10 Healthiest Foods You MUST Have In Your Diet

Ekberg emphasizes that fermentation is a three-pronged gut strategy: (1) probiotics directly inoculate the gut with colonizing species like Bifidobacterium, which can set up long-term residence; (2) the fibrous vegetable matter in ferments like sauerkraut serves as prebiotic food for existing and incoming bacteria; (3) this microbial fermentation produces postbiotics — particularly butyrate — that fuel the enterocytes lining the gut and tighten the intercellular junctions. When junctions are compromised, lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from pathogenic bacteria leak into the blood, causing systemic inflammation that can manifest as anxiety, depression, and metabolic chaos. He highlights that homemade yogurt run for 48–60 hours eats up virtually all lactose, making it safe for lactose-intolerant people, and dramatically increases the live bacterial count and diversity. Kefir is even more complex, with many more bacterial strains and beneficial yeasts. Fermentation also neutralizes problematic plant compounds like phytates and lectins, so even those sensitive to raw veggies may tolerate fermented versions.

Ekberg directly challenges the popular narrative that “antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables are good because you get a bunch of antioxidants.” He argues that dietary antioxidants like vitamin C are a drop in the ocean compared to the endogenous antioxidants the body can produce when NRF2 is activated. He explains that while vitamin C donates two electrons and is then spent, catalase is an enzyme that recycles and continuously neutralizes millions of free radicals per minute. The cruciferous vegetables also serve the gut by providing fermentable fiber that turns into butyrate, and they contribute to mucus formation via specific compounds, further strengthening the gut barrier. This dual action — supporting both the human detoxification system and the gut — is why they are essential. He places this group firmly in the ‘feed the gut’ category but notes it indirectly feeds the human by reducing oxidative damage.

Ekberg is passionate about the yolk, saying he 'cries inside' when he sees egg white cartons. He explains that choline is not just a peripheral nutrient; it is structurally required for cell membranes (phosphatidylcholine is the second largest component after cholesterol), for liver function (VLDL assembly to export triglycerides; virtually every fatty liver case shows choline deficiency), and for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (signaling, muscle contraction). The lutein and zeaxanthin in yolks are carotenoids that selectively accumulate in the retina and brain, protecting against oxidative damage and specifically reducing macular degeneration. He relates a personal story: his father developed macular degeneration, lost central vision, stopped reading and watching TV, became inactive, and over time that inactivity accelerated physical degeneration — implying that preserving eye health is a matter of preserving overall vitality. Eggs also have the highest biological value protein when yolk and white are eaten together, creating an ideal amino acid ratio.

Ekberg positions fatty fish as the richest natural source of the long-chain omega-3s, noting that while grass-fed beef and eggs contain some, they don't compare. The EPA primarily acts on inflammatory pathways, helping to quell the systemic inflammation at the root of heart disease. DHA, on the other hand, is structurally incorporated into neuronal and retinal cell membranes, enhancing their fluidity and allowing neurotransmitter receptors to function optimally. This is why DHA is linked to learning, memory, and visual acuity. He specifically warns against large fish like tuna due to mercury accumulation, but says sardines are almost always wild-caught and small, thus low in toxins. He gives permission to eat farm-raised salmon if that's the only option, because it's still far better than processed foods, but strongly encourages seeking out wild. The objective is to achieve a tissue ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 that is not 15–20:1 as in most modern diets.

Ekberg attacks the myths that liver is full of toxins because it's a detox organ. He clarifies that the liver processes and eliminates toxins, it doesn't hoard them. Liver is instead the richest food source of true, preformed vitamin A (retinol), which the body can use directly unlike beta-carotene from plants. Because retinol can accumulate and cause toxicity, frequency matters. Heart, being the hardest working muscle, is packed with mitochondria and thus CoQ10, plus unique proteins like collagen and elastin that support the body's structural repair. Kidney is highlighted for its selenium content — even higher than Brazil nuts, which themselves can cause selenium toxicity if eaten in excess — and for the enzyme diamine oxidase (DAO), which breaks down histamine. For the growing number of people struggling with histamine intolerance, kidney could be a natural source of DAO to mitigate reactions.

He stresses that the modern diet has lost the connective tissue component entirely. By slow-cooking bones and tough cuts like oxtail or shank, the collagen gelatinizes and becomes bioavailable. That collagen provides the amino acids glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline needed for structural integrity throughout the body. He connects this directly to gut health: the intestinal lining is connective tissue; feeding it the raw materials supports repair and tight junction integrity. For arterial health, he argues that inflammation damages the endothelium, and eating the connective tissue building blocks helps repair the tissue, potentially mitigating heart disease. The fat is also rehabilitated: beef tallow is a historically valued fat, and the proportion of monounsaturated fat in beef is much higher than most people realize. CLA, a naturally occurring trans fat in ruminants, is described as a 'super nutrient' with proven anti-cancer effects, distinct from industrial hydrogenated trans fats.

