Eat variety and mix it up! It is so easy to get stuck in a rut with our food choices.  Remembering that a wider variety vastly improves your overall nutrition and prevents boredom perhaps will motivate you to put these on your grocery list. Here are 4 superfood options that are easy to add to the diet in simple and tasty ways. Add all four and boost your body’s anti-inflammatory, detoxifying, immune building and anti-cancer abilities.

Tulsi (Holy Basil) Tea (hot or cold) – Wow!  I was surprised when I had my first cup.  Why didn’t I try this sooner?  This ancient tea made from Holy Basil and East Indian Basil is so smoothly palatable.  If you like green or black tea, you are likely to enjoy Tulsi tea.  The good news is that it is known for relieving stress while uplifting the mood, supporting the immune system and supporting natural detoxification processes.  It is herbal, so no caffeine. Buy organic. One popular brand is Organic India, available at Whole Foods.

Parsley – This inexpensive, intensely curly and green flowering plant cultivated as an herb originates in the Mediterranean. Parsley is a free radical scavenger which helps to protect your heart, brain, and GI tract from oxidative damage. Parsley is excellent for your skin and bones and is an excellent source for both vitamin K and C.   It is also an effective regulator for bowel movements and reduces bloating while soothing the stomach.  Parsley has antibacterial and antifungal properties which work to keep your body free of pathogens. Parsley is a wonderful breath freshener.  Eat several sprigs or add it to your salad or green. Just rinse it off, shake it dry or wrap it in a towel for a minute.  Then grab the scissors and cut it finely right into your tossed salad, salad dressing, olive oil or green smoothie. 

Cacao Nibs – These yummy and crunchy little crushed cacao beans are full of flavonoids, a cherished phytonutrient your body uses as a powerful antioxidant.  The darker the chocolate the better the flavonoid content. Cacao nibs come sweetened and unsweetened.  Read labels carefully but you will find some sweetened brands with very little sugar content that are perfect for snacking, trail mixes or toppings.  Buy organic.  Navitas Organics is one brand recommendation.  Use cacao nibs to add to baked goods, plain goat or sheep yogurt, or to your smoothie. Try them in our Chocolate Pecan KETO Fat Bombs. Get the recipe by following this link: https://woodlandswellnessmd.com/chocolate-pecan-keto-fat-bombs.html/.

Rosemary – Attention all grillers out there in Texas!  The herb, rosemary, has a very unique blend of anti-oxidants which protect against the cancer-causing heterocyclic amines (HCA’s) that form on meat when cooked at high temperatures.  If you add rosemary extract to your hamburgers, you can significantly decrease or even eliminate levels of HCA’s, making that outdoor cooking a lot more healthful.  Consider placing the fresh needles in a coffee grinder to finely chop and then blending with salt, pepper and ghee. Rub this mixture on your steaks prior to grilling them.