August 1, 2013

12 Foods You Will Never Find in My Kitchen

health junkie
Allow me to preface this by saying...

I am not a nutritionist. A dietician. A doctor. A nurse. Or anything with a fancy title or initials after my name, for that matter.

I am Stephanie Howard and I simply have a degree in Health Education and Promotion. I've spent the last 5 years of my life in the Health & Wellness industry where I have read hundreds of books on food, nutrition, hormones, wellness, diet, and fitness...to list just a few of the major topics. I've been a health blogger on the side for 3 years now and not to mention, a self-proclaimed health junkie so learning all I can about food, nutrition, wellness and fitness is just my cup of tea.

That being said...this is all taken from what I've learned from reading, research and my own personal experience. Take it for what's it's worth. Mmmmkay?

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12 Foods you will never find in my kitchen...

Milk. Cow's milk...specifically. Ick! Dairy is one of the biggest allergens out there. Not only are most people allergic to milk/milk products/dairy in general, but it messes with your gut and can royally screw with your hormones. Milk is processed, people. Cows are fed hormones and antibiotics and if that's where you get your milk from, guess what? You've ingested those same hormones and antibiotics. I've been 95% dairy-free for almost a year now and I cannot even begin to tell you what a difference it's made in my gut (not near as many stomach aches as before) and it's even helped improve my skin tone (slightly). I don't have any issues with my hormones yet (praise God) but I can only imagine how this is helping my endocrine system. Almond milk is this girl's best friend and if you're worried about my calcium intake, shockingly enough, almond milk (& many other health foods) has calcium in it, too!

Cereals. Processed, processed and more processed. Breakfast cereals (I'm looking at YOU, Lucky Charms!) are loaded with grains, flours, dyes, sugar, corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, artificial flavors and preservatives. Not just this, but 9 times out of 10, cereal is paired with what? MILK.

Chicken pot pie. I don't know why but you will never, I repeat, NEVER find this in my freezer. SO caloric and loaded with sodium and fat it's not even funny. One of my health education professors once told me this was one of the worst foods you can eat and I've taken her word for it ever since. Not to mention, it just looks nasty and reminds me of middle school cafeteria food. Vom city.

Packaged breads. Again...processed like nobody's business! If enriched wheat flour, high fructose corn syrup and yeast are at the top of your "must eat" list, than packaged breads are just for you. If flabby thighs, stomach rolls and chubby cheeks are also your thing, have at it. As for me and my kitchen, we will not serve Mrs. Baird's.

Soda. Regular and diet soda. All of the above. If you remove ONE thing from your diet, let it be this one. Sodas are nothing but empty calories. The sugar load does nothing but reduce good (HDL) cholesterol and raise blood triglyceride levels. Not to mention, sugar causes inflammation throughout the body. Inflammation throughout the body can be and has been linked to certain cancers and diseases. I gave up sodas 7 years ago and have never looked back. Water...plain water and wine and vodka...is my BFF.

Hot dogs. Yahoo named this food one of the top cancer-causing food many, many moons ago and though I've never been a huge hot dog eater to begin with (the texture alone...gag me with a spoon. Or a weiner?) this is definitely not something you will ever see me eat. Unless I'm intoxicated to a point of no return. Ingredients: mechanically separated what? Potassium lactate who? Sodium phosphate where? Along with a whole mess of other ingredients I won't even bother listing... I can't. Just can't.

Pasta. 'Tis true. No ca-noodling for this chick. Spaghetti squash is where it's AT! And occasionally...when I'm really, and I mean really, feening for carbs, I'll cheat and have a tiny bit of gluten-free organic brown rice pasta. But that's it. Regular spaghetti noodles are made of none other than white flour...or if we're calling a spade a spade here, simple carbs. AKA: they do nothing for you but sit there in your body. Your body doesn't know how to process simple carbs and therefore, they are left to convert to sugar and eventually, are what you can blame for your cottage cheese legs. Complex carbs, like the brown rice pasta I spoke of previously, is broken down easier and actually provides your body with at least some form nutrition.

Frozen meals. Processed? Guilty. Sodium laden? Guilty. Loaded with corn syrup, sugar, wheat and yeast? Guilty, again. Guilty on ALL accounts, Smart Ones. Weight Watchers can kiss my badonkadonk for this one. Just do me and YOU a favor and don't waste your money on this junk.

