#1 – AVOID – Processed foods and canned foods

Healthy food does not come in a box, bag, can or package.  Processed foods (note that imitation foods such as meat and dairy substitutes are heavily processed) contain excessive amounts of inflammatory-inducing ingredients like bad fats, sugars, additives, preservatives, toxins, chemicals and colorings.   Processed foods are also often high in refined carbohydrates, which turn into sugar in the body and can increase inflammation.

Healthy foods are found around the perimeter of most grocery stores.  Anything in the interior aisles needs to be carefully scrutinized for ingredients.  The fewer ingredients a food contains, the better that food is for your health and your waistline.  If you cannot pronounce its ingredients, don’t buy that food!

#2 – AVOID – Processed vegetable oils and hydrogenated oils

“Bad fats” are processed, refined fats. These include vegetable oils such as canola, corn, soy and cottonseed. (Which are typically what’s in oil labeled as simply “vegetable” oil.) These industrially refined oils are high in inflammatory omega-6 fats, which often lead to inflammatory conditions like arthritis, colitis, bursitis and anything else that ends in –itis (which is Greek for “inflammation”). Bad fats are also found in fried foods that are cooked in these oils. Hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils are also heavily refined, so you should avoid any food that lists hydrogenated oils in the ingredient label.  This includes margarine! Hydrogenated oils are a source of trans fats, which also create inflammation by damaging the cells in our body.  Bad fats are found in many packaged foods, sauces, bottled salad dressings and spreads.

Increasing your intake of “good fats” (i.e., unrefined and natural fats) and anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats helps reduce inflammation. Good fats such as coconut oil, butter, ghee and extra-virgin olive oil contain fat-soluble vitamins, plus these good fats assist with mineral absorption and help us digest sugars slower, thus keeping our blood sugar levels more stable. Good fats give us energy and keep us full until our next meal. Then we don’t reach for those carb-heavy chips or cookies that make us prone to weight gain.

#3 – AVOID – White sugar and artificial sweeteners (NutraSweet, Splenda, aspartame)

Sugar has many different names: white sugar, brown sugar, dextrose, sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, candy, etc. Even white flour, white rice and white pasta turn into sugar quickly in the body.  Sodas, sports drinks and alcohol are also very high in sugar.

What’s the problem with all this sugar? A steady supply of sugar forces the pancreas to function in overdrive mode, causing it to release too much insulin. An excessive release of insulin leads to inflammatory issues and weight gain. Sugar puts our immune system on high alert and suppresses the immune system, which leads to a host of health issues. Sugar also depletes our stores of valuable nutrients, particularly B vitamins.

Artificial sweeteners are just as bad, albeit in different ways. One of the biggest drawbacks of artificial sweeteners is that they’re hundreds of times sweeter than table sugar, which keeps your taste buds wanting more and more sweet stuff. It’s time to break the vicious circle! The less sugar you eat, the less inflammation you will experience and the stronger your immune system will be when it comes to protecting you from infectious and degenerative diseases.  Make your own sweet treats with natural sweeteners like raw honey, grade B maple syrup or coconut palm sugar. And eat them along with some healthy fats to keep your blood sugar level stable!

#4 – AVOID – Commercial meats and eggs

Meat and eggs from commercially raised animals are high in inflammatory omega-6 fats.  Most people already get more than enough omega-6s in the diet! Too much omega-6s and too few anti-inflammatory omega-3s has been linked to a host of diseases, including brain disorders, inflammatory conditions, cancers and metabolic diseases like Type 2 diabetes and obesity. Grass-fed beef and free-range eggs, on the other hand, are full of healthy nutrients, including the those health-boosting anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats. Pastured animal products also offer conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which has anti-cancer and anti-infective properties.

#5 – AVOID – Low-fat and non-fat foods

Assuming you are eating healthy fats, fat does not make you fat.  Here’s what does make you fat: carbohydrates, sugars, processed foods and heavily refined, heavily processed fats.  Low-fat and non-fat foods tend to be higher in sugar, plus various chemicals and gums are typically added to reduced-fat foods to make the food taste good. Fat, after all, is what gives food flavor. Fat also provides a luxurious silky mouth feel. When manufacturers take that away, they replace it with artificial additives.

We’ve all heard that eating fat makes us fat. There is no basis to that argument. Dietary fat provides satiety so that we feel full and are not hungry. Eliminating fat from the diet often leaves a constant state of hunger … and that constant, gnawing hunger often leads to binging on carbohydrates. That’s what can lead to obesity.  Low-fat diets are not just associated with obesity, but also heart disease, fatigue, mental and behavioral disorders, learning disabilities, depression and even suicide.  Don’t feel guilty about eating good fat — fat is a vital and necessary ingredient in our diet.  In fact, we need fat to live!  Fat is important for many functions in the body, including helping us absorb minerals and fat-soluble vitamins.  Fat also plays a crucial role in hormone production, maintaining healthy skin, optimizing brain function and promoting healthy organs and cells. If all of that weren’t enough, fat is the major source of energy  for the body, too!

Excerpted from The Healthy Handbook – CLICK HERE to get more tips for FREE