Eduardo Sasso

I might be obsessed with food. Even saying that I eat five meals a day is an understatement. Most of the time, I cannot even differentiate when one meal started and the next one began as I eat pretty much all the time. I also eat enormous amounts of food when I feel like I need them. Well, that was a lie. I eat enormous amounts of food all the time. However, I manage to maintain a lean, athletic figure. I could go on saying something like: “I’m lucky to have a ‘young’ metabolism and like to excessively exercise at times, so I burn lots of calories.” It is true but is only half the truth. The food choices I make play a vital role in how I feel and ultimately perform.

Summer is a tricky season as its high temperatures demand you to drink lots of hydrating liquids which in turn make you full for a fraction of the time a full meal would. But when hunger strikes in between the main meals, it is important to have your healthy options ready and at hand. Snacks add up to almost half of the foods we eat throughout the day. So, make smart choices when it comes to fueling your bodies well.

One of my favorites are fruits, not any kind, but berries in particular. The same way as they are vibrant in color, they are vibrant in their antioxidant capacity as they bond free radicals. They contain a substance called resveratrol, which is also found in red wine and chocolate, that prevents inflammation and keeps your skin fresh and glowing.

Another of my go-to hunger quenchers that boast very similar antioxidant properties to berries are nuts.
They are moreover packed with healthy fats and are known to even out the sugars in your blood from eating sweet treats like fruits. They are nutritiously rich and high in fiber. 

If you are more of a vegetable than fruit enthusiast, asparagus might be your healthy choice. It is full of vitamin B, which plays a vital role in digestion and is proven to calm down the system. Asparagus is a great choice of a side dish to fish or meats and nutritious addition to risottos, salads, sandwiches, or soups. Yes, your pee might stink a little, but as cool as you are by the time it digests, do you still care? It clears the excess fluids and salt from your body, preventing bacteria to grow. For same reasons, it is also a great hangover food as it flushes the toxins out of your system, while it also decreases bloating. On top of it all, it boosts your mood. How wouldn’t it? It offers so many positive benefits to your health.

Another green choice would also be avocado which boasts the best healthy fats there are. It is moreover very easy to incorporate into different meals. It goes well with salads. It brightens meat dishes, grounds the spiciness of curry bowls, substitutes other condiments like mayo or mustard in sandwiches, serves as a base to raw treats, and is delicious by itself mashed with a banana or drizzled with a sweetener (maple syrup, agave syrup, honey, or sweetness alike) and sprinkled with seeds.

Did I earlier say that berries are one of my favorites? I lied then, too. It is chocolate that tops them all. The type that consists of 70% or more of cacao. For that percentage, you’ll also be fuller after fewer bites. It’s a win-win, right? Plus, it improves your brain’s activity, helps strengthen memory, prevents your heart from diseases, helps lower bad cholesterol and restores flexibility to the arteries which then boost circulation. It contains phenylethylamine, which is the same chemical released when falling in love. If that’s not good enough reason to shamelessly have a piece, then you are really not a chocolate person like myself. 

Last but not least, live by the 80/20 rule and indulge when absolutely needed. There should be no shame in the healthy eating game. When you’re leading a healthy lifestyle, indulging is a compliment, not something you should hit your head against the wall for.