5 Foods You Must Eat This Week (And Every Week)

Here you go again: another week, another grocery list. Have you ever sat down at the kitchen table and thought, "What should I eat this week?"

Well, now that you asked....

I'm often answering that question for clients who want to know what foods should be eaten every single week to lose weight, boost energy and maximize good health.

Here are five items that should become a staple on your grocery shopping list. In fact, go to your computer and create a basic grocery list. Type these five foods on the top of the list and print out several copies with blanks for the rest of your food. You won't get stuck in a rut, but simply will be eating smart.

Here are the five foods you should eat each week:

1. Apples. Those little red babies (please buy the organic ones) are full of pectin, so they lower your cholesterol and help heal your gut. Always have one on you as a 911 emergency snack. You can also eat them as a healthy dessert by baking them. (My favorite recipe is at the end of this column!)

2. Berries. My must-haves start with blueberries, but I also love strawberries, raspberries and blackberries. Berries are packed with antioxidants that are thought to lower your cancer risk plus they also pump up your daily fiber intake. I like to eat them after dinner as a treat or throw them in my morning smoothie.

3. Deep green leafies. These beautiful, lush looking plants including spinach and other dark greens are full of vitamins and minerals including folic acid. Make an amazing micro greens and mache salad with grilled chicken topped with vinegar and extra virgin olive oil dressing. Add spinach to your scrambled eggs. Other great deep green leafies are kale, collard greens and romaine.

4. Nut butter. Not only is eating nut butter like peanut or almond butter extremely satisfying, it is also very satiating, helping you stay fuller, longer. That's why nut butter helps you lose weight while also being a heart healthy food. Have that tablespoon of nut butter each day on apple slices.

5. Wild cold water fish. These little fishies are a great source of Omega-3 fats which help you maintain bone health while promoting brain health and reducing inflammation. A little wild cold water salmon on the grill, anyone?

JJ'S BAKED APPLES
4 large baking apples
1/4 cup xylitol
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 tbsp butter
3/4 cup boiling water
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Wash apples. Remove cores to 1/2 inch of the bottom of the apples, using an apple corer or paring knife. Use a spoon to dig out the seeds. Make the holes about 3/4 inch to an inch wide. In a small bowl, combine the xylitol, cinnamon and pecans. Place apples in an 8-inch-by8-inch square baking pan. Stuff each apple with this mixture. Top with a dot of butter. Add boiling water to the baking pan. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, until tender, but not mushy. Remove from oven and baste the apples several times with the pan juices. Yummy! They're also delicious the next day cold out of the fridge.




© 2010 JJ Virgin & Associates, Inc. JJ Virgin, PHD, CNS is a celebrity wellness expert, author, public speaker and media personality. She is internationally recognized as the leader of the Weight Loss Resistance Revolution™ and trains other health care professionals in her program. She is the president of the National Association of Nutrition Professionals, www.nanp.org.

If you are frustrated with your body and feel like nothing you are doing is working, download her free “9 Live Well Secrets” audio download at www.jjvirgin.com and receive her monthlyLEANzine loaded with insider information on fighting fat and getting lean for life!