Soy products. If genetically modified foods are your thing, have at it but just about all soy products (processed tofu, soy milk, soy ice cream, soy "butter", etc...) are basically the cheapest form of "protein" you will find in cheap foods. Soy can interfere BIG TIME with the absorption of your body's naturally producing hormones and even certain minerals, think calcium, magnesium and zinc...all essential minerals to our health. Not to mention, soy consumption has been linked to infertility, cancers of the endocrine system, premature puberty in kids, etc...If you can avoid soy, please, for the sake of humanity do it. I do, however, have but ONE exception when it comes to soy and that's edamame. Soybeans are the purest form of soy and from what I've ready, is "ok" to eat on occasion. Key words: ON OCCASION.

Canned soups. Step 1: walk into your pantry. Step 2: identify all canned soups. Step 3: throw them away immediately. Every last one of 'em! Step 4: never buy them again. Step 5: Consider repeating steps 1 through 4 to the rest of your canned goods too because you're not going to like what I'm about to say. The lining on the inside of the can is called Bisphenol A, better known as "BPA". BPA is the KING of disrupting hormones and totally effing up your endocrine system. Aside from this...canned soups are stuffed with sodium and fat. Have you ever actually seen how much sodium is in one single can of soup?! For reference, one can of Campbell's chicken noodle soup contains 1700 mg of sodium. There. I said it. Thanks but no thanks, Campbells. You are mm mmm BAD.

Artificial sweeteners. Look here...Splenda (sucralose), Sweet n Lo (saccahrin), Equal (aspartame) and all the other teeny little colored packets you find in the middle of your table at every single restaurant in the world...all terrible for you. Take my word for it and NEVER sprinkle this shit in your drinks ever again. If you're looking for a safe alternative to sugar, here ya go. 

Ice cream. Refer to #1 (milk). Unless it's coconut milk or almond milk ice cream, you will never find this in my kitchen...unless , of course, it's my husband's. :)

Don't get me wrong...just because I don't buy these things doesn't mean I don't have my little slip ups when I'm out and about. I'm a normal person, y'all, with normal cravings and "wants" and I forbid to give up my social life because of the way I eat. Bite of ice cream there, sip of Dr. Pepper here and even a slice of bread from Outback if I'm really living on the edge. ;) It's okay to "cheat"...so long as it doesn't become a habit. There-you have my permission.

Stay tuned...next up is a list of foods you will always...and I mean always, find in my kitchen! Hint: they're real foods.


49 comments:

  1. I am a big time real foodie too, of course with the normal slip ups like most of us. I love reading about nutrition and health- any books you would recommend??

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  2. my fridge is seriously filled with every item on this list. and i live of frozen meals. i am DOOMED! :/

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  3. I feel good about the fact that I knew approximately 80% of this.. but I have a few questions. Ezekiel bread? No preservatives so it's safe right? How do you go about using beans (black beans, chickpeas, etc) without using the canned variety? Do you use dry? That seems like it takes a lot of time haha. I keep saying I am going to try this Yeast Free business since I've a bit of a plateau in my weight loss journey, but I'm scurrrred ;)

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  4. Hmmm I never knew that about soy milk. I switched from dairy milk to soy but will probably have to cut out the soy milk and switch to almond milk. Thanks for the info!

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  5. I would looove some book recommendations too!!!!! GOOD POST my friend. LOVE it.

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  6. Love this! Ever since I read into the Yeast Free lifestyle that you and Kristen write about, I have been trying to decide what foods are ok and what are not. This definitely helped and hopefully I'll be yeast free soon :)

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  7. Im doing good on most of your list!!! But I can not handle any other milk than good ole cow's milk. I buy it from a local dairy so its as close to organic as it can get without being labeled "organic" it is pasteurized but I know what those cows are eating and they do not get hormones. I stay clear of soy and honeslty my family of five does not like almond/coconut milk.

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  8. Oh geez. My kitchen cabinets need an overhaul. Can't wait to see what's on your "must have" foods list!

