We indeed are what we eat and what we are eating in many ‘first world
nations’ is quite scary. The chemicals added to these ‘foods’ are
disrupting our hormones, causing cancer and leading to a variety of
health issues.
“In the 21st century our tastes buds,
our brain chemistry, our biochemistry, our hormones and our kitchens
have been hijacked by the food industry.” ~ Mark Hyman
The Omnivore’s Dilemma
by Michael Pollan is one of my favorite books. He describes his journey
through 4 different ways of obtaining food: industrialized (or fast)
food, conventional farming practices, organic/symbiotic farming
practices, and people that hunt/forage for their meals. He follows the
food chain literally from the ground to the table.
“Much of our food system depends on our not knowing much about
it, beyond the price disclosed by the checkout scanner; cheapness and
ignorance are mutually reinforcing. And it’s a short way from not
knowing who’s at the other end of your food chain to not caring–to the
carelessness of both producers and consumers that characterizes our
economy today. Of course, the global economy couldn’t very well function
without this wall of ignorance and the indifference it breeds. This is
why the American food industry and its international counterparts fight
to keep their products from telling even the simplest stories–”dolphin
safe,” “humanely slaughtered,” etc.–about how they were produced. The
more knowledge people have about the way their food is produced, the
more likely it is that their values–and not just “value”–will inform
their purchasing decisions.” ~ Michael Pollan
I highly encourage you to do your own research in regards to not only the products that you put into your body but also the products you put onto your body (check out the Skindeep website
to research your personal care products). If you’d like to live a life
full of health and vitality, start by controlling your food choices.
This is the easiest and most controllable factor in regards to health. I
always aim for fresh, local and in season produce. And in regards to
what I DON’T ever eat, well that’s this list below.
1. Canned Foods - We live in a world where
convenience is king. I know this. It’s hard to find fresh produce and to
only eat what is in season, kind of. When you buy canned foods,
however, you are also buying BPA
– a toxic chemical linked to reproductive abnormalities, neurological
effects, diabetes, heart disease and a heightened risk of breast and
prostate cancers. Canned foods that are highly acidic, such as tomatoes
for example, cause the BPA to leach into your food. I recommend you
avoid canned foods, whenever possible, and stick to what’s fresh and
season. You can also switch over to glass containers or frozen foods
instead.
2. Processed Meats – Most deli meats are typically
made with meats from animals that are not raised in an ecologically
sound fashion. They are given growth hormones, antibiotics and other
drugs that stick in their bodies and are passed on to you when you eat
their flesh. They are also raised in horrible conditions that gives rise
to innumerable diseases that are then treated with more drugs. These
meats are also treated with sodium nitrite (which adds color and flavor)
which your body converts to nitrosamines, which are cancer-causing
chemicals. Most processed meats also contain a variety of other cancer-promoting chemicals including HCAs, PAHs, and AGEs. Says Michael Pollan in his book the Omnivore’s Dilemma, “were
the walls of our meat industry to become transparent, literally or even
figuratively, we would not long continue to raise, kill, and eat
animals the way we do.” If you’re going to eat meat, avoid all
processed meats at all costs. Go for local and sustainably raised (and
grass-fed) meat. Wild caught salmon (and other fish) are a great
alternative as well.
3. Margarine – The low-fat diet craze is perhaps one
of the worst diet fads to happen in the last 50 years. Healthy fats are
ESSENTIAL to your diet as your cells are built with fat. Margarine, and
other butter impostors, are loaded with trans fats, free radicals,
emulsifiers, and preservatives. Any of these alone can lead to: heart
disease, cancer, bone problems, hormonal imbalances, skin disease,
infertility, and many more health problems. Don’t let clever marketing
fool you. Good old fashioned butter, when made from grass-fed cows, is a
healthy substance filled with conjugated linoleic acid which actually
helps to fight cancer and diabetes.
4. Vegetable Oils - Vegetable oils (and margarine,
made from these oils) are oils extracted from seeds like the rapeseed
(canola oil) soybean (soybean oil), corn, sunflower, and safflower. They
were practically non-existent in our diets until the early 1900s when
new chemical processes allowed them to be extracted. Vegetable oils are
manufactured in a factory, usually from genetically modified crops that
have been heavily treated with pesticides. Unlike butter or coconut oil,
these vegetable oils can’t be extracted just by pressing or separating
naturally. They must be chemically removed, deodorized, and altered.
These are some of the most chemically altered foods in our diets.
Vegetable oils are found in practically every processed food, from salad
dressing to potato chips to mayo to conventional nuts and seeds. Today,
people consume, on average, about 70 pounds of vegetable oils
throughout the year! Anytime you cook a food, you run the risk of
creating heat-induced damage. The oils you choose to cook with must be
stable enough to resist chemical changes when heated to high
temperatures, or you run the risk of damaging your health. One of the
ways vegetable oils can inflict damage is by converting your good
cholesterol into bad cholesterol–by oxidizing it. When you cook with
polyunsaturated vegetable oils (such as canola, corn, and soy oils),
oxidized cholesterol is introduced into your system. As the oil is
heated and mixed with oxygen, it goes rancid. Rancid oil is oxidized oil
and should NOT be consumed–it leads directly to vascular disease.
