The Top 5 Common Dietary Mistakes to Avoid

The Top 5 Common Dietary Mistakes to Avoid. No amount of exercise can combat a bad diet. Most people who come to me tell me they eat healthy, however the definition of healthy may be defined by marketers and the food industry who want to tout the health benefits of foods using pseudo-science without understanding your individual risk factors, conditions, and genetics. Mother nature designed us to process food that is grown in the ground as well as meats and poultry that range free and eat grass and non-GMO plants. You eat what they eat, and their eggs and dairy products will be composed of food that was created by nature.

On the other hand, once humans process it and package it, the nutrients, composition, and digestibility changes. These changes can create havoc and influence our hormone, immune and nervous system as well as change the bacteria in our gut from friend to foe.

Here are some of the most common dietary mistakes:

1. Not focusing on whole foods and understanding how food is chemistry

Whole foods take time to break down and release their sugar and nutrients slowly. This gives your cells time to absorb, process and burn or use the nutrients or calories to sustain life. Processed foods are digested quickly and carrier proteins that bring nourishment to your cells get full leaving the rest to circulate, bind to protein and be stored as fat. Nutrients such as sugar will bind to protein and change its structure and function.

Think of a cataract which is sugar bound to the protein in the lens of your eyes, the lens is no longer flexible or clear. This can happen anywhere in your body such as your brain, kidneys and nerves causing disruption and dis-ease in these organs. Protein that is not burned is converted into fat and fat that is not burned is stored. The stored fat is a source of inflammation and inflammation is the root cause of most chronic illness.

2. Eating gluten free foods liberally when you don’t need them

Gluten free is all the rage and instead of eating grains with gluten people are switching to gluten free due to the prevalence of gluten sensitivity. Gluten free products are processed foods that are high in carbohydrates. They are starchy and starch quickly turns into sugar. Sugar will be absorbed quickly, and the glycemic index is high. A high glycemic index is an indicator of how quick and high sugar spikes. Sugar spikes can overwhelm your capacity to take up sugar in your cells to be burned. This can cause insulin resistance, weight gain, diabetes or prediabetes and metabolic syndrome as well as other chronic illness. Gluten free products should be a treat and not a regular component of your diet.

3. Avoid eating fat free foods thinking you will be getting less calories

Fat free foods may not contain fat that is higher in calories than carbohydrates, however the fillers to make fat free food tasty have more sugar, salt, additives, and chemicals that makes them less healthy. They are not calorie free and can be loaded with more calories than the original food containing fat. Focusing on foods that have anti-inflammatory fats that are needed for making hormones and cell walls like fish, olives, avocados, nuts, seeds, and any of their oils is not only satisfying, but also good for you.

Fat is essential for overall health. Your brain is over 60% fat. Eating inflammatory grains, fats, sugar and simple carbohydrates and processed food can inflame your brain and other tissues. Every cell in your body has a fatty layer in it. There is truth to the adage, you are what you eat. Eating whole, anti-inflammatory foods is what your mind and body need to stay healthy.

4. Eating farmed fish vs wild caught thinking they are the same

You eat what they eat. Farmed fish are fed a diet of processed fish food that can vary by producer. Healthline states that a half-fillet of wild salmon comes with only 281 calories, whereas farm raised has around 412 calories Wild salmon has around 13 grams of fat (and 1.9 grams of saturated fat). Farm-raised salmon has 27 grams of fat (and 6 grams of saturated fat). The BBC reported on findings in 2016 that omega-3 fatty acid levels in farmed salmon had dropped considerably when compared to the previous five years due to what they were fed. Mother nature is a better producer of healthy food than anything processed.

5. Avoid eating too many processed foods without understanding their impact.

 

The Top 5 Common Dietary Mistakes to Avoid Conclusion:

You are beginning to see a theme here. Processed food such as vegan products including textured soy, soda, juices, agave, instant cereals, muesli, granola, and chips (even veggie chips), and most things that come in a box or bag are not whole foods. They can change your gut bacteria or microbiome to an unfriendly environment. Your microbiome makes vitamins such a K for clotting, biotin for hair and neurotransmitters such as serotonin, the natural anti-depressant. The unfriendly bacteria feed on processed foods and crowds out the friendly bacteria that promote health. These dietary mistakes cause the issues mentioned in the above sections.

There is so much more to learn. For instance, since choosing food that agrees with your chemical and genetic make up. However, this can be complex due to marketing hype. There are hidden sources of chemicals and additives as well as how of food is produced and processed. When you understand your body, you know your risk factors and what foods help versus harm you. Therefore, you open the door to vitality, health, and longevity. If you want to learn more fill out the free diet evaluation. If you want to lose weight, decrease toxins, restore your microbiome and uncover food sensitivities as well as find out why you don’t feel well or can’t lose weight, fill out an application for a free, no obligation clarity call to see if we are a good fit.