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  9. I pretty much follow everything on your list already (other than the occasional bite of ice cream...I am human) but I wonder the same thing as Sami about canned beans as I do use these on occasion for salads and what-not. I also limit myself to ezekiel bread as well when it comes to bread carbs. I have always read that ezekiel bread is okay b/c it's 100% sprouted and contains no flour.

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  10. Thanks so much for sharing this! I've recently cut out 95% of dairy, soy, and gluten from my diet and I feel great. The soup insight was interesting, I'm gonna have to work on eating less canned stuff. I'd love to hear some great meal ideas from you. We get tired of the same chicken/fish/steak with broccoli/corn/asparagus combinations.

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  11. So what would you recommend I give my 2 year old as far as milk goes? He is allergic to almonds so almond milk is out, soy isn't recommended and I think cows milk is partly to blame for his eczema. What's left?!

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    1. Coconut milk!! So Delicious is a brand that makes coconut milk and it's actually pretty good. By itself, I think it tastes better than almond milk.

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  12. (Let me preface this by saying that I am not upset, just frustrated with trying to figure out this whole "healthy eating" mindset, so I may come across abrasive). I want to improve my family's eating habits, but milk is a STAPLE in our house. Almond milk is not only absolutely disgusting, but it is crazy expensive! How in the world can the average person afford almond milk on a regular basis? And what about families where both parents work full-time and have 2 toddlers and zero time to make every meal from scratch with no processed food, no dairy, no carbs, etc? You can say "you make time for what is important" and I agree, but there comes a point where enough is enough. I simply cannot spend an hour every night in the kitchen making dinner plus prepping for the next night. I don't have time for that. Also, I can't spend money on all organic food, expensive breads, almond-substitute dairy items, etc. Not to mention the time I do not have to research what is and isn't healthy. Throw in picky toddlers and I give up. We've made some changes to our diet recently, but by this blog post's standards, our diet is NOT healthy. Any simple initial steps to take to begin revamping our diet would be appreciated, but to simply cut out all of these things and change up almost everything about our diet is just not feasible right now.

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    1. Hi there! Girl, let me just say I have no kids...so I really have NO idea if I'll be able to maintain the way I eat once I do. MAJOR props to you for being a working mom and trying to make the best decisions for your family. I know it takes a TON of work for just my husband and I so I can only imagine how hectic it gets when you throw kids into the mix!

      Also-I really don't want you to think that because I wrote this post do I deem anyone who eats any/all of these items "unhealthy". I didn't mean for it to be portrayed that way whatsoever so I apologize a million times if that's how it made you feel. This is just what has worked for me and I get a TON of comments and emails on a daily basis asking what I do/do not eat so this was to address those readers. Again-I apologize!! No one ever died from eating canned soup, lol, I just prefer not to.

      As for the milk thing...I'm stumped!! As a kid, my parents would use milk in recipes/baking and we would drink it as we ate our cereal but I've never been a milk drinker so I think this is why it was such a easy fix for me. I don't miss it because I never really liked it to just sit down and drink. I wish I could give you a better alternative but almond milk is my only alternative and like you said, it's not good to just drink. (I only use it in recipes and protein shakes). I can't imagine actually sipping it...yuck!

      Healthy eating, though good for you, is SO frustrating. I totally get that! I'm no "Betty Crocker" when it comes to my meals. I stick to simple, straightforward meals. I rarely use recipes simply because I don't like to follow directions. Breakfast is usually a protein shake, eggs/turkey bacon, or some form of a protein bar. Lunch is 99% of the time either leftover dinner from the night before or a salad I made at the salad bar in my grocery store (or if you want to make a bunch of salads, it's definitely more cost efficient to buy all the ingredients separately and make individual salads yourself). Dinner is always one protein (chicken, fish, shrimp, turkey), one-two veggies (steamed, roasted or grilled), and either brown rice, sweet potatoes or black beans. That's it. Sure-I get burnt out on some meals, which is why it's important to constantly rotate what you're eating. Again-this is what I've found has worked for my husband and I.

      I don't buy 100% organic either because like you said, it's outrageously expensive. I buy some organic, some not. As bad as it may sound, it depends on which organic food items are on sale. If it's not on sale or not reasonably close to something non-organic, I won't buy it.

