In this post:
What you should eat MORE of
What you should eat LESS of
Having a clean and nutritious diet is critical for a healthy digestive system. Overtime a diet high in processed foods and low in whole foods can negatively effect you health.
If you are eating a processed diet you might not be getting nutrients absorbed into your digestive tract, suffering from intestinal bacterial imbalance (which leads to constipation) and a diet high in processed foods can increase the need to support the liver (which detoxifies your body 24/7).
Your body is a powerful machine but needs the right foods to function properly, efficiently! If you start thinking about what processed junk food does to your body and what healthy fresh whole foods can do for your body, you will want to make the extra effort to eat right.
This is a great list that divides foods into categories of what to eat more of and what you should eat less of. Please use this simply as a guideline. You do not need to go cold turkey on the foods to eat less of, but by adding more fresh and whole foods to your diet everyday you will start to experience the health and mood benefits. Try it for yourself!
EAT MORE OF!
Fruit - as wide a variety as possible (caution with too much citrus) Fresh Vegetables (not frozen) - raw, steamed, stir fried, juiced, as soups, and salads Grains - organic brown rice, millet, quinoa rye Animal Protein - eggs, poultry, lamb, veal, beef (small portions) - fish (cold water salmon, trout, halibut, haddock, mackerel sardines Dairy - goat cheese, organic cow's milk yogurt, goat or sheep yogurt Dairy Substitute's - almond milk, rice milk Beans/Legumes/Soy - beans of all types - tempeh, miso, natto, tamari Nuts and Seeds - raw not roasted, also as butters, almonds, filberts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, pecans, walnuts - pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, flax seeds Fats and Oils - avocado, cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, ghee, coconut butter, flax oil, pumpkin oil Sweeteners - honey, maple syrup (in moderation), stevia Seasoning - sea salt, cayenne pepper, herbs
EAT LESS OF!
Fruit - dried fruit (small amounts okay) Fresh Vegetables - ONLY if you have potential low thyroid conditions: raw broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage Grains - wheat, wheat products Animal Protein - pork, shellfish Dairy - non- organic cows milk based cheese
Beans/Legumes/Soy - tofu, soy protein products Nuts and Seeds - roasted nuts and seeds (small amounts okay) Fats and Oils - vegetable oils, margarines, lard, fried foods Sweeteners - dyed sugar (white), sugar, sucrose, dextrose, artificial sweeteners Seasoning - table salt, MSG Other - food with additives + preservatives, coffee, black tea, pop, alcohol
Since we were not all born on the same island, country, or state which means we are all generally eating different diets and not all foods are available to us all. Use what is available and local to you!
Chart created by: Paul Demeda, CNP