Limit These Five Foods
September 12, 2008
Over the past several years I have changed the way I eat. I have been eating more vegetables and whole grains. I have also greatly limited the amount of meat and dairy that I consume. I no longer drink milk. I only drink water. I had a discussion with my sister about what we believe people should avoid eating. We have both read a lot about nutrition, however this does not make us, nor my blog, experts on this topic. I encourage you, as usual, to do your own research and draw your own conclusions before modifying any part of your diet.
Limit The Following Five Foods
- SUGAR Sugar is the greatest offender on our list of icky consumables. Sugar has an abundance of calories, spikes your insulin levels, spikes blood sugar levels which then dip dramatically, decreases your energy levels, and it can be highly addictive. (Remember that highly addictive substance, a simple sugar, alcohol.) Sugar is bleached and processed with chemicals before it lands on your table and in your mouth. Sugar intake is linked to several common ailments such as yeast infections, aching muscles, fatigue, moodiness, depression, and allergies. Sugar negatively impacts your immune system, making it easier for infections to overwhelm you. Artificial sweeteners are no better. It is best to try an eliminate sugar from your diet as much as possible. Especially avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup and Aspartame. High fructose corn syrup is found in anything from soft drinks to crackers. Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that is linked to Many illnesses and is considered to be poison by a growing number of people. I have been avoiding anything sugary for two weeks now, and I do not miss it. I am sure I will indulge once in awhile. For now I am looking at other options that are not so toxic to my body. I found a natural sweetener called Stevia that I think is worth reading about. Try not to cater to that sweet tooth! (For me it is sweet teeth… I love cookies, cakes, and dark chocolate… but eep! Sugar is Poison.)
- PROCESSED FOODS Processed foods rank really high on the list of things you should limit eating. A great number of processed foods contain high levels of trans fat and saturated fat, along with very large amounts of sodium and sugar. The worst offenders in the processed foods category are canned soups, box dinners, frozen meals, snack foods, processed meats, cereals, white bread, pastas made with bleached flour… the list goes on. The nutritional value of the aforementioned foods is worthless to your body. Refined sugar, bleached grains, salt laden everything- it’s definitely worth rethinking your choice to buy that package of hot dogs. Which brings me to my next food to limit.
- MEAT Meat is something I stopped eating while I was away at college because college food is just plain nasty, and the meat was the best example of gross. When I visited home, which was often, I would eat dinner with my family. At that time (about 5-7 years ago), I was still eating chicken, beef, and pork on a regular basis. I slowly drifted away from eating meat and finally stopped when I read an article on Foie Gras, that was very similar to the one I just linked to. I could not handle it. I immediately researched animal cruelty and as a result, also learned about the health benefits of not eating meat. I have decided that instead of writing an epic diatribe, I will insert a website that you can choose to peruse if you so wish. The following website, 49 Good Reasons to be Vegetarian sums it all up for me. If you insist upon eating meat because you are a die-hard fan of killing sentient beings, buy locally, buy free range, and buy farm fed. Commercial meat is the worst choice. The animals are treated very poorly, often standing for days in their own filth, being fed antibiotics which are then passed on to you. You might want to at least consider what the animals eat since whatever they eat will make its way into your body.
- DAIRY Many of the reasons for not eating dairy are the same as why I recommend to not eat meat. Did you know that bovine waste is a top pollutant of America’s waterways? Bovine flatulence is also a huge pollutant. Commercial animal farming creates a lot of waste. One thing that I read a long time ago that has always stuck with me is the following statement: Humans are the only mammals that continue to drink milk after the initial growing period in which a mother’s breast milk is supplied has ended. Not only do humans continue to drink milk, but it is milk of a completely different mammal! I have paraphrased what I have read, but you should get the gist of it. I used to drink a gallon of milk a week. I switched to organic, and then soy milk. I do not drink any milk products now, and I have experienced less nasal congestion and illness. It was a noticeable difference. A large portion Americans are lactose intolerant, and still drink milk. Please check out this website, Milk Sucks for quick factoids about the dairy industry. For more reading, visit Milk, Doing Your Body Good? I think not.
- GLUTEN A large portion of our population suffers from gluten allergies or CeliacDisease, which means people have difficulty digesting foods that contain wheat. Breads, pastas, crackers, anything containing wheat, rye, and oats, can lead to terrible symptoms and reactions. It is best to steer clear of the white bread and pastas in general. Even if you do not have a gluten allergy, you should be aware of over exposure to the same wheat products. This is actually something I am working on myself. I love pasta. I try to eat pastas made from quinoa or bean/grain mixtures. Of course, eating more vegetables for fiber intake, versus whole grain processed products, is always better. I like the idea of a raw food, fruit and veggie based diet, but… I think this is enough for now.
I hope you enjoyed your education, saturated with my experiences and opinions.
~Namaste~
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