      You really have to find what works for you and your family. I know...it's SO not easy. But like you said, you really have to take time for the things that matter most and for me, it's the way we eat at home and I enjoy doing it and I enjoy the way it makes me feel. If you don't enjoy it, girl...I wouldn't do it either! But when I eat foods that are "unhealthy", I totally feel it. I feel groggy, foggy headed, sluggish and bloated and I just got to the point to where I couldn't stand that feeling anymore so I did something about it.

      I promise-like I said, I'm human too! I ate a slice of blueberry pie yesterday if it makes you believe me! Life is too short to not enjoy what you eat! I 100% believe that! It's just a balance of finding what you like to eat and enjoying it at the same time. Trust me...it's taken a while for me to have this mindset. It's not an overnight flip of a switch!

      I hope that helps!! If you have any other questions whatsoever, please let me know!! I'm sorry for frustrating you. As I said, that was not my intentions at all!

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    2. Hi there, Cindy :-). I'm no expert but I am a working mom with an almost 3 year old and we have shifted toward healthier eating this summer so I thought I'd chime in. I do not have breakfast figured out at all (usually a banana and cashews...boring but quick) but I will share what we have been having lately. For starters, I cook about every other night. We are huge fans of leftovers. And on the nights I cook, it's a 30ish minute meal.

      For dinner, we have tried to adapt some of our favorite to make healthier versions. For instance, we made meatloaf the other night and made some changes to my traditional recipe that were really easy. It tasted great! Here's how we did it - http://sureisgood.wordpress.com/2013/07/29/healthier-meatloaf/

      (I promise I'm including links to my blog to be helpful, not to promote my blog. My little blog hardly gets any hits - it's just my personal record, really. :-) And if you scroll through the archives you will see that it has only recently been shifted to a healther focus :-)).

      Our dinners tend to be a protein, one or two veggies (green beans, steamed broccoli, roasted sweet potatoes, sweet potato hash, squash, etc. are favorites) and a fresh fruit (sliced apples, strawberries, etc. - easy).

      Our toddler will eat fish with ketchup - so if that's an option for you, consider baked fish. It's super easy and quick. Here's how I make it - http://sureisgood.wordpress.com/2013/03/05/foil-packet-tilapia/

      We've also done burgers but Hubby and I will use lettuce on the top and bottom as buns. I know that sounds crazy but it's good. Our daughter usually just eats the meat with ketchup. And we have done chicken fajitas or beef/bean burritos as lettuce wraps rather than with tortillas. I know that also sounds crazy and trust me, I love a tortilla as much as the next girl, but it is really good. And we just use iceberg lettuce. Again, daughter just eats the filling or sometimes we'll make hers as a taco with a soft tortilla.

      We've been using spaghetti squash instead of pasta when I make spaghetti. I thought for sure that wouldn't go ove well with our daughter because it came out kind of crunchy but she ate it up. Loved it! We like to get the HEB (if you're from TX?) brand Vegetable Primavera sauce. It's loaded with veggies and very low in sugar. I will put ground beef in it but will also load it up with diced bell peppers, onions, and shredded carrots. It's a good way to stretch the meal to a second night but also to get more veggies in.

      For lunch, I have a small avocado, diced tomato, and canned chicken breast all mixed together with salt & pepper almost every day. It's yummy, filling, and easy for me to throw together in 3 min at work. I've been doing this for almost a month and am not tired of it yet.

      Hopefully this has been helpful? We do still get the low sodium vegetable soups by Progresso and we will have a soup & sandwich night sometimes. There has to be room for that, in my opinion. Life is hectic with kids and work.

      Oh, and I actually really love the Silk brand vanilla flavored almond milk, as well as the Dark Chocolate flavor. Yes - sugar. But considerably less sugar than the pint of Blue Bell I would rather be having. :-) Those two flavors or that particular brand actually taste creamy and decadent.

      By eating fewer grains, less sugar, and no cow's milk or milk products I have noticed much less bloat, increased energy, and I've lost about 6 lbs. It seems to be helping and our toddler has done really well with the dinners I've been making.

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  13. I love this! I'm nowhere near as strict as you, but there's so much crap out there sometimes it's hard to wade through it! I too avoid say ANYTHING like the plague...it really messes with my thyroid hormones which are screwed up enough already!

