“I love adding it onto a salad or mixing it on any kind of dish,” Singh says. It’s a member of the bitter greens family, he continues, “and bitters are also good with digestion and bloating.” Plus, they’re rich in calcium, potassium, folate, and a host of other vitamins and minerals; arugula is also a cruciferous vegetable, which means it’s packed with fiber and prebiotic material to sustain gut health. 

“It gives a little spice to your food, a little flare to it,” Singh continues. “People say, ‘Oh, my salad is monotonous,’ well, do something different. Put some cilantro in there, put some arugula in there, and all of a sudden you’re eating something different, even though it’s really still a salad.” 

The beauty of cooking is that there are no rules—let your taste and texture preferences guide you, Linares advises. “If you have a strong preference for one over the other, you can feel confident choosing that one because both pecans and walnuts offer fiber and healthy unsaturated fats,” she says. “Pecans go especially well in desserts or other sweet foods due to their flavor, whereas walnuts are a bit more versatile and do well in both sweet and savory contexts.”

If you’re seriously stuck, follow Larson-Meyer’s lead: “Pecans often go with chocolate, dried fruits, and cheeses; and walnuts might pair with salads, greens, certain cheeses, and go really well in roasted squash, with rice, quinoa, and cheese.” Her favorite trick is throwing pecans and walnuts in the oven for about 10 minutes and stirring about halfway in. Store them in a tight container, and you’ll be left with a slightly caramelized nut that’s super crunchy on the outside with a softer, melt-in-your-mouth interior.

Here are some other tasty ways to use pecans and walnuts:

Though risk of death was lower, especially due to those two defined causes, the researchers did note that higher ALA intake was also associated with a slightly higher risk of cancer. Specifically, they found that there were 63 extra cancer deaths in the groups with the highest compared compared to the lower levels of ALA intake.

They also point out that, though many studies were considered, they were observational studies, which means it’s not possible to claim causality. So while there may be a link between higher ALA intake and lower risk of death, based on this data, researchers can’t say for certain that eating more foods with ALA will promote longevity.

If living longer is your aim, there are some other things that longevity experts swear are key to a long life: Sergey Young has made it his personal mission to live to 200, and he shared his ultimate list of must-do’s with us on the mindbodygreen podcast.

Here’s what we know today: Unless you’re taking mega, mega amounts of vitamin D, toxicity isn’t really a concern (which means it’s time for brands and consumers to catch up). 

As one 2018 review recounts: “In statements released over the last decade, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the Endocrine Society have both concluded that acute vitamin D toxicity (VDT) is extremely rare in the literature, that serum 25(OH)D concentrations must exceed 150 ng/mL, and that other factors, such as calcium intake, may affect the risk of developing hypercalcemia and VDT.”

One key point here: that 150 ng/ml mention. That’s three times higher than the healthy range clinicians typically recommend (50 ng/ml) for vitamin D sufficiency.

Meanwhile, another 2014 study found that taking a whopping 20,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily successfully increased whole-body vitamin D levels without participants even coming close to levels associated with toxicity. So, successful, not scary.

Let’s also debunk the notion that fat-soluble vitamins are “dangerous,” simply because they can be stored in the body. According to Ferira, this is simply untrue. “Just because vitamin D is fat-soluble by design doesn’t mean it’s toxic at clinically useful doses, like 5,000 IU,” she says. “In reality, true reports of frank vitamin D toxicity with clinical evidence have occurred at 200,000 to 300,000 IU per day—yes, you read that correctly—in vulnerable populations like infants or folks with medical issues.”

Sweeping statements about fat-soluble nutrients and toxicity simply aren’t useful. Ferira continues, “That kind of fear-mongering totally lacks nuance and is an antiquated concept. Let’s use another fat-soluble as an example: vitamin A. Yes, you can get hypervitaminosis A (aka, too much vitamin A in the body) and turn orange if you eat a massive amount of carrot smoothies every day for many weeks. The same is true of any massive input that’s not the norm, and is well above the levels required to achieve sufficiency.” 

The bottom line here: Getting too much vitamin D is very, very difficult—especially in a population where almost half are clinically insufficient (and almost one-third are deficient) and 93% of U.S. adults can’t even manage to get 400 IU of vitamin D from our diet.

Avocado oil has been pressed from the inside, or pulp, of an avocado, explains Samantha Presicci, MCN, R.D., L.D., CPT and Whole30 Certified Coach, and Registered Dietitian at FOND. “Unlike other vegetable oils made from the relatively low-fat source material (like soybean or corn), avocados are rich in healthy fat and easy to extract oil from, meaning there’s no need for harsh chemical solvents or extra processing during the refining process,” she says. 

To get a little more clarity on the process, we asked Chef Maria Covarrubias, Corporate Culinary Specialist at Chosen Foods, to weigh in. She explains that once the avocados arrive at the facility where they’re to be transformed into oil, they’re sorted, inspected, and washed, then placed into a machine that presses the entire avocado, including skin and pit. This creates a crude oil, which is then filtered to remove any solids and impurities. The filtering also contributes to the neutral flavor of avocado oil. 

“The ‘expeller pressed’ process is temperature controlled and doesn’t add any chemicals or excessive heat during the extraction process,” says Covarrubias. “This helps keep the healthy nutrients of the oil intact.”

Whether you manage to find a vitamin D supplement that does include fats or you decide to swallow your supplement alongside your breakfast, the type of fat you ingest alongside it does matter. “I recommend prioritizing unsaturated fatty acids, especially monounsaturated fats from sources like olives and olive oil, avocado and avocado oil, and most nuts and seeds,” notes Cording. (These plant-based fats have long been lauded for their health benefits.)

