1. Milk- where to start… When you are congested… one of the first things your Dr. tells you is to “lay off the dairy products” (and if they aren’t telling you that much… yikes!). Milk is one of the most congesting foods you can consume, and it is always congesting, not just when you are sick. Casein, a protein in milk, makes it very difficult to digest, causing weight gain, skin problems, indigestion, decreased energy, etc. It is fortified with vitamin A Retinoid, which is scientifically linked to osteoporosis. It does not build strong bones. Milk was created for baby cows. Not humans. Inorganic milk contains hormones… hormones that we end up ingesting when consuming homogenized milk products. Milk is not beneficial for the body, and lowers the bloods pH. Read on…
2. Soy Milk- is amongst one of the most processed “health” food beverages there is. It too is highly congesting and contributes to a number of digestive, sinus, weight, and skin issues. It is more often than not, genetically modified, can affect hormone levels, and is detrimental to the environment. Read on…
Alternatives: Almond Milk (Pacific Brand), Hazelnut Milk (Pacific Brand), Coconut Milk (So Delicious Brand)…
3. Yogurt- As aforementioned, dairy products are very difficult for the body to digest. Although some companies have jumped on the probiotic bandwagon, the amount of viable probiotics (i.e. healthy bacteria) that are available by the time of consumption is very questionable. Additionally, the majority of yogurts are loaded with sugar! Read on…
Alternatives: If you are looking for probiotics, I suggest taking a supplement like Udo’s Probiotics. If you are looking for something creamy to snack on, I suggest: Coconut Milk Yogurt (So Delicious Brand).
4. Wheat bread and wheat products- Unfortunately, many of the grains we come across in the average super market are refined grains. Unless a product specifically says WHOLE, and not “unbleached,”or “bleached,” or “unrefined”, the grain has been processed. Refined grains are most commonly found in breads, pasta, crackers, cookies, etc. Even though they are more stable (i.e. they last longer on your shelf, before going bad), they are also lacking the original nutrients that made them nutritious in the first place. In fact, the only thing the refining process does not diminish is the protein, calorie, and carbohydrate content. (It is for this reason that you’ll find grain products enriched with vitamins B and E, in order to prevent people from eating entirely nutrient deficient carbs. However, none of the other essential minerals (and trace minerals) are replaced). Ultimately, what we hear a lot about today is gluten intolerance. Gluten is another one of those “things” that is difficult to break down, some people are just more sensitized, so their reaction is more instantaneous, but we are all, relatively speaking, not designed to consume the quantities of gluten that we do today. Additionally, yeast in bread can contribute to Candida growth. A common yeast that can live in the digestive tract.
Alternatives: Ezekiel makes some fabulous sprouted grain buns, hot dog rolls, bread, bagels, and tortilla wraps. They are not processed, and therefore much more easily assimilated. They taste wonderful toasted with organic butter, or guacamole.
5. Peanuts and Peanut Butter- Peanuts, are not nuts. Peanuts are legumes. Each little peanut contains a grandiose amount of fat and starch, which automatically makes them more difficult for the body to digest, as they are naturally miscombined. In addition, most peanuts are loaded with hydrogenated oils, and jam packed with sugar. Natural peanuts are more susceptible to harboring a highly toxic mold, known as aflatoxin. This mold is a known carcinogen. Peanuts, and peanut butter are constipating, and will cause weight gain, and other health complications down the road. Read on…
Alternatives: Raw Almond Butter. Sweeten with stevia, raw honey, or raw agave.
6. Granola- oh how we love granola in the health world. This used to be one of my favorite “health” foods… The majority of granolas tend to be high in sugars, oils, and are often miscombined, mixing dried fruit, oats, and nuts in every spoonful. Each one of these ingredients are dense (lacking water which aids in digestion), and therefore more difficult to digest. When foods are difficult to digest, it leads to weight gain, and sluggishness.
Alternatives: There are some granolas that skip the nuts, and the oil, and focus on the oats, honey, and dried fruits… these are the better option, but they are still not ideal for breakfast (Eat Lighter in the morning). Cereal: I love the corn flakes by Nature’s Path if you are looking for a cereal, or Barbara’s Cinnamon Puffins.
7. Protein Bars- Plain and simple, the body understand wholesome ingredients, yet, sadly the majority of protein bars contain a lot of artificial and synthetic ingredients, sugars, fats, carbohydrates, etc. They are also commonly miscombined. Read on…
Alternatives: Look for raw nut based bars with minimal ingredients. They should only have nuts, coconut, dried fruit, and seeds. There should not be any added sugar, unless it is raw honey, or agave. There are plenty available in health stores. Read the ingredients and put down the bars that contain anything that is not plant based. Lara Bars, Pure Bars, Prana Bars, are all great examples! (And don’t forget, nuts and seeds pack on a hefty amount of natural protein).
