DAY 2: I’m not nuts but I like them

My special nut mix, featuring pumpkin seeds, macadamias, walnuts and goji berries.

When I started this challenge, I knew one aspect of it was doomed from the very start. Winter‘s settling in in South Africa, which means no blueberries -- one of the most renowned superfoods.

I’ve just had to improvise, so when I couldn’t find any canned blueberries at the supermarket, I bought some blueberry juice for drinking instead. It’s refreshing and not too sweet, so you don’t feel like the only thing you’re stocking up on is sugar rather than any of the fruit’s antioxidant-y goodness. 

Blueberries boost brain power, keep you looking younger for longer, prevent age-related neurological illnesses and, well, the list goes on and on. So I just couldn’t leave them out of this challenge!

In spite of my efforts, I still felt like something was missing; as if wasn’t getting the full benefit of fresh blueberries. I decided to fill the void by throwing together a mix of other nutrient-rich foods to snack on over the course of the week.

I added goji berries, macadamia nuts, walnuts and pumpkin seeds to the mix. All of these foods, with the exception of walnuts, are relatively foreign to me. I’m one of those people who can’t help but roll their eyes when they see someone eating seeds. I once heard a little boy in a supermarket point at a seed bar and say: “Mom, who would actually want that bird seed thing?”. Agreed, young man, agreed.

But I’ve been told pumpkin seeds are a superfood, so I’ve put my foodie prejudices aside and given them a try for the sake of triumphing over this eating programme. Surprisingly, I like them! There’s something comforting about them, a bit like eating peanut butter.

Speaking of peanut butter, certain kinds of nuts are also top superfoods because they’re good for your heart. Like avocados, they’re high in calories and fat but the good kind. I chose the king of all nuts, walnuts, because they have the most omega-3 fatty acids and contain antioxidant ellagic acid, which is great for the immune system. I also added macadamias, which due to their high fat content are new on the superfood scene.

Last, but not least, I added goji berries, a Himalayan berry that some believe can be used to treat all kinds of ailments, including diabetes, malaria and even cancer. While none of this has been scientifically proven, goji berries is still considered a superfood because of its nutritional benefits -- it has more vitamin C than oranges! Good thing too; I’ve always hated peeling oranges.

Today’s menu:

Before gym: a handful of my nut mix

Breakfast: oats and bluberry juice

Lunch: leftover pasta from last night

Snack: an apple

Dinner: two slices of wholewheat toast topped with a boiled egg and 

Late snack: a couple of blocks of 85% dark chocolate (yes, chocolate! I‘ll tell you about it soon) and a glass of milk. 

With the supermarkets all out of blueberries, I've had to improvise with blueberry juice.