Ekberg highlights that magnesium is a 'universal deficiency,' asserting that modern soils no longer contain the mineral levels they once did, and that processed carbohydrates interfere with absorption. Magnesium's role in ATP (energy) production, DNA repair, and especially membrane potential (nerve cell stability) explains its reputation as calming. The dietary nitrate conversion depends on stomach acid; people on acid-suppressing drugs may compromise this pathway. Nitric oxide dilates blood vessels, enhancing nutrient and oxygen delivery. Combined with prebiotic fiber, leafy greens feed the gut as well.

Ekberg explains that out of 30 trillion human body cells, 25 trillion are red blood cells with no nucleus, leaving only ~5 trillion metabolically active human cells. In the gut, the 40 trillion bacteria outnumber those by eight times and harbor 150 times more genetic diversity. This means the gut microbiome is a massive metabolic organ, producing short-chain fatty acids like butyrate that feed colonocytes, regulate tight junctions, and prevent LPS leakage. The two systems need separate feeding strategies: the human side craves protein, fat, vitamins, minerals; the gut side requires fermentable fibers and polyphenols that humans cannot digest. Ignoring this dual requirement means starving the bacterial ecosystem, which can lead to leaky gut, inflammation, and metabolic disease. He uses this to justify why the traditional food pyramid — which lumps all foods together and puts grains at the base — is fundamentally flawed.

Vitamin C, he notes, can donate only two electrons to neutralize one free radical before it must be recycled or excreted. In contrast, catalase, an enzyme encoded by genes and produced by our own cells, can neutralize 6 million free radicals per minute continuously. The NRF2 pathway is described as a master switch that, when activated by sulforaphane from broccoli sprouts or other crucifers, upregulates glutathione synthesis, catalase, and superoxide dismutase. This shift re-categorizes crucifers as 'gene activators' rather than just fiber + vitamin sources. He further ties this to the gut: the fiber in crucifers is fermented into butyrate, supporting gut lining, and sulforaphane also aids mucus formation, strengthening the gut barrier. This is a paradigm shift from antioxidant supplement thinking to epigenetically tapping the body's own defense systems.

Ekberg distinguishes between the lactic acid fermentation (yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi) that introduces colonizing and transiting bacteria like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, and industrial pickling that uses vinegar and kills bacteria. He stresses that homemade yogurt run for 48–60 hours uses up virtually all lactose, making it tolerable even for lactose-intolerant individuals while greatly multiplying live bacteria. Vegetable ferments also supply prebiotic fiber and polyphenols that feed existing and incoming bacteria, which then produce butyrate. Butyrate feeds enterocytes, tightens gut junctions, and prevents lipopolysaccharide (LPS) leakage into the bloodstream — a key driver of systemic inflammation, anxiety, and depression. This positions fermented foods as a three-in-one: probiotics (live bugs), prebiotics (fiber/polyphenols), and postbiotics (butyrate and other compounds) — a comprehensive microbiome support system.

Beef fat, roughly half saturated and half monounsaturated, also provides conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a trans fat naturally occurring in ruminants that is entirely different from industrial trans fats and has documented anti-cancer properties. Cholesterol from fat serves as a precursor for steroid hormones and fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and K2. Connective tissue, when slow-cooked (bone broth, oxtail, shank), yields collagen and other building blocks that directly support the body's own connective tissue: bone, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, arterial walls, and gut lining. Ekberg notes that damage to arterial walls from inflammation — a root cause of heart disease — can be mitigated by providing the structural substrates needed for repair. He frames this as ancestral wisdom discarded by modern food processing.

He explains that grains contain no essential amino acids, no essential fatty acids, no vitamins or minerals that cannot be obtained in better forms from animal foods and vegetables. Their primary contribution is glucose, which requires insulin and can lead to blood sugar swings. In an insulin-resistant person, starchy foods exacerbate carbohydrate intolerance, raising triglycerides, inflammation, and fatty liver risk. By contrast, fat is a cleaner-burning fuel that does not provoke insulin spikes. He notes that the starch base interferes with most of the beneficial mechanisms he described, like NRF2 activation and gut barrier integrity. Even though some people can tolerate grains, they add no nutritional value; they are merely a cheap calorie source that have been erroneously promoted.