Wondering why your energy is low? Or why your weight loss is halted? Or why you’re in a constant battle with your digestive system (gas, bloating, etc.)? Your answer may lie in some of the foods you are eating. You might be thinking “well I’m not sitting around eating Twinkies and Doritos all day long” but you’d be surprised how many foods are advertised as healthy that are really far from it! After all, the Standard American Diet is nicknamed S.A.D.
It’s important to know what is in the foods you’re eating, and what possible consequences they may be having. “You are what you eat” isn’t just a cute saying, it’s true. The food we eat literally becomes our blood, then our cells, the tissues of our organs, the energy we use to fuel our lives, our skin, our bones, our hormones…you get the idea.
You might already know some of these foods to ditch from your diet, while others might be new. Give the swaps a try and see which ones you like best!
Ditch: Sugary beverages
Swap for: Herbal tea, coconut water, fruit juice ‘sodas,’ infused water
Drinks like sodas, energy drinks, flavored waters, and fruit juices all bring sugar into the body. The average can of soda for example contains the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar. When this sugar pours into our bodies, it skyrockets our blood insulin levels, causes an insulin reaction (which over time can lead to diabetes or insulin resistance, not to mention weight gain and other health problems), then crashes us back down, causing more cravings for the sweet stuff. In diet drinks, sugar is replaced with aspartame. This sugar alternative has been linked to almost 100 health problems (seizures, multiple sclerosis, brain tumors, diabetes, emotional disorders, etc.)
Instead, go for drinks that will give you some flavor but not the negative side effects. I helped my husband ditch soda by making juice sodas – in a 16oz glass, add about 2-3 ounces of organic 100% fruit juice, then fill the rest of the glass with seltzer water and ice. I love infusing water by adding filtered water and things like cucumber slices, mint leaves, strawberries, etc. to flavor the water naturally. Essential oils work great too, orange is my favorite!
Ditch: Peanuts and peanut butter
Swap for: Almond/cashew/walnut/macadamia/hazelnut nuts and nut butters, sunflower seed butter
My childhood favorite is officially on the “swap” list. That’s because more and more, the potential health dangers of peanuts in general and peanut butter are coming to light. They’re actually very susceptible to toxins and contaminants. Peanuts are actually not nuts, they’re legumes. Nuts have a hard, protective shell and are difficult to penetrate and legumes have a soft, permeable pod. Peanuts also grow underground. This combination leaves peanuts at the mercy of temperature and moisture conditions including warm humidity that allows for the growth of one of the most concerning toxins: mold – which produces aflatoxin (a carcinogen associated with liver cancer and has been shown to stunt growth in children).
Peanuts also contain anti-nutrients known as lectins, which are sticky proteins found in many foods. Their stickiness and structure make them almost impossible to digest. They also bind to sugars in cells in the body, leading to an immune response and inflammation (the omega-6’s in peanuts do this to us as well – double whammy!). They may also interfere with our weight management because they have been shown to mimic insulin behaviors in the body.
With all of the potential health dangers associated with peanuts, why risk it?! There are lots of awesome alternatives to peanuts and peanut butter. All other types of nuts and seeds are just as delicious – ok well ALMOST! – and will give you a wide range of nutrients too. When possible, choose raw and organic. I like to buy mine in bulk online to save money. My favorite type of nut butter is actually from a seed, sunflower seed butter. Check out my absolute favorite snack which uses it!
Ditch: Conventional dairy milk
Swap for: Organic dairy milk, almond milk, coconut milk, hemp milk, cashew milk
Many milk producers treat their dairy cattle with a synthetic, genetically engineered growth hormone called rBGH or rBST. They do this to boost milk production (more milk = more money). Unfortunately, it also causes the cows painful bacterial udder infections causing inflammation, swelling, and pus and blood secretions in the milk. This milk also contains higher levels of IGF-1 (Insulin Growth Factor-1). While humans naturally have IGF-1, elevated levels in humans have been linked to colon, prostate, and breast cancer. Yikes!
Instead, if you want to stick with cow milk, go with organic. Many people are sensitive to dairy though, and it’s actually a misconception that dairy strengthens our bones. New info tells us that milk actually makes our blood acidic, and then causes the body to leach calcium from the bones to balance our PH levels. In order to properly absorb calcium, we need a perfect ratio of magnesium together. Leafy greens contain the perfect ratio (calcium + magnesium). This is exactly the same place where strong cows take it from. There are lots of non-dairy milk alternatives that I recommend trying! Avoid those with carrageenan in them though.
