We have all heard the advice,“to be healthy, you need to eat more fruits and vegetables.”

But what EXACTLY does this mean?

And, are there certain foods that are more important than others?

In the past, we have featured a monthly “Superfood”, encouraging our members to enjoy that food in a variety of ways throughout the month.

We wanted this to help you discover a joy for these foods, while expanding your universe of REAL food…and crowding out those not so good for us food-like substances!

What exactly is a “Superfood”?

A loose definition of a superfood is “a food that is considered to be beneficial to your health and may even help some medical conditions.” This includes foods that contain higher than normal amounts of beneficial nutrients with anti-oxidizing and anti-inflammatory powers, which is why foods like blueberries, salmon, kale and mushrooms are all considered superfoods. We include a variety of REAL food superstars in all the recipes on Eat REAL America! And, we purposely jam-packed them into each and every recipe in our Eat REAL Cookbook!

While all REAL foods are superfoods, especially compared to processed foods, some REAL foods are even more super than others! If you want to make these part of your daily routine, we offer a handy tool to see and track your progress.

These “daily defenders” can truly make a difference in your health! We even created a magnetic dry-erase version of this checklist to keep on your fridge so you can remind and challenge yourself — and everyone in your family! Watch Zonya explain their importance and how to use the REAL Food Daily Defender Checklist!

Why include these 9 REAL foods every day?

Consuming nuts daily reduces your risk of death from heart disease by 29%.
Both flax or chia seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids and beneficial compounds called lignans, which are known to help reduce blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of cancer. Adding just 1 Tbsp a day to your cereal or yogurt will add a super boost of nutrition!
Berries, when consumed several times per week, have more anti-oxidants than broccoli and spinach, reduce blood sugar spikes and improve inflammatory markers.
A daily dose of citrus fruit will provide the highly effective anti-oxidant Vitamin C, plus improves the absorption of iron.
The “apple a day” recommendation is really very smart! Apples are famous for their satisfying and cholesterol-sponging fiber, and feel free to trade in pears, peaches, bananas, grapes or melons.
Consuming beans 4 times / week reduces your risk of heart disease by 21%.
Eating a variety of leafy greens daily, just 3 cups raw, or 1 cup cooked, is the foundation for weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol control, plus defending against cancer.
Eating mushrooms regularly can decrease breast cancer risk by 64%.
Adding a single serving of cruciferous vegetables each day cuts the risk of cancer by more than half!

Crushing your Daily Defender Challenge is easier than you think – watch Zonya show you how simple it really can be!

Here are even more great-tasting ideas:

Smoothies – ideal way to include several daily defenders, especially for kids! See our coaching tip for no fail smoothies!
Winter Blues Fruit Salad – provides greens, nuts, citrus fruit and berries.
Streusel Berry Muffins – nuts, flax seed and berries!
Dreamy Fruit n’ Nutty Salad – apple, berries, chia seeds and nuts!
Roasted Sweet Potato and Chickpea Buddha Bowl – nuts, beans and cruciferous veggies.
Mushroom Tortilla Pizza – includes beans, mushrooms, and a cruciferous veggie!
Surprise Spaghetti Bolognese – no one will ever know, but this delicious spaghetti includes nuts AND mushrooms!

Do you have an idea that includes multiple daily defenders?

Please share with us your challenges and successes!

For anyone interested, the following helpful tools are included in both the following courses: Zonya’s Eat REAL Weight Loss Intensive Livestream Course (January 26th to April 20th, 2023) and the more concise version of this course, Eat REAL For Your Health!

These also make a great gift for your loved ones – take advantage of our combo set and combine the Eat REAL Cookbook with the REAL Food Daily Defender Checklist and the Eat REAL Shopping List Notepad.

Members frequently tell us our online shopping list makes life super-convenient, and we all know that a hard copy notepad at your fingertips can sometimes be a necessity too. This handy 25-page notepad is not only the perfect place to jot down all those “just ran out of items,” it also organizes your shopping list by grocery store section, getting you in and out of the store in no time!

Cookbook Combo Set: