If you are trying to clean up your health, and you are confused as to where to start, carry this as a guide with you when you shop. It will help you navigate through the grocery store a little more smoothly.
So here are my top 10 foods you should always try to avoid:
- Margarine – Your brain requires fats to make new brain cells. Fats aren’t inherently bad. In fact, they are essential, but the quality of those fats can alter the ease of cell to cell communication within your brain. In contrast, fats like Omega 3s improve functioning. Extra virgin olive oil is an excellent alternative that has been shown to improve brain health. Coconut oil has been shown to reduce the incidence of Alzheimer’s. And for foods that serve as healthy sources of fat, try avocados and mixed nuts.
- Table Salt – Swap out your table salt for some Pink Himalayan sea salt. Table salt is bleached and heavily processed. The natural iodine is stripped and replaced with potassium iodide. Pink Himalayan sea salts will give you more of what your body needs.
- Fruit Juice/Soda – These sugar-laden drinks spike your sugar levels. For people who have already developed insulin resistance, this is especially problematic. These concentrated sugars are more than your body was really designed to take in at one time. Drink plenty of water to assist your bodily functions.
- Microwaved Foods – Avoid the radiation of microwaves. Don’t stand near them if they’re on. Studies indicate that radiating your food depletes their life force. When you measure the phase angle (or life force) of a vegetable freshly harvested, it is around 40. After microwaving it, the phase angle is ZERO! Instead, opt for raw foods, sprouts, or steamed vegetables.
- Farm-raised Fish Like Salmon or Tilapia – To prevent bacteria from growing on the cages that the farm-raised fish are grown in, they paint the surface with a substance high in zinc and copper. The end result? Anemic fish with copper toxicity. Dyes are injected in salmon to give them back the color they are naturally supposed to have. Another troubling issue with farm-raised fish is pesticide usage. Better options, try Alaskan wild-caught Salmon or consider purchasing higher quality fish through a company like Vital Choice.
- Factory Farmed Meats – These meats are higher in chemicals, including arsenic from the feed, or antibiotics. Find a source you can visit such as a local farm, not a factory, and talk directly to the farmer. Local farms are more likely to have healthier chicken and eggs, too.
- Artificial Sweeteners – Sugar-free does not mean it’s healthier. These alter your microbiome. It encourages calorie-hoarding bacteria to flourish. Guess what happens? Your body retains more weight! I bet that’s not what you were hoping for when you substituted a zero-calorie sugar replacement. Stick with the sugar, but limit the amount you eat. Remember the mantra, “Everything in moderation.” Or try locally sourced raw honey that offers a little added protection specific to your area.
- Processed Foods Containing Colorings & Dyes – These dyes dramatically affect your brain. Rule of thumb: if the food didn’t exist 1,000 years ago, it probably isn’t good for you. Limit processed foods and choose whole foods.
- Processed Meats – Processed meats are LOADED with preservatives. This can change your microbiome. Nitrates and Nitrites are often found in processed meats.Hot tip for the day: Vitamin C inhibits the conversion of nitrites into nitrosamines, which are toxic chemicals that are generally carcinogenic. Now imagine what is happening when you have those nitrites and do not have Vitamin C… I try to avoid nitrites, but if I indulge, I take Vitality C. It’s a full Vitamin C Complex. This is available on TheDr website.
- “The Dirty Dozen” – These 12 foods have the highest concentration of pesticides and insecticides: Strawberries, Spinach, Nectarines, Apples, Peaches, Pears, Cherries, Grapes, Celery, Tomatoes, Sweet Bell Peppers, and Potatoes. This beautiful variety of foods is polluted with chemicals. Only buy these foods if they are organic. When choosing between organic foods and non-organic, these are the scariest. Instead choose the “Clean 15”: Sweet Corn, Avocado, Pineapples, Cabbage, Onions, Frozen Sweet Peas, Papayas, Asparagus, Mangos, Eggplant, Honeydew, Kiwi, Cantaloupe, Cauliflower, and Grapefruit.
There is no such thing as the perfect diet, and none of us are perfect in the foods we choose to put on our forks. But we strive for perfection and always aim for improvement on what we are doing right now.
Bon appetit!
