6 foods to remove from your diet

“You are what you eat” has become generally accepted principle in today’s world.

What most people don't realize is that we are also only what our bodies can metabolize.

With such a large percentage of the North American diet coming from packaged/processed foods containing a multitude of questionable ingredients, it’s no wonder the nation’s health is declining.

In addition to these chemicals and preservatives, there are six foods the majority of the population consume multiple times every day — foods that, if eliminated, would result not only in weight loss, but a massive and almost immediate improvement in health.

Let's take a look at these “sinister 6” and the reasons why you might want to avoid or even eliminate them from your diet.

1. Gluten has become a hot topic of debate the last few years. To eat or not to eat, that is the question.

In my, and neurologist Dr. David Perlmutter’s opinion we most certainly should not. Gluten can cause stomach upset and discomfort, bloating, headaches, brain fog, mood swings, depression, inability to focus and cognitive decline.

In his book “Grain Brain,” Perlmutter highlights studies showing that as the waistline increases, the size of the brain decreases. A few extra pounds aside, who really wants to set themselves up for Alzheimers, Parkinson’s or dementia?

2. Soy is another item you’ll find a lot of back and forth on. Although a plant-based protein, soy has a high estrogen content. At the end of the day it’s also a low-quality protein that is difficult to digest. Bloating, diarrhea and upset stomach can result.

3. Dairy used to be touted as the one and only source of calcium, but today we know there are better, more readily absorbed sources that do our body good.

4. Alcohol is a toxin. Whether it’s dressed up as a pina colada or your favourite craft beer, the internal inflammation triggered when we sip and chug far outweigh the benefits. Alcohol is also a processed carbohydrate, meaning it creates a spike in blood sugar, which the body then stores as fat.

5. Sugar. We all love the taste, but the effects on physical and mental health are not so sweet. Like alcohol, sugar and sugar substitutes (including honey, cane sugar, aspartame, Sucralose and many more) are carbohydrates that enter the blood stream quickly. Again, blood sugar spikes and the body stores belly fat. Artificial sweeteners are not better. They have been linked to serious conditions. including a decline in cognitive function.

6. Salt has been a dinner-table staple for decades. Decades ago when home cooking was king and fewer processed foods were consumed, the need to monitor sodium intake was far less of a concern. Fast forward to today’s world where sodium is in everything. Combine that with what most people are still doing at the table and it’s no wonder blood-pressure rates are high. Not only can too much salt/sodium can lead to conditions like hypertension, high blood pressure and heart disease, it also causes water retention and bloat.

Attempting to eliminate all six foods in one fell swoop is a lot, but making small changes over time that stick is better than going all in and lasting a week at best.

Start by cutting back or eliminating one item at a time — perhaps buying gluten free bread, or replacing cow's milk with almond milk. Progress over perfection.

If you are an all-or-nothing person, be all in at one per cent. If you did something one per cent better tomorrow than you did today, where will you be in a year?

Contact Tania Gustafson by going online to fuelignitethrive.com or emailing tania@fuelignitethrive.com.