Thank God I'm Natural

If you’re like us, you may end up dismissing a health food once it’s become trendy or overly marketed.

Who wants to drink kombucha when hipsters are carrying around their homemade brews on every corner? And should acai be in our breakfast bowls if it’s in our spam filters?

It’s easy to forget that many of these faddish foods became must-have munchables because of their actual health benefits.

We tapped the nutrition known-how of Keri Glassman, celeb nutritionist and founder of Nutritious Life, to find out when it’s right to follow the crowd with our shopping carts.

Here are 10 (super) trendy health foods she recommends…

Chia Seeds

Found in: In bags and snacks at the natural food store, Organic Avenue pudding, a delicious muffin at Le Pain Quotidien, even Dr. Perricone’s Super skin-care line.

Merits: Chia seeds fueled the ancient Aztecs and “are a great source of fiber and are loaded with omega 3 fatty acids,” says Glassman. Because they absorb fluid well, they can naturally thicken smoothies, and they help you feel full longer.

Recommended use: 1 tablespoon a day sprinkled into smoothies, salads or soups.

Maca Root

Found in: Cinnamon Snail’s vegan food-truck shake, health guru David Wolfe’s kitchen, and in supplements and Gnosis chocolate.

Merits: Maca may help spice up your sex life, but more research is needed on that front, says Glassman, who confirms its other benefits. It’s loaded with “amino acids important for skin and bone health, and sterols, which help control cholesterol levels.” Bonus: Like ginseng, maca raises the body’s ability to ward off disease via natural hormone regulation.

Recommended use: 1 tablespoon of the root in ground powder form. Sprinkle over food or add it to tea or smoothies (possibly for the Barry White effect.

Acai Berries

Found in: Breakfast bowls at Juice Generation, Sambazon beverages, plus the frozen-food, skin-care, and supplements aisle, and your spam filter.

Merits: Antioxidants are trendy on their own, but the molecules really do protect against daily damage from free radicals, and acai packs a powerful dose. Contrary to some claims, the berries won’t result in miraculous weight loss, warns Glassman. And, she says, “Remember, blueberries are probably just as great.”

Recommended use: Add the fruit to smoothies or cereal, or stir acai powder or concentrate into a glass of water after a workout. Use on your skin help fight sun and free-radical damage.

Kale

Found in: You can’t escape it! Salads at every healthy restaurant (and City Bakery), at Whole Foods in the form of overpriced chips, and every green juice.

Merits: Glassman calls kale the “green giant” because of its abundant vitamins and minerals. It’s packed with calcium and vitamin K for healthy bones and has a whopping 5 grams of fiber per cup, which is great for digestion. “It also has 45 different flavonoids, potent antioxidants that research has linked to lowering the risk of cancer,” says Glassman.

Recommended use: Get a cup of kale daily. Steam for 5 minutes, drink it up in a juice, or massage in a delish raw salad.

Hemp Seeds

Found in: The cabinets of celebs like Alicia Silverstone and Dr. Andrew Weil, and lots of dishes at Candle 79.

Merits: Hemp seeds contain omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids and are loaded with potassium, iron, and calcium. “They’re one of the only plant-based complete proteins containing all eight essential amino acids that your body can’t make and must obtain through food,” says Glassman. They may also lower bad LDL cholesterol—and help you get or stay regular.

Recommended use: 1 tablespoon per day as a snack, or add to salads and soups.

Kombucha

Found in: Park Slope Food Co-op shopping carts, yogi tote bags, skin-care products, and in the fridge of many a DIY fermenter.

Merits: Kombucha got a bad rap when Whole Foods pulled it from the shelves due to higher-than-advertised levels of alcohol. But since it’s made from the fermentation of sugar in tea by bacterial yeasts, its probiotic properties may improve digestive health. “By adding good bacteria to the natural flora of the gut, probiotics keep your GI tract happy and healthy,” says Glassman.

Recommended use: 1 cup to drink (maybe not while operating heavy machinery).

Goji Berries

Found in: Dried in bags like Craisins and often in supplement form, chocolates, and snacks.

Merits: Like acai, goji berries are antioxidant rich. Vitamins A, C, and E boost your immune system and fight inflammation. Chinese medicine says these berries will help you live to be over 100, says Glassman. “But they may in fact be similar to blackberries and raspberries in terms of nutrition.” More research is needed to support claims like improved cognition, sleep quality, and athletic performance.

Recommended use: 2 tablespoons daily, dried or in smoothies.
Coconut

Found in: The water is in every deli fridge for post-workout hydration and the meat is a vegan favorite for milk and ice cream. The oil and sugar is used in cooking and baking.

Merits: “Coconut meat is packed with fiber, protein, vitamins B1, B6, C and E, folic acid, calcium, and iron,” says Glassman. And although coconut oil (extracted from the meat) is high in saturated fat, it’s a form that is more readily used for energy and less likely to be stored as fat.

