The Holiday Challenge
I hope you all have a safe Memorial Day weekend. Here in the northern hemisphere, it’s the official kickoff of the summer season that ends with Labor Day. I alluded to a challenge, so let me lay it out for you: I want you to keep track of all the vegetables and fruit you eat beginning today.
Expand your horizons and try some new veggies. Challenge yourself to eat something other than Romaine or iceberg lettuce for salads, although they certainly count. Try arugula or bok choy, or switch it up and grill some radicchio. For this challenge, corn on the cob counts as a vegetable instead of a grain. Melon, tomatoes, berries of all types, as well as bananas and apples count. I may even try grilling avocado for the first time.
Need some ideas? Paula found this intriguing recipe online, and we’re trying it this weekend.
The goal is to increase your phytonutrient intake by a massive amount. Vegetables and fruit all have some nutrients you need, and the summer is the easiest time to get them. You can prepare them any way you want; grill watermelon or pineapple or caramelize onions for your burgers. The method doesn’t matter because cooking may change the form of phytonutrients but doesn’t destroy them. As I said in Tuesday’s Memo, condiments count. Ketchup, mustard, and relish—sweet or dill—all have specific phytonutrients in them.
Using the honor system, send me a list of everything you ate from these groups—just the names, not the amounts. For the person who gets the most, I’ll offer a free six-month Insider membership or the digital Optimal Performance program. Have fun, be safe, and I’ll be back next Tuesday.
What are you prepared to do today?
