Superfoods List to Help You Become a Better Leader

To be an effective Lean trainer, coach, teacher, sensei, and mentor, one needs a lot of energy. And, it’ll help you in your personal development and health overall.

As Lean trainers, teachers, or coaches, we need a ton of energy because the work we do is very energy draining. For me, I know that after a Kaizen event, I feel exhausted. For help, I’ve turned to caffeinated drinks in the past. I don’t drink caffeine anymore, but I still find myself wanting something to help pick me up during the day. Ideally, I need to have my diet and food intake such that I get all my energy from what I normally consume.

In a recent Dr. Oz Show¹, he posted a list of 5 Superfoods that you might want to incorporate into your lifestyle and food choices. Rather than relying on energy drinks and supplements, changing what we eat will most likely lead to greater energy and help you (and me) become more effective teachers.

Below is his suggested list:

Sweet Potato

The women of Okinawa, Japan (who also happen to be the world’s longest living ladies) enjoy a purple sweet potato they call Imo every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Rich in beta-carotene and boasting 150% more antioxidants than blueberries, this easy-to-make treat can be simply incorporated into an American diet. And, if you can’t find Imo specifically, our orange sweet potatoes pack a similarly healthful wallop.

Turmeric Tea

You usually see the yellow spice turmeric in Indian curries, giving them their characteristic color. But those long-lived ladies of Okinawa slurp this spice in tea daily (and they have one-fifth the rate of breast cancer than their American counterparts). Studies have shown that turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant that can help fight cancer.

Mangosteen

fast appetite suppressant Superfoods, Superfruit, Healthy ListThis sweet, tropical fruit originally from Indonesia has made its way onto supermarket shelves in the United States. Hidden inside a thick purple rind that you cut open, is a white, creamy flesh full of vitamins A and C as well as cancer-fighting antioxidants. If you can’t find the fruit, the juice of the mangosteen, which is more widely available, is the next best thing. This is also available in tea form.

Mustard Greens

In Icaria, Greece, 1 in 3 people lives to the age of 90, making the Greek island one of the areas designated as a blue zone, where people enjoy superior longevity. There are also no cases Alzheimer’s disease reported there despite many people living to a ripe old age. One of the nourishing foods they enjoy are mustard greens. High in vitamin K (most Americans are deficient in this nutrient), the spicy greens are good for your blood and bone strength. Try them as the Icarians do: boil and then toss with a little virgin olive oil and lemon.

Barramundi Fish

If the Barramundi fish were a human, he would be a tree-hugging, salad-loving vegetarian. The Barramundi, hailing from the coast of Australia, eschews his fellow fish, dining on plankton instead. That means he doesn’t load up on mercury-packed smaller fish and has extremely low levels of the toxin, which is especially important for pregnant women. Free of mercury, but full of heart- and brain-healthy omega-3s, the Barramundi, which is becoming more popular in the US, is a shoe-in for one of the top 5 superfoods. Bonus: the white meat is light, flaky and delicious.

Back to Energy Drinks

Have you ever wondered what is truly in those energy drinks?

Below is a very general breakdown of energy drink products, their main ingredients, and then followed by a really helpful infographic ².

Active Ingredients in Energy Drinks

• Caffeine
  • Product Examples: Red Bull, Monster, Spike Shooter, 5 Hour Energy, and most energy drinks.
• Taurine
  • Product Examples: Arizona Caution Extreme, Red Bull, Rockstar, Zipfizz, 5 Hour Energy.
• Guarana
  • Product Examples: Monster, Kronik, Sobe No Fear
• Ginseng
  • Product Examples: Rockstar, Sobe, Monster, Full Throttle, Zipfizz
• B Vitamins
  • Product Examples: Vitamin Water, Nutrisoda, Pit Bull, Zipfizz, 5 Hour Energy