Five Foods For the Rest of My Life: Healthy Edition

I often pose the question, "If you could only eat five foods for the rest of your life what would they be?"  I do this mostly out of general curiosity and to see what people think gives them the most bang for their nutritional buck.  When the question is turned back to me I usually say healthy foods.  Shenanigans is then called and my healthy choices are called out for being just that- healthy.  My choices are based on living a long, healthy, productive life on a deserted island instead of filling my face with rich, fatty foods for the rest of my life.  So with out further ado here are my five healthy choices.

Grass-Fed Beef

I love red meat.  I love it a lot.  I can't say I've eaten a cut that I don't like.  Except for maybe some shit quality top round which usually needs some sexying up with spices because it kind of tastes like a tire if you don't cook it right.  Now for the qualifier: grass-fed.  The reason I want it grass fed is because cows evolved to eat grass.  When cows eat grass they are at their healthiest.  Which makes them healthier for us to eat.  Grass-fed cows have much higher amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, which if you've just crawled out from under a rock, are also known as "good-fats".  A simple Google search will yield you all the reasons you need as to why you should eat more omega-3s.

Grass-fed cows also have higher amounts of vitamin-E, CLA than their grain-fed brethren.  Vitamin-E is a very potent antioxidant and may lower the risk of heart disease.  CLA is another one of the so-called "good fats".  There is evidence that CLA may help reduce the risk of cancer in humans.  CLA may also be beneficial in weight management.

Almonds

I would rather eat almonds than potato chips.  I like the crunch, I like the taste, they go well with beer.  They do everything for me.  Aside from being tasty they are also packed with more nutrients than any other nut.  They are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, zinc, iron and fiber (got to stay regular).
Blueberries

I eat frozen blueberries all the time.  I probably like them better than fresh.  They have the same nutrient profile as fresh and it's almost like eating sherbet.  Blueberries have the highest antioxidant content than any other commercially available berry.  I've heard a lot about the acai berry and acai berry juice, but an acai berry you buy at the source is night and day from an acai berry you pick at the source.  Plus, anything I've had that has acai berry juice in it tastes like ass.  I'll stick with blueberries.

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are another nutrient packed food.  They contain a ton of vitamin-A and are a good source of manganese (most people don't even know what manganese is), vitamin-C, copper, fiber, potassium, iron, and vitamin b6.  In addition they are also very anti-inflammatory, which is important when you live a life of reckless abandon like I do.  I can't worry about my joints being sore when there are volcanoes to luge, crocodiles to wrestle, and snakes to wrangle.

Spinach Greens

That Popeye guy was on to something.  When Popeye squeezed a can of spinach down his throat Bluto didn't stand a chance.  You think Wimpy could handle that shit eating all those hamburgers on loan?  Hell no.  Why do you think he was called "Wimpy"?  All those burgers and nothing else turned him into a sad sack piece of shit.  Popeye on the other hand ate spinach and  more than likely other healthy stuff and beat the shit out of Bluto and banged Olive Oil like there was no tomorrow.

Everything that I talked about in the previous four foods, except beef's high protein content, are present in some manner in spinach.  They have tons of antioxidant properties, are highly anti-inflammatory, and don't taste at all bad or earthy.

To conclude, there are obviously other foods that are just as healthy as these.  However if you make these foods the base of your nutrition, eat them according to your goals, and sprinkle in some other "fun" foods, you will look better, feel better, and perform better.

Next will be my non-healthy selections.  This is going to take a lot of deliberation and soul searching.  I just might find out who I really am.