Unhealthful common foods to avoid

by Catherine Haug, June 16, 2013

Dr. Mercola lists 9 common foods you should never eat. I heartily agree with his assessment. If you avoid processed foods, use unrefined sea salt, and buy Organic produce (or locally-grown food from growers you trust), you will mostly avoid the bad foods on the list. The 9 common foods are:

Foods to avoid:

  1. Canned Tomatoes (or any canned food in steel cans) because of the risk of BPA, BPS and related toxic plastics used to line the can. If you must use canned veggies, look for those in glass jars.
  2. Processed deli meats such as bologna, salami, ham, bacon, etc., because these meat products come from animals raised in CAFOs where the animals are ill-treated, fed an unnatural diet laced with antibiotics and toxic substances, not to mention GMOs. However, such meat delights made in a home kitchen from the meat of pasture-raised and finished animals by a local rancher are a much better choice.
  3. Margarine and margarine-like spreads because they contain trans fats, free radicals, emulsifiers, preservatives, and carcinogenic solvents. Even if the label says “trans-fat free,” these products are still harmful. Instead, use real butter from pasture-fed dairy animals. Contrary to popular opinion, the saturated fats in real butter are not bad for you; in fact, they are quite healthful and support your immune system.
  4. Vegetable oils (corn, soy, canola oils, etc.) because they are overbalanced toward the Omega-6 oils that are pro-inflammatory, and because they are likely GMO. They are full of free radicals, and are stripped of the vitamin E that would otherwise protect you from the free radicals. DO NOT HEAT vegetable oils, as that increases your exposure to free radicals. Instead, use olive oil, coconut oil, lard or butter.
  5. Microwave popcorn because of perfluoroalkyls, such as PFOA and PFOS, which are chemicals used to keep grease from leaking through fast food wrappers. These chemicals are known to cause infertility, thyroid disease, cancers, immune-system problems, and inflammation of your arteries. Instead, use Organic popcorn and pop it the old fashioned way – on stovetop, in butter.
  6. Non-Organic produce including potatoes, apples and certain other fruits, spinach and certain other greens, and summer squash, because they are laced with dangerous pesticides. Certain other non-Organic produce have lesser exposure to pesticides, including those with thick skins such as avocados, kiwi, and cantaloupe. However, if you can afford it, always choose Organic produce no matter what type it is.
  7. Table salt. While salt is essential for life, commercial table salt has been treated with chemicals to bleach it and keep it from clumping. It is also dangerously high in sodium. Instead, use unrefined sea salt, as it contains lower levels of sodium and has all the essential trace minerals required for good health.
  8. Soy protein isolate and other non-fermented soy. While soy is considered sacred by Asian peoples, that is because of its ability to improve the fertility of soil. They know that in order to be safe for human consumption, it must be fermented. Fermented soy includes miso and some brands of soya sauce. Another reason to avoid soy is that unless it is Organic, it is GMO and is laced with toxic chemicals such as glyphosate from herbicidal sprays. If you are vegan, look for other vegetable sources of protein, such as quinoa and nuts. If you are not vegetarian, get your protein from animal products such as raw milk, cheese and meat.
  9. Artificial sweeteners, which are dangerous chemicals. If you want to avoid sugar, use stevia, which is an herb. The best way to use stevia is as the dried leaf, or as tincture or oil of the dried leaf. You can also find stevia extract powder, but that is more highly processed. In the sugar category, also avoid HFCS and most brands of agave nectar as they are primarily fructose which has many bad-health implications; they are also likely GMO. Better sugars include unrefined sugar cane, blackstrap molasses, raw honey, and Organic maple syrup.

For more information

See Mercola’s article:  9 common foods you should never eat

See also related articles on The EssentiaList:

And related articles on Cat’s personal website:

This entry was posted on Sunday, June 16th, 2013 at 9:39 am and is filed under Cat's Fats, Food-Nutrition-Health, GMO, Health, Organics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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