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    1. Trust me when I say I'm human...I had blueberry pie yesterday for proof of this lol! I totally get what you mean when you say it's hard to wade through! There are so many different beliefs and opinions out there it's just nuts! You just gotta do what works best for you! :) No dairy...go you!

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  14. I love this!! Thanks for sharing. I'm starting a 12 week program with a trainer on Monday and I'm kind of mentally preparing for the extreme diet she has me doing. Completely clean, only lean protein and fruits and veggies. I am really inspired by your lifestyle and how you have done it for so long. I imagine that it gets easier as time goes on and I hope I can get through the first few weeks without killing someone!

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    1. Thank you for your kind words. If you're the only person I ever inspire, my job here is done! :)


      It's definitely confusing at first (I totally get that!) but yes, as time goes on it gets a little easier and you figure out what works best for you! Good luck in your program! Kick that clean eating diet in the ass! ;)

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  16. This is a great list! The one thing I'm still working on is milk and splenda. It's kinda my coffee staple and I can't seem to get used to coffee without them. For me it's been a slow process getting rid of certain things in my diet. I used to be a bread/pasta addict and I could honestly never stay at my happy weight eating those for anything but a cheat meal.
    My biggest pet peeve is canned soup. So many people use it in recipes without knowing that it has MSG and all sorts of chemicals. I had a family member using them all the time without knowing it was probably contributing to her migraines.
    Next up on my health journey is trying to stick to almond milk and stevia. And maybe getting a juicer!

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  17. I cannot imagine living without milk! No Cheese?! But kudos to you girl!

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  18. ok I am SO happy you said what you did at the end of staying tuned for the foods you will always find in your kitchen because I read this list and was all.....well then WTF am I supposed to eat ha!

    No but really, the chicken pot pie thing really made me die a little inside. Not that I eat them on the regular (maybe like once a year, if that) but there is just such a warn spot in my heart for them. Not to mention they are SO GOOD.

    And ok seriously, no packaged breads? What kind of bread do you use then?? I need to know!!

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  19. I really liked this post, but I like how you responded to an above commenter even better. Finding what works for you IS the key..and everyone is different! A gluten allergy prevents me from eating darn near anything packaged, so eating fresh is pretty much the only way to go! It was rough at first, but now I can't imagine eating any differently!

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  20. Thanks for sharing! This is super helpful...I'm trying to start eating healthier so these are great tips to help! I started with cutting out pop...it was hard but it's been a few weeks now and I'm not really having the cravings anymore :)

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  21. What kind of black beans do you buy? I can only find canned... and I love them. Suggestions of brands that come frozen would be awesome!

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  22. Omg this was so informative! So glad I read this! More expertise please!!! This post is amazing. So, I'm with Raven... What kind of bread do I buy?

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  23. Man if I could cut out bread and pasta.... I don't think I could live! I totally agree on canned soups, sugary cereals (we still eat a lot of cereal but whole grain, try to stick to 10g sugar or less), and frozen meals. I absolutely hate milk but it is a huge source of protein for my husband and unfortunately almond, coconut, soy, etc have basically no protein. He goes through a gallon every 2 days so I can't even imagine what it will be like when I have another growing boy here! And we also don't eat soy products because they are so many links to infertility!

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  24. Gotta agree with 99.9%! I can't give up the bread, just can't. I've tried and I just suck at it. Pretty sure you don't find any of those other items in my house though...ehh, maybe with the exception of canned black beans. Great post! Maybe your next one should be on 12 items you DO find in your house. :)

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  25. I need to know what kind of bread you use! I try and buy multi grain sandwich thins instead of regular ol' bread, but it's packaged -- so is it bad too? I can't wait to read your follow up post!

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  26. I agree with this completely! I have never thought about canned beans though will have to start using frozen or dried.

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  27. The only sweetener you or anyone should be putting in their coffee or tea is Truvia. You linked Mayo Clinic which is funny to me since my Husband is an OR nurse and works there. I actually carry Truvia in my purse bec no restaurants carry it they only carry the bad stuff!

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  28. great post! too bad i have to throw away all my food! except frozen and soy ish. cereal and dairy are my absolute favorites to eat though! i'm so sad. you make a great point though and i know they're not great for me.