Recommended use: 2 teaspoons in place of vegetable oils, or spread coconut butter on toast. Beware too much coconut water, which has a lot of natural sugar.

Quinoa

Found in: The bulk bin, plus salads, wraps, bowls at Jivamuktea Cafe, and maybe even your morning cereal.

Merits: Quinoa is a great source of vitamins and minerals and has more protein than almost all other grains. Its high magnesium content may help those prone to migraines. “It’s also an excellent source of B vitamins, important for energy and cell repair,” says Glassman.

Recommended use: Eat quinoa as porridge for breakfast with fruit. Combine with veggies and chickpeas for a lunch salad. Use in place of brown rice at dinner.

Quercetin

Found in: Green tea, apples, red wine, citrus fruit, the supplements aisle, and in skin-care products.

Merits: Quercetin is not an actual food, but a phytochemical. (Even phytochemicals can be trendy!) It has been shown to decrease the incidence of colon and lung cancer through its powerful anti-inflammatory agents.

Recommended use: Eat whole fruits and vegetables to reap its benefits. Even for your skin.

Women with great skin aren’t just lucky; they’re also diligent about caring for it. Watch the ingredients they put on their faces, and know that it all starts on the inside. We asked seven skin-care experts about their own age-defying routines — and offer their remarkably similar answers.

1. They Look for (Natural) Active Ingredients

People used to think that natural products wouldn’t help with aging skin, but so much has changed, says Barbara Close, herbalist and founder of Naturopathica Skincare. Now potent extracts from plants make it possible to create natural products that really work.

“Look for advanced ingredients like peptides, liposomes, and glycosides,” says Suki Kramer, founder of Suki Skincare. These ingredients can brighten skin, even tone, and prevent wrinkles, all of which are early signs of aging from oxidation and environmental influences.

2. They Use Sunscreen … Usually

The No.1 antiaging weapon is sunblock, Close says. “The best natural sunscreens are zinc and titanium dioxide, which are nonirritating natural blocks that reflect the sun’s rays and help prevent damage.” But you also need about 10 minutes of unblocked sun every day to produce vitamin D, Kramer explains. “I try to get outside for 10 minutes, before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m.,” says Josie Maran, model and founder of Josie Maran Cosmetics.

3. They Love Antioxidants of All Types

Everything you’ve heard about the health benefits of red wine also applies to your skin, Kramer says. Just as antioxidants prevent free-radical damage from the sun and pollution in the body, they do the same for the skin. Look for ingredients like resveratrol, acai, blueberry extract, white tea, green tea, and vitamin E, advises Macrene Alexiades, M.D., a New York City dermatologist.

4. They Embrace Oil

“I first discovered oils when I was on a modeling trip in the south of France,” Maran says. “I saw an older French woman with beautiful skin and asked her what she used.” (It was argan oil.)

“Think about the seed of a plant, where the oil comes from,” Close says. “It contains the whole life force and genetic imprint of the plant.” Oils such as evening primrose, rose hip, and argan contain omega-3s and -6s that protect cells and improve barrier function. “Basically, they hydrate your skin,” Close says. And unlike mineral oils, they’re absorbed into the skin — instead of just sitting on top of the surface, blocking pores and causing breakouts.

“I use coconut oil for everything, without fail,” says Karyn Calabrese, a holistic health expert. it works as a makeup remover and as an intensive moisturizer. Jojoba oil is even lighter and keeps oily skin in balance.

5. They Eat Fat, Fruits, and Veggies

Good fats and oils, like olive oil and fish-oil supplements, are important for keeping the skin lubricated, our experts say. “You should not be avoiding healthy fat if you want to maintain young-looking skin,” Kramer says. Studies show that fats and oils help improve the skin’s barrier function, reduce water loss, and actually decrease inflammation. Getting antioxidants through your diet is also important, says Elizabeth K. Hale, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City. Choose fruits, leafy vegetables, and green tea. Your skin cells completely turn over every 28 days — and those new cells incorporate whatever raw materials you’re putting into your body.

6. They Exercise

Working out releases anti-inflammatory endorphins, which help the skin heal and promote circulation, Wechsler says. They also increase microcirculation, which brings blood to skin cells. And studies show that healthy behavior in one part of your life carries into other areas, making your skin — and you — healthier as a result

7. They Practice Yoga, Get Massages, and Reduce Stress

Even when it comes to skin care, the mind-body connection is key, says Amy Wechsler, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City. Stress and emotional upheavals can make your skin look many years older than it actually is. When you’re stressed, cortisol molecules are at a higher concentration than anti-inflammatory molecules; cortisol breaks down collagen, promotes wrinkles, and causes dry skin.

Source: Whole Living (Olessa Pindak)