While there’s still some ongoing back-and-forth amongst the scientific community about which types of fats are truly the best for supporting vitamin D absorption, it’s not something to get hung up on, Feller says. “Since the jury is still out on a definitive answer, it’s best to think holistically and focus on plant-based fat sources that are also beneficial in terms of cardiovascular health.” Think avocado and EVOO.

That’s exactly why we included a trio of organic, virgin oils (avocado, flaxseed, and extra-virgin olive) in our vitamin D3 potency+ formula. Not only do they help chauffeur that vitamin D so it’s best absorbed by the body, but they’re also chock-full of unsaturated omega-3 and omega-9 fatty acids (over 400 milligrams in each gelcap!) and offer antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can help support metabolic health.* 

Ferira adds, “what’s more, we know from clinical research that an oil vehicle, like that delivered via a gelcap or softgel, is superior to traditional tablet and capsule delivery formats in terms of ultimate impact on your vitamin D status, that is, raising your serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, which is what vitamin D supplementation is all about.”*

It’s rare enough to find a vitamin D3 supplement that includes fats in its formula—and to snag one in this premiere vehicle (gelcap) with carefully curated organic oils that deliver healthy omega-3 and omega-9 fatty acids? That’s practically folklore (well, at least until now.)*

If you’re taking vitamin D in an effort to support your health and well-being, why not ensure that the fats you consume alongside it also contribute, right?

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, saw just over 100 participants with overweight and obesity split into two groups, both of whom were provided with similar means—the only difference was that one group featured one avocado every day, and another did not. They found that women who ate an avocado each day had a reduction in deeper visceral abdominal fat.

“The goal wasn’t weight loss; we were interested in understanding what eating an avocado does to the way individuals store their body fat. The location of fat in the body plays an important role in health,” explained ‪Naiman Khan, Ph.D., R.D., a professor of kinesiology and community health at the university. “Individuals with a higher proportion of that deeper visceral fat tend to be at a higher risk of developing diabetes.”

At both ends of the 12-week study period, abdominal fat and glucose tolerance were measured by researchers. “While daily consumption of avocados did not change glucose tolerance, what we learned is that a dietary pattern that includes an avocado every day impacted the way individuals store body fat in a beneficial manner for their health, but the benefits were primarily in females,” said Khan. Fat composition in men did not change, but the researchers point out that this is supporting evidence for more nuanced dietary interventions based on sex and other more unique factors.

“Learning that the benefits were only evident in females tells us a little bit about the potential for sex playing a role in dietary intervention responses,” said Khan.

Sure, you can make a pretty creamy iced coffee with your favorite plant-based milk, but it’s challenging to match that rich creaminess of a dairy-based beverage (former milk-drinking friends, you know exactly what I’m talking about). Luckily, we have a genius solution, courtesy of cookbook author Hannah Kaminsky: avocado. Yes, that’s right: avocado iced coffee. Before you start to think how bizarre that might sound, think back on bulletproof coffees with their added butter—and then reconsider: Is avocado really so out-there?

In truth, this coffee drink falls somewhere between an iced coffee and a smoothie, one that’s packed with healthy fats thanks to the combination of avocado and coconut milk. The key to getting that good coffee flavor is a strong brewed coffee to start with, like a homemade cold brew or a dark roast coffee. Those healthy fats in the drink also may keep you fuller longer than a classic iced coffee—a bonus if your morning brew sometimes accidentally does double duty as your breakfast.

While restricting carbs isn’t always the way to go, that doesn’t mean you can’t experiment with alternatives to your usual complex carbs every now and then. Take your bread, for example. “Bread can have a similar effect on blood sugar as eating sugar,” explains health coach Leisa Maloney Cockayne, “but it’s such a staple in our diet.”

The key? Opting for breads that are rich in nutrients wherever possible—whether that means sticking to sourdoughs (which some people find easier to digest), picking a whole wheat or whole grain option, or making your own simple loaf at home with hand-picked ingredients.

“This nutritious recipe is a high-protein swap for other breads, and it will undoubtedly become one of your most-made recipes,” writes Cockayne in The 7-Day Sugar Cleanse. Made with a mix of almond flour, whole seeds, and eggs, it is, as she says, a high-protein swap but also offers plenty of omega-3s—which flax and chia seeds are particularly good sources of—and it’s even gluten-free too.

We know that tinned fish is one of the most sustainable seafood options—but it can honestly be intimidating to know where to begin with cooking. Finding a few easy recipes you love that harness the ingredient is the best way to get started, and you can branch out from there with more flavors and applications.

Some of the most notoriously polarizing tinned fish, sardines, are the star of this recipe from One Dish Fish by Lola Milne. “As someone who works from home a lot of the time (even before lockdowns), I’m always on the lookout for a quick, pack-a-punch lunch,” writes Milne, “This is just that: full of flavor, filling and very speedy to make.”

It’s worth noting that sardines can be a smart option for your health, too. In fact, they’re a favorite of mbg Collective member and functional medicine doctor Mark Hyman, M.D., who advises eating smaller fish to avoid potential mercury (which is more present higher up the food chain). In a mindbodygreen podcast episode, he shared that he sticks with “SMASH” varieties—salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and herring.

Now, for a tasty take on the fish that puts the “S” in “SMASH”, give this flavorful sardine recipe a try.