Ditch: Cheese
Swap for: Organic cheese, nutritional yeast, zucchini ‘cheese’
Similar to the milk swap, cheese from cows injected with rBGH or rBST contains ingredients that can cause our bodies some big time issues. Milk is also one of the most mucus-forming substances in the word. In just a short time it can clog a small body with a huge dose of mucus – partially why so many kids are diagnosed with asthma and allergies. Mucus-clogged organs can’t work properly and one starts to build sensitivity, because the immune system is weak.
Cheese is a tough one to ditch, but luckily there are some great non-dairy cheesy options! For starters, there are lots of great companies that make amazing organic plant-based cheese spreads sold at Whole Foods. Try sprinkling nutritional yeast on foods you’d typically sprinkle cheese on. Or if you have a food processor, this is my favorite recipe for “Parmesan cheese”: 1/2 cup raw cashews, 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, 1/2 teaspoon salt: add all to processor and process until almost powdery. You won’t miss the real thing! Nutritional yeast is a great source of B vitamins, it’s high in fiber and protein, and has all 18 amino acids. Zucchini cheese is perfect for times you’d use a slice of cheese…it even melts perfectly. I love it on burgers!
Ditch: Store bought salad dressing
Swap for: Avocado/guacamole, oil&vinegar, homemade dressing, salsa, lemon juice
Salad dressings, especially the light and fat-free versions, are loaded with ingredients you wouldn’t think would be in there. Along with the usual suspects in processed foods, like preservatives and additives, even food dyes, in most cases lots of salt and sugar are added to compensate for the flavor lost by cutting out the fat in the fat-free version. Did you know there’s 32g of sugar in a bottle of Wish Bone Light Ranch dressing?
Instead, reach for something not in a bottle that will also add some nutrients to your diet. Oil and vinegar combo adds great flavor plus healthy fats, which help to better absorb the nutrients in the salad. Infused oils/vinegar’s are great to mix up flavors. I get mine from Pour. Or make things easy by squeezing some lemon juice on top. I love to make my own dressing. My favorites are this creamy Thai salad dressing and this dairy-free (avocado based) Caesar dressing!
Ditch: Pasta
Swap for: Spaghetti squash, spirialized veggies, shredded cabbage, bean pastas, kelp noodles, Miracle Noodles
Pasta is one delicious comfort food, but for those who are trying to eat healthy, pasta can be a major downfall. White pasta is filled with refined carbohydrates, which means you’re essentially eating empty calories that convert into sugar, which spikes your blood sugar and insulin levels, causing immediate fat storage. There is very little fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Whole wheat pasta is a better choice is those are your only 2 options, but I advise mostly everyone to avoid wheat. The modern version of wheat is very different from the ancient plant. The newer wheat we’ve been eating since the 1980s is full of genetic changes that inflame our bodies, cause our guts to leak, and trigger autoimmune diseases.
Good news – there are TONS of alternatives!! Check out my blog post about how to make spirialized zucchini or butternut squash. Cabbage is a known cancer fighter and potent heart protector. Most people associate it with slaw, but steamed shredded cabbage is also a terrific pasta substitute. There are lots of packaged bean pastas that taste great and are full of protein and fiber, like mung bean, black bean, and lentil pasta. Spinach-based Miracle Noodles and kelp noodles are great too and with some sauce you’d never know it wasn’t flour-based pasta!
Ditch: Canola and vegetable oil
Swap for: Coconut oil, butter, tallow, ghee
Canola comes from Canadian rapeseed plant. Since “rapeseed oil” doesn’t sound very appealing, they made up the word “Canola” to use instead. It’s marketed to be healthy for you, but it’s very likely to become rancid even before it makes it’s way to your shelf, not to mention about 90% is genetically modified. When canola oil is processed under high-heat, the omega-3’s it contains to begin with turn into trans fat! Just 1 to 2 grams per day increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and even some cancers. Vegetable oils contain high amounts of omega-6’s, which cause inflammation to the body. It is now believed that increased inflammation can contribute to various serious diseases, including cardiovascular disease, arthritis, depression and even cancer.
Instead, choose healthier fats to cook with. Fats are SO important to a healthy body. They help build and maintain healthy cell walls, are key for our mental health (our brain is 60% fat), can drive down out cholesterol, promote effective digestion, gives us energy, reduces inflammation, and more! Coconut oil packs a powerful punch when it comes to all the nutrients it contains. It’s anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory and can improve blood cholesterol levels as well as potentially lower the risk for heart disease. For those OK with dairy, real, grass-fed butter is a great choice for cooking, and for those that aren’t – healthy fats like tallow and ghee (this is my absolute favorite kind!) are awesome choices as well.
