Berries
Fresh berries contain a multitude of antioxidants, minerals, fibre, polyphenols, plus they’re low in calories!
Because of their high fibre & liquid content, it helps keep us satiated & more importantly it keeps your digestive system healthy.
Some of the common berries are – strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, goji berry, mulberry, cranberry.
Delicious ways KOA coaches enjoy them: These are great as snacks in between work! As they are naturally sweet, we love adding them to plain greek yogurt for a little flavour. It is just as healthy to buy them frozen! Just blend it together with other fruits & vegetables to make fresh juice in the morning.
Nuts & Seeds
A mixture of nuts & seeds are a great addition to your daily diet.
They are rich in healthy fats, protein, iron, zinc, niacin. This makes it a great alternative to animal protein too. Research shows that eating nuts & seeds can help lower your risk of cardiovascular disease.
However, these superfoods are nutrient & caloric dense, so a handful would be enough!
Delicious ways KOA coaches enjoy them: Nuts & seeds are super versatile! We eat them as it is, add them into our yogurt & oatmeal. Sometimes we sprinkle a handful to our day-to-day meals for a more balanced diet.
Dark Leafy Greens
“I’m strong to the finish, ‘cause I eats me spinach.” -Popeye the Sailor Man-
We couldn’t agree more with Popeye on this!
Dark leafy greens (DLG) are one of the healthiest foods that should be included in our daily diet. This is because they are packed with fibre, iron, calcium, folate, & vitamins.
Superfoods can be expensive so DLGs are an affordable alternative. Apart from spinach, some other DLGs that are locally accessible to us include – Bok Choy, Choy Sum, Kai Lan, Chinese Mustard Greens, Bayam, Sawi, Kale, Lettuce & Arugula.
Delicious ways KOA coaches enjoy them: We like the local greens asian stir fry style with garlic, coconut oil seasoned with himalayan pink salt & pepper. As for the salad-like leafy greens, it pairs well with grilled chicken & fish alike.
Yogurt
We’re not talking about the heavily sweetened, fruit-mixed-in type. We’re talking about the OG – whole & unsweetened yogurt. We recommend Greek Yogurt as its protein content is higher.
Credit: Serious Eats
Yogurt is rich in many nutrients such as calcium, Vitamin B12, phosphorus & riboflavin, and contains probiotics that promote gut health & aids digestion.
Delicious ways KOA coaches enjoy them: Many ways you can enjoy it – either as-is, with fruits or muesli! Here’s a healthy tip: swap your store bought mayo for homemade yogurt mixed with minced garlic, black pepper, himalayan pink salt & a squeeze of lemon.
Cacao Nibs
These tiny but intensely chocolatey superfoods known as “Nature’s Chocolate Chips”, derives from Theobroma cacao beans. They aren’t as sweet as chocolate & naturally low in sugar making it a great alternative to processed sweets & chocolates. Cacao nibs are one of the best sources of magnesium, per 30g of Cacao Nibs provides about 84mg of magnesium!
Delicious ways KOA coaches enjoy them: Add them into all the delicious baked goods we enjoy so much! Or sprinkled onto oatmeal, chia seed pudding & yogurt.
Turmeric
Turmeric is one of the most easily accessible superfoods you can get your hands on in Malaysia. It contains medicinal compounds called curcumin, which is beneficial to health.
It is an “anti-everything” effect – anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial & antioxidant – that can be both ingested & applied to your skin.
Include turmeric to your diet to give a boost to your immune system & the youthful glow-up your skin needs!
Delicious ways KOA coaches enjoy them: Incorporate them as seasoning & natural colouring into our meals. It pairs well with almost everything, even as a latte!
Green Tea
We are no strangers to green tea. It’s widely recognised for its high antioxidants called catechins, that delivers positive health effects. Green tea has been known to contain anticancer properties, antiaging properties, help boost metabolism & increase fat-burning effects which aids in fat loss.
With a mild caffeine content, it may also help boost brain function & alertness due to a chemical compound called amino acid L-theanine, which makes green tea a great choice to have if you are in need of a midday pick-me-up.
Delicious ways KOA coaches enjoy them: Green tea with a squeeze of lemon gives a refreshing zing to the earthy flavour. Surprisingly tastes good when incorporated into cooking too!
