What is a functional food?

Functional food is quickly becoming a buzzword...and for good reason. We’re living in a world full of foods with lots of caloric density and little nutritional value. This leads to craving more foods in an attempt to give our bodies the nutrients they are looking for. Functional foods reverse this pattern, providing our bodies with a flood of key nutrients that allow us to feel our best. Energy, focus, a strong immune system, deep sleep, these are all related to the nutrients our bodies are either getting or lacking in our diets. 

 In a sentence, functional foods are foods that have clear benefits to health and wellbeing. This means they are nutrient dense, providing the body with a range of phytochemicals and nutrients to help support your health. To start identifying functional foods, look first at whole foods. For example, organic berries are not only delicious, but they are loaded with antioxidant properties for your health. Organic nuts aren’t only a satisfying snack, but they are also a source of good-for-you fats and magnesium that is good for your heart. 

 At Four Sigmatic we’re all about functional foods. We start with organic, whole food Four Sigmatic ingredients (more on that below), and pair them with functional mushrooms and adaptogens to make them even better for you. For example, we start with organic coffee, which tastes amazing and makes you feel energized (as well as is a source of antioxidant properties), but can leave you with a brutal crash or unfortunate jitters. So we add in 2 functional mushrooms and adaptogens, like Lion’s Mane and Chaga, to help get the brain benefit while reducing the jitters. 1+1 sometimes equals 4! 

The quick and dirty: Functional foods are whole, organic foods that have a beneficial function to health and wellbeing.

If functional foods are new to you, it may be hard to imagine how to start incorporating these into your routine. We get it! On their own, these foods are often bitter, hard to find, or difficult to prepare to actually receive their benefits. Some may simply be too foreign to remember to use. (Ever bought that one product that is so good for you and then it sits on your shelf for years collecting dust?) I like to say that “the medicine doesn’t work if you don’t take it.” What I mean is that it has to be easy to use, fit into your existing routine, and ideally be enjoyable. At Four Sigmatic, we’ve practically magically made this happen. Our philosophy is to add these functional foods to your existing daily routines, like coffee or smoothies, so it's simple and delicious to use everyday. Here are a few ways to bring functional foods into your daily life, whether you prefer a morning, mid-day, or evening routine: 

Photo credit: @well.n.strong

As a Holistic Nutritionist, one of my go-to strategies with clients is to add before subtracting. There is overwhelming conversation around restriction, elimination, dieting, starvation, detoxing, and depriving the body in order to reach a greater sense of health. The problem with this is that you are approaching health from a state of lack. It feels constricting, challenging, and frankly, it’s no fun. Nor is it actually getting you towards true health. And we all know that it’s always only a matter of time until you eventually “give in,” reverting back to foods that you crave. 

What if reaching a higher state of health, (which looks different for every single person), could begin with adding rather than subtracting; with bringing more foods on board to add necessary nutrients that your body needs to thrive. 

The biggest issue I see in the majority of people is that we are actually deficient in certain nutrients- vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc.- which makes it more challenging for our bodies to function optimally. When we start eating a diverse range of plants, add colorful foods into daily meals, and elevate routines by adding functional foods to them, the body starts to wake up. It is finally given the nutrients it needs to think optimally, sleep deeply, and keep the many systems of our body in balance. Depending on the functional foods you’re incorporating, you may feel a greater sense of focus, lowered stress, deeper rest, or more energy. When you start feeling all these benefits, there’s a snowball effect where the better you feel, the more you want to improve. It’s exciting, fun, expansive, and allows you to bring MORE into your cup, your plate, and your life. And one of the coolest side effects is that the “negative” habits, food choices, and behaviors naturally begin to fade away. 

Ready to take on the challenge of bringing functional foods into your daily routine? Here’s how to start. 

1. Pick a time of the day that you know you have a routine. Something you do consistently, that likely is not going away anytime soon. The most common routines are morning, mid-day, and evening. 
2. Identify what you eat or drink during that routine. A cup of tea, some coffee, a smoothie, a hot chocolate? 
3. Your task is to add functional food to that routine.