10 Foods You Need to Stop Eating Now

Do you ever wonder how nutritionists eat when no one is looking?

Jessica Spegel is a nutritionist who writes for mindbodygreen.com. On the site she wrote about a list of foods she absolutely refuses to eat. Here’s the list of foods she won’t eat, followed by the list of foods she swears by:

Nutritionist no-no’s:

1. Stay away from artificial sweetener
Many people turn to artificial sweeteners when they want to enjoy a sweet treat without the calories. Unfortunately, artificial sweeteners have been blamed for a variety of health issues including migraines, tumors, mood disorders, and more. They can even lead to weight gain—the opposite result consumers are looking for!

2. Don’t cave in to buying caged eggs
Hens raised in cages don’t have room to stretch out and can be sickly, which can affect the quality of the eggs. Spegel recommends pasture-fed, certified organic eggs instead. They can be hard to find in some supermarkets, but they’re worth the search.

3. Just say no to sugary breakfast cereals
Loaded with sugar, refined grains, sodium, and preservatives, most breakfast cereals are just bad news.

4. Throw out that processed peanut butter
Most widely-marketed peanut butter is loaded with sugar. Look for all-natural brands that contain only peanuts. The taste and texture is slightly different, but you’ll come to prefer it! Branch out with other nut butters like almond or cashew.

5. Frozen or fresh win out over canned tomatoes
Canned veggies are never the perfect choice—fresh or frozen are better—but the acidity naturally present in tomatoes causes the BPA in the cans to leach into your food, making this an especially bad choice.

6. Toss those salted nuts
Buying your nuts pre-salted means you’re eating way too much salt. Buy them raw—you can add a pinch salt or other seasonings yourself.

7. Quit the fast food habit: pre-packaged/frozen meals
These are often chock full of sugar, HFCS, salt, and preservatives. Home cooked meals are always a better option, but if you’re in a rush, try pre-packaged meals from health food stores.

8. Table salt takes a toll
Too much salt on a regular basis can lead to high blood pressure. Try using other seasonings and you’ll find you don’t need as much salt as you thought.

 

9: Choose your Oils Carefully

Not all vegetable oils are the same. Stay away from labels marked “vegetable” or “canola” oil and opt for more heart-healthy oils like coconut and olive oil.

10. Processed bread is mostly fluff
More and more people are discovering they have trouble digesting gluten, the protein found in almost all processed bread on the market. Sugar and even high fructose corn syrup are top ingredients, too. Try making your own bread, or check out raw, sprouted bread from the refrigerated health food section.

 

Nutritionist go-aheads:

• Veggies, especially greens
• Low-GI fruits; berries, apples and pears are my favorites
• Gluten-free whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat
• Organic sources of animal protein (grass-fed meat)
• Nuts and seeds
• Avocado
• Sprouts
• Almond milk
• Herbal teas
• Filtered water
• Spices