By Dietitian & Author Manuel Villacorta
What exactly is the Super Food Incan diet, and what makes eating the Peruvian way so beneficial?
In his third book Whole Body Reboot: The Peruvian Super Foods Diet to Detoxify, Energize, and Supercharge Fat Loss (HCI Books/Dec 2014 $18.95), Manuel Villacorta lays out the important elements that make his dieting plan a well-seasoned recipe for long-lasting health.
Super food refers to foods that are low in calories and high in nutrients.
“Superfood” is not just a buzz-word or a passing vogue; it’s the integral component to leading a healthy lifestyle, a word many of us are recognizing by the minute. As these once obscure products find broader distribution and consumers have greater access, super foods are finding their way into mainstream supermarkets, gradually becoming a staple to the American diet. The benefits of consuming Peruvian super foods are astonishing: from fighting cancer and reducing inflammation to boosting energy and enhancing memory – these foods have it all.
In his Peruvian super foods diet, Villacorta provides simple yet thorough explanations of weight-loss, anti-aging, and disease-fighting concepts by using an appealing page layout displaying beautiful color photography, easy-to-read bullet points, and sidebars summarizing each health benefit.
What makes Villacorta’s book so enticing, aside from his mouth-watering recipes, is that he offers specific meal plans geared towards both men and women looking to lose weight and lead a healthier life. He has also created custom 7-day meal plans for vegans, vegetarians, omnivores, and gluten-free diet preferences. By using the core principles from his first book, Eating Free, and referencing his second book Peruvian Power Foods, Villacorta proves to his readers that they can successfully follow a super-health weight-loss plan, easily gain the skill in cooking from scratch, dine with elegance, and reduce everyday stress.
Among the myriad of recipes offered in Whole Body Reboot, here is a sample:
Day 1: Red Reboot
Red represents energy, strength, power and courage, according to color psychology. Red fruits and vegetables are rich in lycopene and anthocyanins, powerful phyto-chemicals that possess the characteristic red pigment. Lycopene and anthocyanins are linked with:
- Reduced risk of certain cancers
- Heart, lung, and urinary tract health
- Improved memory
- Ability to ward off infection
Ingredients for 1 Serving
1 ½ cups Strawberries, fresh or frozen
½ cup Tomato
½ cup Cooked Beets
1 tablespoon Chia seeds
1 teaspoon Camu Camu powder*
¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
1 cup Coconut water
20-25g protein, Protein powder (rice, pea, or whey)
*Note: Camu Camu is a Peruvian super food that provides therapeutic levels of vitamin C in its natural form. Refer to Appendix C to find where to buy camu camu. If you choose not to purchase camu camu, skip this ingredient. Another great alternative to include a Peruvian super food with Camu Camu is to add a shot of youthH2O.
- Put all the ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Add tap water until it reaches the desired consistency.
Note: if making the smoothie the night before, the chia seeds will absorb some of the water and it could thicken the smoothie. No worries; just add more tap water the next day and shake or stir the smoothie to the desired consistency.
Per Serving: Kcal 349, Protein 31g, Carb 48g, Fat 5g, Sodium 327mg, Dietary Fiber 15g
Daily Value: Fiber 58%, Vit C 1429%, Vit A 18%, Vit D 0%, Calcium 20%, Iron 47%
Recipe from Whole Body Reboot by Manuel Villacorta / HCI Books/December 2014 – ISBN: 9780757318214 ”Available wherever books are sold”
About Manuel Villacorta:
“Health is not a diet plan, but a lifestyle. Understand your body, your strengths, and your limits and use this knowledge to make a change. Stop dieting, start living. ” — Manuel Villacorta
Registered Dietitian. Educator. Author. Speaker. Spokesperson.
A nationally recognized, award-winning registered dietitian with more than 16 years of experience as a nutritionist, Manuel Villacorta, M.S., R.D., is a respected and trusted voice in the health and wellness industry. He is the founder of Eating Free, an international weight management and wellness program, and one of the leading weight loss and nutrition experts in the country. He is the author of Eating Free: The Carb-Friendly Way to Lose Inches, Embrace Your Hunger, and Keep the Weight off for Good (HCI, May 2012) and Peruvian Power Foods: 18 Super foods, 101 Recipes, and Anti-aging Secrets from the Amazon to the Andes (HCI, October 2013).
Manuel served as a national media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (2010-2013), and currently acts as a health blog contributor for The Huffington Post, an on-air contributor to the Univision television network, and a health and lifestyle contributor for Fox News Latino. Manuel is the owner of San Francisco-based private practice, MV Nutrition and the recipient of five ”Best Bay Area Nutritionist” awards from the San Francisco Chronicle, ABC7 and Citysearch.
His warm, approachable style and his bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish have made him an in-demand health and nutrition expert on local and national television and radio channels, as well as in articles appearing in print publications and online. Manuel is a compelling, charismatic speaker.
Manuel has acted as a media representative for food companies such as Foster Farms, Eggland’s Best “California Latino 5-A-Day Program” and “Got Milk.” He is now the chief of public relations and spokesperson for the Pichuberry Company.