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  29. love this steph!! so informative!!!!

    i absolutely despise milk! I wish I liked it so I could drink the suggestions you said! But when I eat cereal (not bad cereal i promise!! Special K or Kashi!!) I don't use milk, so I crunch an crunch and everyone is SO weirded out LOL

    thanks for all the info g-frand :)

    Cheers for healthy eating!!
    Lettuce Turnip The Beet (let us turn up the beat!) LOL

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  30. Man that's crazy that this is all the most common things in America's kitchen! lol I feel so guilty because I eat most of this AND I am pregnant!! I can't wait to read what to eat :) Otherwise I'll starve. lol

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  31. Regular spaghetti noodles are made of none other than white flour...or if we're calling a spade a spade here, simple carbs. AKA: they do nothing for you but sit there in your body. Your body doesn't know how to process simple carbs and therefore, they are left to convert to sugar and eventually, are what you can blame for your cottage cheese legs. Complex carbs, like the brown rice pasta I spoke of previously, is broken down easier and actually provides your body with at least some form nutrition.

    Hi, thank you for putting this list together! I just wanted to comment on the above statment where you said that your body doesn't know how to process simple carbs, so they convert to sugar. Well technically, that IS how your body processes ALL carbohydrates, by breaking them down into glucose, which is either immediately burned as an energy source for you body, stored in your muscles as glycogen for an energy source when you are working out, or if there is an over supply of glucose that your body can neither burn nor store as glycogen, it is then converted to fat. This will happen if you eat an over-abundance of simple OR complex carbs.

    Simple carbs are usually found in refined products, such as white flour, or table sugar, so they have been stripped of most vitamins, minerals, and fiber. The benefit of complex carbs are that they mostly found in whole foods, such as fruits/vegetables/legumes, so with the carbohydrates, your body is also getting fiber, vitamins, and minerals. The fiber acts to slow the process of digestion, which also slows the release of glucose into your bloodstream. Unlike simple carbs which dump glucose into your bloodstream rapidly, and then cause an insulin spike to counteract the increase in blood sugar.

    So, anyway...that was lengthy, but I did want clarify the carb-situation.


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  33. Hi! I love your blog and I agree with pretty much everything in this post. However, the milk thing might be a little misleading. Yes, it is an allergen for many people, but cows are not "fed" hormones, and definitely not antibiotics. Cows are given antibiotics as needed for infections, just like humans are, and if they require medicine, there is a waiting period before they are put in the herd until their milk tests free of antibiotics. The hormones cows are given are mostly eradicated during the pasteurization process, and the remaining traces of hormones are digested in our bodies just fine. Millions upon millions of tests are done each year to ensure safety before milk hits the shelves!

    Also, I know a lot of people try to buy organic when they can, and there's nothing wrong with doing that, but there's also nothing wrong with buying regular produce. The "organic" label is highly unregulated.. so you really never know what methods the organic farms are using. Organic farmers often use pesticides too, but their pesticides are not necessarily better for us, or for the environment. Eating organic produce is not any healthier, nor does it present any less risk for disease, than eating regular produce.

    Don't mean to come across as preachy or rude at all - I just trust that if it's good enough for the farmers to feed their own family, it's good enough for me! I've worked in the department of agriculture at a university and have seen the amount of testing and research that goes into making our non-organic food safe. These people put their heart and soul into finding the most efficient but SAFE ways to feed our rapidly growing population.

    Just had to throw my 2 cents in there.. keep up the great posts :)

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    1. Hi Kaitlyn,

      Thanks so much for reading-I really do appreciate that. And I don't think you're being rude, however, I do have to disagree with believing that "if it's good enough for the farmers to feed their own family, it's good enough for me." If McDonald's is good enough for their employees, do you feel that McDonald's is good enough for you?

      Milk is pasteurized (processed) and does contain hormones and antibiotics. I'm not saying it's necessarily "unsafe", but I am saying it's not good to have hormones in your body that aren't your own (or are not bioidentical to what your body makes). I'm also not saying that everyone should go boycotting milk...this is just what I've learned from working hand in hand with doctors who practice alternative medicine and also from the stacks and stacks of books I've read on both nutrition and hormones.

