Foods to avoid...

I got a really great question from my aunt, what foods should I avoid? So I'm going to talk about that today. There are quite a few foods out there that is best to avoid, but having it once in a while is ok. What I aim for is eating healthy 80% of the time, and the other 20%, it's fine to have that treat. What makes it better though is by making that treat yourself so you have control over the ingredients.

I will start by adding the following link from Food Matters. If you haven't seen the documentary, I highly recommend that you do. The link I have added is for the top 10 food additives to avoid. There's a lot of great information, and they do talk about the following topic.


Artificial Sweeteners: There are so many artificial sweeteners out there, and they do have that addictiveness to them, which makes you want more. So here's a list to avoid, Aspartame, sucralose, high Fructose corn Syrup, white/brown sugar, Agave Syrup, brown rice syrup, and Xylitol. I'm sure there's more, but if you do a search online you will get a lot of information.

Here are the healthy sugars, you should be having: raw honey, maple syrup (the real stuff, not the fake one), dates, stevia, yacon, coconut sugar, and molasses. Here's a great site from the wellness warrior that talks about all of these.

Next food is Trans Fat which is used to extend the shelf life of food products. You can find trans fat in deep-fried fast foods and some processed foods. Trans Fat increases LDL (bad cholesterol) and decreases your HDL (good cholesterol), so please read your labels.

White flour/bread/pasta and white rice: This does not have any nutritional value at all. You should be eating whole grain or whole wheat bread instead. It contains fiber and will keep you feeling fuller longer. There are so many healthier options like brown rice, quinoa, amaranth, barley, buckwheat, bulgur, millet, spelt and wild rice.

Soda: Pop is loaded with sugar. And if you have ever read the book The Cure by Timothy Brantley you then have read a story he writes about. He explains how when he was a kid, he was helping his dad in the garage, and he was using different harsh chemicals to clean a car part, but nothing was working on getting it clean. Then his uncle comes over, and tell him no, all you need is Coke, so he pours the soda and it cleans it off like nothing. So if very harsh chemicals couldn't clean it but soda could, imagine what it's doing inside you. We have very delicate organs, so pop really is not so great for us. What should you drink, well water is always the best. Our bodies consists of mostly water, so we need to stay hydrated. Another great drink option is creating your own smoothie or vegetable/fruit juice. With a juicer or blender, you can create amazing drinks, and it will provide you with so much nutrients!

Margarine: This is man made, with a list of ingredients so long it's crazy. They make you believe that it's better then butter, but it really isn't. Butter has one ingredient, milk, so I don't know about you, but I rather go with the one ingredient.

Processed meats: Found in beef jerky, hot dogs, and processed lunch meats. These contain nitrates and a lot of preservatives. As in my previous post about Aubrey's it's best to pick quality meats, where beef is grass fed, and chickens are free range. I know that the meat market I go to, create their own sausages that are free of preservatives and nitrates. Want to eat a sandwich/wrap, then boil or bake some chicken, turkey, beef, pork and shred it up or cut it up thinly, or pound your meat so it's nice and thin then cook it up.

Lastly, baked goods! So many of them contain white flour, margarine, and sugar. You can still have dessert just make it a healthier version. I have posted a few healthy snacks and desserts, and I have even taken recipes and substituted healthier ingredients. Example: Brown sugar or white sugar, use coconut sugar, maple syrup, or any of the ones I listed above. White flour, use spelt flour, oat flour, buckwheat or any other grains I mentioned above. Any grain can be turned into flour, all you need is a food processor or blender. Now a days though, you can buy it already grounded for you.

Now having listed all of this, it's fine to have the occasional treat, but don't go overboard because that is when you will get into some problems with your health. Try to eat all sort of colors, the more color the more nutrients you consume. Every day I try to have lots of vegetables, some fruit, healthy grains, and occasionally meat. I think it's good for us to eat vegetarian from time to time (especially if you have endometriosis). Explore with your food, and create different meals, and have fun!