Introduction
It’s January, and for many, it is another round of diet restriction in pursuit of better health. The advice is usually the same: cut out sugar, avoid carbs, stop eating after 7 p.m.
While well-intentioned, this focus on “what not to eat” often leads to frustration, burnout, and unsustainable habits—especially for busy parents and executives juggling packed schedules.
What if, instead of focusing on what to cut out, you shifted your mindset to what to eat more of? This is the power of the abundance mindset—a shift from deprivation to nourishment.
By adding foods that naturally burn fat, reduce inflammation, and prevent cancer, you can improve your health while building a lifestyle that feels joyful.
Science has proven that certain foods can supercharge your body’s natural defense systems. These foods work smarter, not harder, to help you thrive.
The best part? These are simple, everyday foods you can easily incorporate into your meals.
Dr. William Li, a world-renowned physician, cancer researcher and pioneer in the science of food as medicine, highlights how certain nutrients trigger key anti-inflammatory and fat-burning mechanisms, in his book Eat to Beat Your Diet. These include:
Reducing inflammation: A root cause of most chronic diseases
Improving insulin sensitivity: Helping your body burn fat more efficiently
Activating thermogenesis: Turning on your body’s natural fat-burning engines
Reducing visceral fat: The harmful belly fat linked to diabetes and heart disease
Together, we’ll explore 12 powerful food categories that can help you transform your health. This year, skip the trap of restrictive dieting. By the end of this article, you’ll have actionable steps—and a free guide—to start eating with joy and an abundance mindset today.
Key Takeaway: Health isn’t about what you cut out—it’s about what you add in. With the right foods, you can fuel your body to burn fat, reduce inflammation, and fight disease naturally and effortlessly.
The Science Behind the Power of Food
What makes certain foods so effective at burning fat, reducing inflammation, and protecting against disease? It all comes down to how these foods interact with your body’s natural systems.
Research into the bioactive compounds in food highlights four key mechanisms that can supercharge your health.
Reducing Inflammation
Chronic inflammation is often called the "silent killer," contributing to everything from weight gain to heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Certain foods, like those high in sulforaphanes or omega-3s, combat this by neutralizing inflammatory processes at the cellular level.
Improving Insulin Sensitivity
Insulin resistance—the body’s impaired ability to process blood sugar—is a driver of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Foods rich in quercetin, anthocyanins, and lignans help your body process glucose more effectively, preventing energy crashes and promoting fat-burning.
Activating Thermogenesis
Thermogenesis is your body’s natural ability to generate heat by burning calories. Foods like chili peppers, green tea, and hydroxytyrosol from olive oil stimulate this process, effectively turning your metabolism into a fat-burning furnace.
Reducing Visceral Fat
Visceral fat, the deep belly fat surrounding vital organs, is not only aesthetically undesirable but also dangerous, increasing your risk for metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. Nutrients like lycopene and beta-D-glucan actively target this type of fat, helping to reduce its harmful effects.
Key Takeaway: The right foods don’t just fuel your body—they work on a cellular level to reduce inflammation, improve metabolism, and protect against disease. Eating smarter leads to better health and feels much more enjoyable than restriction!
The 12 Bioactive Powerhouses
Certain foods have the power to go beyond basic nutrition—they can actively support healing, boost energy, and protect against disease. Packed with bioactive compounds, these 12 food categories work at the cellular level to burn fat, reduce inflammation, and shield against cancer.
By focusing on incorporating more of these compounds into my own diet, I automatically reduced the need for impulsive snacks (usually on junk foods). I found a way to be more intentional with my food choices, to help me support my cancer recovery journey without feeling over-restricted.
Let’s explore what makes each category unique and some of my favourite ways to add them seamlessly to your meals.
Key Takeaway: By adding even a handful of these nutrient-packed options to your daily meals, you can unlock powerful health benefits without sacrificing flavour or joy.
1- Quercetin
Why it matters: Quercetin is a potent antioxidant and natural anti-inflammatory. It’s been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and support heart health
Where to find it: Apples, onions, capers, kale, and berries
My favourite ways to incorporate it:
Snack on sliced apples with peanut butter
Use red onions in salads or as a pickle
Sprinkle capers on salads or toasties; it pairs beautifully with smoked salmon
Did you know? Capers are one of the richest natural sources of quercetin, containing 30 times more than a medium apple. A small sprinkle can pack a powerful anti-inflammatory punch!