      Sorry-I've worked for a allergy and hormone doctor and I'll 100% back my statements until the day I die. I've read one too many books on how detrimental dairy can be for your health, specifically your hormones, so dairy is something I will continue to keep out of my diet. If you're interested to know, I'm happy to send you a list of books I've read that support this. :)

      Also-I never mentioned anything about buying organic as that would have been hypocritical of me as I don't buy all organic so I'm not sure why you that portion of your comment exists however, I do disagree with that statement as well. There are hundreds of studies showing the crap you find in non-organic foods. A TON! Yes-you're correct, it's not regulated but how can you honestly say foods that don't have pesticides and chemicals on them aren't better for you than fruits/veggies that do!? Again-I do not buy 100% organic but I definitely wish I could...

      Like I said at the beginning, I don't have any fancy initials behind my name but I've worked with plenty of incredibly knowledgeable physicians and have read enough books that have led me to live the lifestyle I do and eat the way I eat.

      This is what works for me. :)

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  34. Wow thanks for this post! Seriously have most of that stuff in our kitchen now. I've been curious about trying almond milk but I'm not sure what to expect. Tea is okay for you though, right? I have chai tea, green tea, herbal teas, black tea, and tazo passion teabags in my pantry. I knew about the sugars and the diet coke, but tea IS okay, right? Homemade soups are better than canned anyways :) I was a dietetics major for like a year but I realized I couldn't practice what I preached. Somedays I wish I would have stuck with it now!

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  35. Great post! While I definitely am guilty of eating many of these things the more I see articles and posts like this the more I check myself at the grocery store and ask - do I REALLLYY want this? Best example is canned soups - which I used to live off every day (but it's low cal!!) but recent made a huge effort to stop buying them! I have a crockpot so I rely just have to make my own! I really need to quit diet coke but it's so hard!! Haha! I know I'll be halloer for it in the long run but my body is so used to that caffeine!!

    Can't wait to see the must- have food list!!

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  36. Thank you so much for this! I loved it! Can't wait to see your favorite foods!!

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  37. Keep these posts coming! I am happy to say I don't keep any of these things in my kitchen, but I do slip up from time to time on the weekends. I just wish I knew this kind of stuff back in the college days so I couldn't have started being healthy earlier on. Better late than never though!
    Bread, milk and canned soup - yuck!

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  38. Thank you for this post!! & for the one on what IS in your kitchen. I cannot wait until you have a little Baby H and (hopefully) share your ideas on that as well. Nutrition is a huge passion for me and I love to learn all that I can. I am very like-minded as far as my personal diet goes, but I'm struggling to find balance with my daughter. She's lactose intolerant so it's easy to eliminate the dairy, but they told me (as much as I protested it) that the soy had the nutrients & fat she needed for her development. Apparently almond milk will be fine in a year or so, but it didn't meet her current nutritional needs. As a huge almond milk fan, I was really bummed. Then she actually lost weight from the lack of healthy fats available for her diet when (you factor in limited chewing abilities), so she was put on the lovely synthetic cocktail of Pediasure. I REALLY want to wean her off of this. Now we are trying to incorporate lots of avocado/guac and natural PB. But... She eats the PB on packaged whole wheat bread. I'm so stumped and really want to find the best balance for her. I know you haven't reached that point yet, but if you know of any health/nutrition books to recommend for toddlers, it would be greatly appreciated! :) Sorry for the novel, but I am really open to any and all tips you may have. Thanks again!

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  39. Thanks for the post! I have seen lots of contradictory studies done on soy foods, and I was wondering if you could point me to the ones you find were especially reliable? With the nutritionists and MD's you've worked with, did organic (non GMO) soy make a difference??

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  40. I've always wondered if I am allergic to diary! But never knew how to find out!

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  41. Hi Steph! We just found out that our daughter might have a dairy sensitivity, and I remembered your post from the other day so I thought I'd come ask... do you have any websites you'd recommend for how to go dairy free? I am nursing her so I have to completely cut dairy out of my diet, hidden and obvious sources. I'm terrified! I don't drink milk or eat alot of cheese, but dairy is in friggin everything!!!

    ReplyDelete

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