8. Smoothies- I have known a number of intelligent individuals to decide to go on a diet, and therefore slurp down a good amount of smoothies, hoping to lose weight. Smoothies come in all shapes in sizes, and there are a great deal that are very healthy, but the majority of commercial smoothies that exist in everyday America, are generally hopped up on ice cream, milk, yogurt, or sherbet… and then mixed with a variety of frozen fruits, or sometimes protein powders, or peanut butter. Roughly 400 calories, smoothies of this nature are more of a dessert than a nutritional meal replacement. Once again… dairy is a main culprit here.
Alternatives: Smoothies that use bananas for a base and nix the dairy products are great. Try water, ice, banana (frozen or ripe) and strawberries, and sweeten with a drip of agave or stevia. You can also mix in any of the above milk alternatives also. Try hazelnut, ice, banana and cocoa powder with Vanilla NuStevia, or coconut yogurt, bananas and ice, with stevia or agave. Yum!
9. Tofu, Tofurkey, Vegan meat products, packaged foods trying to imitate meat– these things genuinely creep me out. First of all, most of them are made with soy. As mentioned above, soy is a highly processed food. The more processed something is, the further it is from nature. The further away something is from nature, the unhealthier it is. The body wants natural, wholesome, ingredients. The body has no desire for fillers, flavorings, and ingredients that have been scientifically altered to imitate the taste of a burnt ballpark hot dog! Look at the back of the packaging. There are sometimes an upwards of 30 ingredients listed under the nutrition facts. You should not have to think about what an ingredient is, and if it takes you over a minute to read, let alone try to understand what those ingredients are, sirens should be sounding off in your head. While these products can be “o.k.” in weening a hardcore meat-lover off of meat, we are ultimately better eating a real piece of quality fish, or a real piece of organic chicken, instead of a plethora of wanna-be fish fillets, and psuedo-chicken fingers. Gag! These foods will slow you down, and cause health problems down the line (if not immediately).
Alternatives: If you are dying for fish, I would recommend having the real thing. If you are going to continue to pine for soy, always go with the organic tofu, over any other inorganic variety. Chances are– the organic will be less processed, and not be genetically modified. As far as vegan imitation products go, I have not done any overwhelming amount of research, as I find these foods to be only good for temporarily transitioning from meat (I however, still stand strong that it is often healthier to have the real thing (AS LONG as it is of high quality… hot dogs don’t count. I am talking organic chicken, wild fish, and grass fed USDA steak). Sorry, tofurkey, I am not a fan. (There are, on the other hand, vegetable based bean burgers, and the like, which can be wonderful, healthy substitutes for soy, and animal products. Please chime in here, folks! This is not my forte).
10. High Fiber products- Bran is roughly 15% of the entire wheat kernel, and is composed of a number of layers that act as a shell to the endosperm and embryo, or germ. It is composed mainly of fiber and nutrients. The outer layers, of this bran, however, are indigestible cellulose fiber (simply put, fiber) and lack nutritional value. Many products in the cereal aisle advertise their bran content as a source of healthy fiber. When most people think fiber, they think, “Oh, good! Relief from constipation.” However, these little bran guys also contain phytic acid. Phytic acid actually binds to minerals like: calcium, magnesium, zinc and iron that are present in the gut. When this occurs, those minerals are carried out of the intestines. Although bran may occasionally help to relieve constipation, it can deplete the body of important nutrients. People that consume a lot of bran products may actually become deficient in these minerals. This tends to happen to a lot of elderly people. Scary, huh?!
11. Popcorn- I am not talking about the Movie popcorn variety, we all know that that stuff is loaded with chemicals, butterfat, and handfuls of salt, I am talking about your average popcorn. Whether it be prepackaged, or ideally air-popped, and plain, popcorn is really not all it is cracked up to be. Why? Popcorn really brings nothing to the table. It offers no nutrients, and is very, very difficult to digest. It is high in fiber, which many of us think we need in overload, but in reality, in between the “difficult to chew” kernels, and high amount of indigestible fiber, it literally gets stuck in the diverticulum of the intestines. This is why we tend to feel puffed up, after eating. Although it may be low in calories, we want our food moving smoothly through the digestive system, not causing road blocks. If it ain’t moving through the system, the fact that it is low in calories is meaningless.
12. Low-fat foods- be wary of foods that market themselves as low-fat. Depending on the food, this can mean that other ingredients (sometimes more natural ingredients) have been replaced with synthetic, and artificial flavorings, sweeteners, and fillers. There are certain foods that are not healthy period, (like a creamy Caesar dressing), but it does not make the lower-fat variety, any better. Read on…
Can you think of any other foods that are marketed as “health foods” but really aren’t all that healthy? Did you cut any of these foods out and notice a difference (however small)?
I also enjoy having to whip up something that is both healthful and creative, as I tend to like simple foods, with minimal ingredients. That being said, I always surprise myself when I am forced out of my comfort zone, and have to prepare something not only tastes good, but is colorful, and aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
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