14 “FOODS” TO AVOID FOR BETTER HEALTH

In the list of foods to avoid below, I am focusing on the bad kind of processing. By that I mean the food-like substances, chemicals, food additives and preservatives, food dyes, and artificial sweeteners in your food.

1. Anything with ingredients that are difficult to pronounce. These products surely contain substances that belong in a chemistry set, not in your body. Try saying stearoyl lactylate (which is an emulsifier in food that can cause bloating and skin rashes among other symptoms) without tripping up. A good rule of thumb is “if you cannot pronounce it, your body cannot process it.
2. Anything that didn’t exist in your grandmother’s day – and maybe even in your great-grandmother’s day, depending on how old you are. I know this is kind of a trendy approach to eating right now, but it makes sense. A hundred years ago, we did not need a label to let us know that our food was local, organic, and grass -fed. All food was whole, real, and unadulterated. Fortunately, there is a movement to get back to that way of eating.
3. Anything containing soybean oil. Americans get almost 10 percent of their calories from refined soybean oil, which is one of the most abundant sources of Omega-6 fatty acids. Plus, it often contains high levels of glyphosate, or Roundup, a toxic herbicide used by Monsanto. Most people are not even aware they are eating it, but it’s lurking everywhere. If you eat fast food, grains, desserts, packaged snacks, potato chips, or anything cooked in a cafeteria, diner, or restaurant, then you are almost certainly consuming lots of soybean oil. This stuff is toxic and inflammatory and should be avoided.
4. Anything containing high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). HFCS is a major cause of heart disease, obesity, cancer, dementia, liver failure, tooth decay, and more. It is seriously nasty stuff.
5. Anything with the word “hydrogenated” in its name. Since most people do not know that hydrogenated fat and trans fat are the same thing. Food makers have been able to hide the trans fat content in plain sight using this little trick. Do not let them fool you!
6. Anything advertised on TV. Have you seen a commercial for broccoli on TV?
7. Anything with a cute name. Froot Loops are not a good source of fruit.
8. Anything you can buy at a drive-through window. This is a no-brainer.
9. Anything with monosodium glutamate (MSG), Even though the FDA says it is safe, it’s an excitotixin – a neurotransmitter that is known to kill brain cells. We associate it with Chinese cuisine, but food companies use it in many forms without our knowledge. They even try to hide its presence, calling it “hydrolyzed vegetable protein”. “Vegetable protein”, “natural flavorings”, and even simply “spices”. It is known to induce hunger and carb cravings, so you will eat more food containing “MSG”. Here is the kicker they feed lab rats MSG to fatten them up.
10. Any “food” in an aerosol can.
11. Anything with artificial sweeteners. This research has not been kind to artificial sweeteners, claiming among other problems’ they adversely affect gut health and glucose tolerance. The recommendations are to avoid aspartame, sucralose, sugar alcohols such as maltitol, and all other heavily used and marketed sweeteners. These sweeteners slow down your metabolism, cause gain weight, and are addictive. Use stevia and avoid all others.
12. Any food called a ‘cheese food’. For example, have you seen cheese in a spray can?
13. Anything with an additive, preservative, or dye. The average American eats about 2- 5 pounds of these chemicals per year.
14. Any food with more than five ingredients on the label, unless you recognize all of the ingredients. The FDA requires food companies to list ingredients by concentration levels. The first 5 ingredients are primarily what the food product is comprised of.
    I know this is a long list, but it can go a LONG way to helping you eat a real, whole foods-based diet that can promote health and help you avoid disease.