Ditch: White rice
Swap for: Brown rice, quinoa, lentils, millet, cauliflower rice
White rice is really just brown rice that has been milled to remove the bran and much of the germ, reducing fiber and nutrient content drastically. When you eat white rice, it spikes your blood sugar level, which results in a crash soon after, and that crash signals hunger and food cravings.
Instead, go for a whole grain (complex carb) that will stabilize your blood sugar levels, keeping you fuller longer and giving you energy that lasts. Removing grains completely is the best way to go in my opinion. I love using cauliflower rice! It’s linked to cancer prevention, boosts heart and brain health, and supports the digestive system. Same goes for swapping mashed white potatoes (similar affect as white rice on the body) with mashed cauliflower.
Ditch: Conventional meats and farm raised fish
Swap for: Organic grass-fed beef, pasture-raised chicken or turkey, wild caught fish
Antibiotics are routinely given to livestock on conventional farms to make them gain weight with less feed and keep them from getting sick in confinement conditions. This also lowers drug effectiveness and produces antibiotic resistant bacteria or super bugs that can be deadly to people. Commercial meats are also often injected with chemical additives (including MSG) to add flavor, tenderize them, add moisture, add weight, improve tenderness, and extend shelf life.
There are 6 FDA approved hormones that can be used in livestock to speed their growth, thus speeding production and reducing feed costs and improving ROI. These hormones can cause reproductive and metabolic problems in humans. Farm raised fish are loaded with disease and toxins because they’re packed as tightly as coins in a purse. These unnatural conditions give rise to diseases and parasites, which lead to concentrated antibiotics and other chemicals being dumped into the water to keep the fish alive. These toxins damage local ecosystems, and our bodies!
Whenever possible, please choose grass-fed beef, pasture-raised poultry, and wild caught fish. I know they cost a bit more, but think of it this way: would you rather spend a little more up front now or a lot more at the doctors office later? There are also ways to reduce the cost – buy from local farms, buy in bulk, stock up when it’s on sale, have more vegetarian meals mixed in, or even buy a whole cow from a butcher and split it with another family! These organic meats and fish are not allowed to eat any food which has been treated with synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, sewage sludge or radiation. Their food sources cannot contain any preservatives, additives or GMO’s. They are raised on a diet consisting of their natural foods and are free to roam around vs. confined to a super tight living condition in a breeding ground for bacteria and sickness.
Ditch: Potato and corn chips
Swap for: Kale/plantain chips, zucchini chips, homemade baked, veggie sticks, nuts
Chips are an inexpensive and easily available snack, but the toll they take on the body over time may not be worth the convenient pleasure. Both the corn and the potato are two of the most common genetically modified foods out there. Potato chips are also made of white potatoes, which has a similar affect on your blood sugar levels and fat storing insulin levels as any refined carbohydrate. Beware of the presence of preservatives, MSG (often times hidden on ingredient labels under names like “yeast extract”) and trans fats, which increase the risk of heart disease by clogging arteries, increasing total cholesterol levels and reducing the level of good cholesterol. They’re commonly used in chips because it keeps foods crisp. Also, watch out for sodium content, which is a major culprit in hypertension (a risk factor for stroke, heart attack and kidney failure).
Instead, go for a chip that skips most of these questionable ingredients. Kale and plantain chips can be conveniently bought at your local health food store or online, or even made at home. You can also make your own zucchini chips or even potato or corn chips, using organic zucchini, organic potatoes, or organic corn tortillas, brushing on a little melted coconut oil and sea salt, and baking in the oven until crispy (turning halfway through). Nuts or veggie sticks are the healthiest alternatives giving you a great crunch too like chips do. Veggies are totally still dip-able and delicious in things like guacamole and hummus.
Ditch: Margarine
Swap for: Organic grass-fed butter, ghee, coconut oil
Margarine isn’t a real food. It is a highly processed food that was invented to replace butter. The genetically modified unsaturated oils used to make margarine aren’t even naturally solid at cold temperatures, and must be hydrogenated to accomplish this. This involves exposing the oils to high heat, high pressure, hydrogen gas and a metal catalyst. This is how trans fats are created (highly toxic and strongly associated with heart disease). Today some varieties are labeled “trans fat free!” (you can imagine what else is put in there to make them solid!) but be aware that manufacturers can still label their products trans-fat free as long as there is less than 0.5 grams of trans fats per serving, and they still have harmful omega-6’s.