Trans-fats are introduced when these oils are hydrogenated, which
increases your risk of chronic diseases like breast cancer and heart
disease. Instead, whenever I cook, I use either butter or coconut oil.
Coconut oil is practically 100% saturated, which means it is stable at
high temperatures. It also is very beneficial to the health of your body.
5. Microwave Popcorn - Honestly, you shouldn’t eat anything that’s been put in a microwave, but especially microwave popcorn! The bags of microwave popcorn contain
chemicals called perfluoroalkyls which keep the grease from leaking
through the fast food wrappers. These ‘gender bending’ chemicals disrupt
the endocrine system and are carcinogenic. They are linked to
infertility, thyroid malfunction, cancerous tumors, and immunological
problems. I highly recommend you toss your microwave out today. Opt for
the old fashioned route of stove-top or air-popped popcorn. And also
know that most fast food or junk food wrappers contain these chemicals
and are adding toxicity to your body.
6. Non-Organic Produce – I’ve read plenty of articles about the ‘safest non-organic’ produce
to eat. Which simply makes me laugh. Sure, the thick skin of the fruit
or vegetable may ‘protect’ the edible portion inside, but what about the
fact that the chemicals are sprayed on the plants, leach into the
groundwater and are absorbed into the plant by the roots? And what about
the workers and the surrounding areas of conventional farms that are
affected by the toxic chemicals? Produce that has been treated with
toxic chemicals affects the planet as a whole regardless of the
thickness of the skin of the product. Do yourself, and the rest of us a
favor, buy local and organic whenever possible.
7. Table Salt - Did you know that processed salt is
98% sodium chloride and the remaining 2% consists of dangerous chemicals
like ferrocyanide and aluminosilicate in addition to fluoride? Natural
salt, like sea salt for example, is only 84% sodium chloride with the
remaining 16% consisting of trace minerals like silicon, phosphorous and
vanadium. Salt is essential to your health in it’s natural form. I
personally enjoy the flavor of Himalayan sea salt. But there are a
variety of salts out there. Try black lava salt from Hawaii or Fleur de
sel from France. But like anything, go easy on the salt in your diet.
Even though the minerals are good for your body, too much can still lead
to a variety of health problems like high blood pressure. And remember,
most processed foods are loaded with sodium, so avoid them at all costs.
8. Soy Products – Soy
is one of the leading genetically modified (GM) foods on the planet
today (along with corn). GM soy has been shown to cause damage to the
female reproductive system and is toxic to the placenta. Soy can be
found in practically everything from protein bars to bottled fruit
drinks to soups and sauces to baked goods and even breakfast cereals!
It’s important to read labels as soy is hidden in many processed foods.
The only soy which can promote health is organic fermented soy products.
9. Artificial Sweeteners – Without going into too much scientific detail, aspartame
forms methanol in the body. Methanol is carried into the brain and bone
marrow, where it’s converted into formaldehyde, which damages DNA. All
animals, except humans, can harmlessly break down methanol into formic
acid. This is why animal testing is incorrect in regards to the safety
of artificial sweeteners and humans. If you need to sweeten something go for natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup or stevia.
10. Sugar – As a continuation of the point above, sugar
suppresses the immune system, leads to weight gain and leaches precious
minerals from your body. Sugar, even in small amounts, is detrimental
to your health. It suppresses the immune system for hours and plays
significant effect on your hormones, throwing your body out of balance
and into a state of biochemical chaos. If you eat sugar, morning, noon
and night, your body is always in this state of chaos leading to
disease. Furthermore, sugar is actually an anti-nutrient, meaning that
it leaches nutrients from your body! Because certain nutrients are
removed from sugar in the refining process, your body cannot process it.
So, it leaches minerals from your body to attach to the refined sugar
molecules in order to move the sugar through your body. Also, because
it’s an anti-nutrient, sugar also causes calcium to be lost in the
urine, which in turn is replaced by calcium from the bones, leading to
osteoporosis.You may say ‘but I don’t eat sugar,’ but what you mean is
that you don’t ADD sugar to your meals and drinks. Once you start
reading labels of boxed foods, you’ll soon learn that sugar (in all of
its chemically created/altered forms) is present in most, if not all,
processed foods. It’s almost impossible to avoid! Stay away from
processed foods and drinks in order to stray away from sugar and stick
to the natural sweeteners.
Honestly – the easiest way to stay healthy is to eat whole un-refined and fresh foods. As Michael Pollan stated beautifully: “If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t.” Words to live by, my friends.
Read more: http://www.trueactivist.com/10-foods-you-should-never-eat/