2- Luteolin
Why it matters: This flavonoid is known for its anti-inflammatory and cancer-preventive properties. It may also protect the brain by reducing oxidative stress and supporting memory
Where to find it: Celery, parsley, chamomile tea, and green peppers
My favourite ways to incorporate it:
Make tabbouleh!
Chop celery into soups
Brew chamomile tea as an evening wind-down
Add green peppers to stir-fries or fajitas
Did you know? Parsley contains some of the highest levels of luteolin among herbs. Just a small handful can provide a significant dose of brain-protecting benefits
3- Hesperidin
Why it matters: Found in citrus fruits, hesperidin supports vascular health and reduces inflammation, making it a heart-friendly nutrient
Where to find it: Oranges, lemons, grapefruits, and their peels
My favourite ways to incorporate it:
Snack on whole citrus fruits for a vitamin boost
Add lemon zest and juice to dressings, marinades, or baked goods
Did you know? Hesperidin is most concentrated in the white pith of citrus fruits, so don’t peel too deeply when prepping your oranges or grapefruits!
4- Beta-Glucan
Why it matters: This soluble fiber lowers cholesterol, supports gut health, and strengthens the immune system
Where to find it: Oats, barley, shiitake mushrooms, and seaweed
My favourite ways to incorporate it:
Start the day with overnight oats or porridge topped with berries and nuts
Add barley to soups and stews for a hearty, fiber-rich boost
Add shiitake mushrooms to soups and stir-frys
Did you know? Just 3 grams of beta-D-glucan from oats per day can lower cholesterol levels and improve heart health, making your morning oatmeal a simple but powerful health boost.
5- Lycopene
Why it matters: Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that protects against certain cancers, especially prostate and breast cancers, and promotes skin health
Where to find it: Tomatoes, watermelon, guava, and pink grapefruit
My favourite ways to incorporate it:
Plenty of cooked tomato sauces for all types of dishes
Pink grapefruit segments with breakfast
Slice watermelon for a refreshing snack or watermelon and feta salad, yum!
Did you know? Cooking tomatoes boosts their lycopene content by up to 35%, making tomato sauce, paste, or roasted tomatoes an even better choice for cancer prevention
6- Lignans
Why it matters: These plant compounds balance hormones, support heart health, and may help prevent hormone-related cancers
Where to find it: Flaxseeds, sesame seeds, whole grains, and kale.
My favourite ways to incorporate it:
Tahini in hummus and dressings – need I say more!
Sprinkle ground flaxseeds on yogurt or smoothies
Did you know? Flaxseeds must be ground for your body to absorb lignans. Whole flaxseeds pass through the digestive system largely intact. Flaxseeds contain up to 800 times more lignans than most other foods
7- Ellagic Acid
Why it matters: Known for its anti-cancer properties, ellagic acid neutralizes carcinogens and reduces oxidative stress
Where to find it: Strawberries, raspberries, pomegranates, and walnuts
My favourite ways to incorporate it:
Top oatmeal or cereal with berries (fresh or frozen)
Enjoy pomegranate seeds as a snack or in salads like fattoush
Snack on walnuts in the afternoons
Did you know? Ellagic acid is found in the seeds of raspberries and pomegranates. By eating these fruits whole—including the seeds—you maximize their cancer-fighting potential
8- Anthocyanins
Why it matters: These pigments give berries their vibrant colour and help reduce inflammation, improve insulin sensitivity, and support brain health
Where to find it: Blueberries, blackberries, red cabbage, and purple sweet potatoes
My favourite ways to incorporate it:
Blend berries into smoothies or overnight oats
Make purple cabbage fresh coleslaw
Roast purple sweet potatoes as a colourful side dish
Did you know? The darker the berry, the higher the anthocyanin content. Wild blueberries, for example, contain more anthocyanins than cultivated varieties
9- Hydroxytyrosol
Why it matters: Found in olives, hydroxytyrosol is a potent anti-inflammatory that protects against cardiovascular disease and supports longevity
Where to find it: Extra virgin olive oil and olives
My favourite ways to incorporate it:
Drizzle olive oil on everything!
