There are certain foods that we just do not need in our diets; however, try as we might, we still include them because we enjoy eating them. The trick, as I always say, is to eat everything in moderation. The main foods that we could do with limiting in our daily diets are:
- Red meat
- Sugar
- Alcohol
- Chemicalized artificial junk food
- Salt
- Caffeine
It can sometimes be very difficult to just give these foods up cold turkey, however, your body will thank you in the long run. Start by reducing your intake and substituting certain foods with healthier versions.
Red meat is full of saturated fats, has no phytochemicals, no fiber and excessive consumption can have a detrimental effect on your health. Ideally, you should be eating red meat once or twice a week. If you want to eat a burger, eat a burger, but rather than heading straight to McDonalds have fun making your own. Buy some good quality, lean, ground, organic (where possible) meat and enjoy! Where available, look for organic meat so you know it’s come from a good source. A lot of red meat is mass-produced and loaded with hormones and antibiotics that encourage abnormal growth amongst the animals to keep up with the demand. When you eat the meat, you eat the hormones and antibiotics. Next time you go to the supermarket ask them where they get their meat from. Remember the saying ‘you are what you eat’!
Sugar is addictive and we have all experienced that addiction at some time or another. We’ve all experienced that sugar high, then low and then that craving for more, along with withdrawal headaches, mood swings and fatigue. Refined sugar is the worst culprit here. Our bodies have to work a lot harder in order to absorb sugar properly and this is why we end up getting all the withdrawal symptons. The increase in adult onset diabetes or type 2 diabetes and hypoglycemia are all associated with an increase in the consumption of refined sugar. This can all be prevented by simply reducing the amount of sugar one consumes. By this I don’t mean lose the sugar and consume the artificial sweetners as they are just as bad (artificial sweetners have been linked to serious health problems) I mean eat sugar in it’s most natural form. Here are some alternative options to choose from and each (i think) even more delicious than white refined sugar:
- Maple Syrup
- Agave Nectar
- Honey
- Brown Rice Syrup
- Date Sugar
Also, check out my article on cravings for some suggestions on how to help beat that sugar craving.
Alcohol is also addictive. If you have ever consumed too much alcohol, as I’m sure most of us have, then you will know the detrimental effects that it can have on your body. In large consumptions alcohol can cause heart problems, kidney failure and even death, however there have been studies that prove a little red wine can actually help and a recent study on longevity found that there were people living into their 100’s that would have a little tipple of whatever they fancy every day… so once again, everything in moderation!
Chemicalized artificial junk food have no nutrients in them that benefit the body in any way, they are full of sugar (see above), salt and other such chemicals so are best avoided altogether.
Salt is one of the main causes of high blood pressure in the world today which increases the chance of heart disease and death. Chemicalized artificial junk foods are full of salt. The only real way to avoid salt today is to start cooking food yourself and subsitute the processed salt for high quality sea salt and again use in moderation.
Caffeine is another addictive substance – are you spotting a trend here? It is a drug and as a nation we consume an enourmous amount of this drug every day. If you have ever tried to reduce your intake of caffeine you will know that your body goes through withdrawal symptons much like when a drug addict goes cold turkey. Now you wouldn’t go out and shoot up some heroin… why go out and drink caffeine, just because it’s legal? Ok this sounds extreme but it’s what you are putting into your body and then you wonder why your body becomes ill and stressed. Try reducing your intake slowly and using decaffeinated coffee instead. Tea is a milder form of caffeine so try and add more of this into your diet. Your body will thank you in the long run.
