each item on this list is an ingredient in Chocolate Cake.
The universe has a funny way of telling you things…
Images courtesy of Pinterest <3