Snack on marinated olives
Did you know? Extra virgin olive oil contains the highest levels of hydroxytyrosol, especially when fresh. Choose oils with a harvest date for maximum potency
10- Sulforaphanes
Why it matters: These compounds activate detoxification pathways and reduce inflammation, with strong anti-cancer properties
Where to find it: Broccoli sprouts, kale, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts
My favourite ways to incorporate it:
Steam Brussels sprouts with garlic and lemon
Add broccoli sprouts to sandwiches or salads
Roast cabbage and serve with yogurt and nuts as a tasty side dish
Toss kale into soups or smoothies
Did you know? Broccoli sprouts contain up to 100 times more sulforaphanes than mature broccoli, making them a concentrated superfood
11- Omega-3
Why it matters: Essential for reducing inflammation, omega-3s improve brain health, heart health, and metabolic function
Where to find it: Fatty fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel), flaxseeds, chia seeds, and walnuts
My favourite ways to incorporate it:
Grill salmon for dinner
Enjoy sardines on toast as a light lunch
Add chia seeds into smoothies or chia puddings
Sprinkle walnuts on salads or roasted veggies
Did you know? Wild salmon contains almost double the omega-3 fatty acids of farmed salmon, making it a more nutrient-dense option for brain & heart health
12- Other Polyphenols
Why it matters: This diverse group of antioxidants protects against oxidative stress and inflammation, supporting overall longevity
Where to find it: Green tea, dark chocolate, coffee, and red wine (in moderation)
My favourite ways to incorporate it:
Sip green tea or a cup of organic coffee in the morning for a caffeine boost
Enjoy a square of dark chocolate (80% cocoa or higher) for dessert
Pair meals with a small glass of organic red wine occasionally
Did you know? Green tea’s polyphenols, called catechins, can boost fat-burning by up to 17% during exercise. A cup before your workout can amplify your results
How to Get Started
Incorporating bioactive foods into your daily life doesn’t have to be complicated. Here’s how to get started:
1. Set a Goal: 5 Bioactives a Day
Make it your mission to include at least five different bioactive food categories every day. You don’t need to overhaul your meals—just add one or two ingredients to what you’re already eating. Think:
A sprinkle of flaxseeds on your oatmeal
A drizzle of olive oil on your salad
A handful of berries as a snack
2. Use the Bioactive Foods Tracker
Print out the Bioactive Foods Tracker and stick it on your fridge. Each day, check off the bioactives you’ve included. Aim to tick at least five categories per day and fill in as many as possible by the end of the week.
3. Keep Bioactive Staples on Hand
Stock your pantry and fridge with versatile ingredients that make it easy to hit your daily goal. Here are a few essentials:
Frozen berries for smoothies or snacks.
Extra virgin olive oil for cooking or salads.
Pre-washed greens like kale or spinach for quick meals.
Canned salmon for a fast omega-3 boost.
4. Experiment and Enjoy
Turn this into an opportunity to try new recipes and combinations. Roast broccoli sprouts with garlic, toss flaxseeds into smoothies, or snack on capers and olives. The possibilities are endless!
Key Takeaway: Healthy eating doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. By setting a daily goal, tracking your progress, and keeping bioactive staples on hand, you’ll make it easy—and fun—to fuel your body for better health.
More About Nada
As a Certified Metabolic Health Coach, I focus on helping my clients achieve lasting health by restoring metabolic balance to sustain energy levels throughout the day, burn fat effectively, and build muscle over time.
These metabolic health benefits are the foundations of lasting wellness, because a healthy metabolism slashes your risk of chronic illnesses like diabetes, cancer, dementia, and cardiovascular diseases down the line.
Your 30s and 40s are when you can more easily lay the foundations of long-term health and longevity. Don’t wait until your 50 or 60 to start taking action – it will be much harder then!
I want to make early mid-life a chapter in which you can feel reassured about their health and thrive in all aspects of their life.
Previously, a Partner in a top-tier strategy consulting firm, I pivoted into health coaching and founded The Healthy Chain, after a personal experience with ovarian cancer, which prompted me to make health my top priority.
I am a mum of three and I know how hard it can be to prioritise health when you are juggling a career and family. I focus on realistic tweaks and swaps that slot easily into busy schedules.
You can now schedule a free "Discovery Call" with me to explore how you can start on your journey towards better health. Use this link to book.
Get in touch – I love hearing from you!
Thank you,
Nada Soubra
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