Instead, whenever you get the urge to grab for some margarine, go for organic grass-fed butter, ghee, or coconut oil instead! They are all delicious tasting and all give you additional health benefits as well. Grass-fed butter contains a lot more heart-healthy nutrients than butter from grain-fed cows, even CLA which studies show can have anti-cancer properties and help lower body fat percentage in humans. Ghee and coconut oil are great for those who are sensitive to dairy. They are great for cooking at high temperatures, improve energy levels, full of vitamins, great for your skin, promotes brain health, and are anti-inflammatory.
Ditch: Iceberg lettuce
Swap for: Romaine, spinach, Swiss chard, kale
Iceberg lettuce, the most commonly used in restaurants, is very low in nutrients. It has high water content and has a good crunch, but that’s pretty much where its’ highlight reel ends. Most of iceberg lettuce’s calories come from its carbohydrate content. In a 2-cup serving, you’d get 4 grams of total carbohydrates, including 1.8 grams of dietary fiber. While iceberg certainly isn’t doing damage to your health, there are other much more nutritious options when it comes to eating your greens.
Romaine is similar to iceberg in that it has a great crunch to it. It’s my all time favorite green to use in my salads. It is a very good source of dietary fiber, and has manganese, potassium, copper, iron, and more vitamin A than a carrot (among many more). Believe it or not, romaine lettuce is 17% protein with 7.7 grams per head.
Spinach, aside from being Popeye’s favorite snack, should be bought organic if possible. It tends to be sprayed heavily with pesticides that don’t come off with normal washing. Cooking spinach actually increases its health benefits. A 1/2 cup of cooked spinach will give you 3x as much nutrition as 1 cup of raw spinach! One cup of Swiss chard has only 35 calories and gives you 300%+ of the daily value for vitamin K (protects heart, fights cancer). My favorite fact about kale is that per calorie it offers more calcium than milk.
Ditch: Soy sauce
Swap for: Coconut aminos
Sushi is one of my favorite foods, and one of the best parts about eating it is the delicious soy sauce + wasabi sauce you dip the roll into. Soy is actually one of the most controversial foods in the world. Depending on who you ask, it is either a superfood or a hormone disrupting poison. Almost all soybeans grown today are genetically modified and “Round-up ready.” They contain a gene that allows them to be directly sprayed with pesticides without dying. There’s evidence that this gene can mutate and create a pesticide-like toxin in the body.
Soybeans contain phytoestrogens, which mimic the body’s natural estrogen hormones. For men, this can lead to a testosterone imbalance, infertility, low sperm count, and increased risk of cancers. For women, it can cause estrogen dominance, linked to infertility, menstrual troubles and cancer. The high levels of phytic acid in soy inhibit the body’s ability to absorb important minerals, including zinc, calcium, copper, iron and magnesium (which many people are deficient in already). Soy also contains protease inhibitors, which can block the enzymes that are necessary for the digestion of certain proteins. Soy is often thought of as a good alternative for those with gluten and dairy allergies, but its lectins can be harmful to the intestines and prevent healing of the gut.
Coconut aminos is the perfect alternative to use whenever you would typically use soy sauce. Coconut aminos has a very impressive amino acid content compared to soy-based sauces. These are super important to human health because they help repair and rebuild muscle tissue, help to enhance overall brain and nervous system function and assist in boosting the immune system and energy levels. It has a total of 17 of these amino acids, as well as minerals, vitamins and has a nearly neutral pH. You can find it at any health food store or here!
Ditch: Foods in cans
Swap for: Foods that are fresh, frozen, or come in glass jars
The lining of tins cans contains bisphenol-A (aka BPA), which is a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to health problems ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. The FDA used to say that BPA was safe, but in 2010 they altered their position on the matter. When foods (especially acid-containing like tomatoes) are sitting in these metal cans, BPA actually leaches into the food! Plus, just as aluminum pots and pans leak, so do aluminum cans. Over time, aluminum accumulation in body has been linked to memory problems like Alzheimer’s.
Why risk it? Instead, when buying pre-packaged foods, opt for foods that come in safer containers like glass. Other options and ways to avoid additional things that might be added to cans or glass jars (like sodium or other preservatives) are to get frozen or fresh foods. And you know I’m going to say it – but when you can, please try to always buy organic! At least the Dirty Dozen.
