You know that a whole foods diet means that you are striving to eat your foods in their most natural state. You likely also know that eating whole foods is not a ‘one size fits all’ solution and there are many different whole food paths depending on the eating style that you relate to. There are all sorts of great information out there about what you can do on the whole foods diet, but many times there is little to no information on what you can’t do.
If you are struggling to find your way around the whole foods lifestyle, below are some of the things that you should eat in moderation or steer clear of entirely.
Dairy
Despite what your well meaning parents may have told you, dairy products are not all that they seem to be. While it was once thought that eating dairy was the best way to get calcium into the body, the truth is that there is processed dairy foods cause more harm than good. There are a lot of factors that go into the dairy products that we eat, and it goes how the milk is treated before it hits the store shelves. The way the farm animal was treated, what they were made to eat, and the condition of the farm itself can all negatively impact any benefits the milk originally had. Dairy products have also been linked to various health issues, yet they are still considered an essential part of the food pyramid by most standards.
Eggs
If you have chosen the whole food vegan path, than eggs are not permitted while eating a whole foods diet. However, if you choose to be follow the whole food meat eaters path or the whole food vegetarian path, then you are allowed to eat eggs freely. When choosing your eggs, it is best to familiarize yourself with what the different labels on the eggs mean. Cage-free, free range, and organic all sound good but can be a bit misleading. Different standards are for the different types of eggs.
Processed grains
Whole grains like quinoa and amaranth are healthy and nutritious and are approved. However, processed grains like white rice should be avoided. Breads and noodles made from white flour are also to be avoided.
Meat
Meat, including fish and chicken, is excluded entirely or minimized. As with eggs, if you must eat meat, chicken or fish, be very careful. Insist upon grass-fed beef, wild-caught fish and free-range chicken that has not been fed antibiotics and hormones.
Refined Sugar
The average adult male is recommended to eat no more than nine teaspoons full of sugar every day. The typical female should ingest no more than six teaspoons. This includes sugar naturally found in food, sugar added in the processing and manufacturing of food, as well as added sugar that you may put into your cereal, coffee or tea. Human beings are eating anywhere between 19 and 26 teaspoons full of refined sugar each and every day, and this is led to a health epidemic in the US, UK, Canada and other developed countries.
Oil
Most oils are eliminated from the whole foods diet. Some whole food devotees believe that natural, organic oils like coconut oil are acceptable. This is another area where your whole foods path will determine what you should choose. For example, a whole food vegan lifestyle chooses the water sauté method while a whole foods diet that allows meat typically finds olive oil and coconut oil acceptable.
It might seem like there are many things you need to avoid on the whole foods diet, but the things you can eat freely far outweigh those things you can’t. You can freely eat things like fruit, vegetables and tubers on the whole foods diet. Whole grains and legumes are also allowed. Squash, broccoli, bananas, blueberries, kidney beans and whole wheat are just a few examples of the nutritious and delicious food you will be eating.
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