Spring Cleaning
Spring is in the air and so it’s time to clean your house AND your kitchen pantry of all those foods which are jeopardizing your health and your immune system. With the introduction of the new Food Pyramid and the work being done to clean up our food supply, it will be easier to make better food choices from now on; however, we have to clean out the toxins hanging out on your pantry shelves so that you will stop reaching for them.
So, throw open the doors to your pantry, grab a garbage bag, and let’s get rid of all those foods – those boxes and bags and cans of the foods which are affecting your health. Do not worry - I will give you some suggestions on healthy substitutions.
Where is the Sugar
Hiding in Your Pantry?
So, let’s start with Sugar: Not only does it cause you to put on unhealthy weight and become insulin resistant, but it can also reduce how white blood cells perform and increase inflammation. In fact, obese people have fewer white blood cells with a reduced capability to fight infection. Do you notice that you get sick more often if you have put on a little extra weight?
The first obvious things to go from your pantry are the cookies, cakes and candies. You can shed a tear but then put them in the garbage bag. And please do not use the excuse you need keep them in the house for when company or grandkids visit – they do not need them either.
Less obvious will be Fruit Juices, Fruit Snacks and Dried Fruit (raisins) – They contain Fructose which is sugar from fruit. Think of dried fruit as just concentrated sugar. A quarter cup of raisins has 23.5 grams of sugar. I tell my folks not to ingest more than 5 grams of sugar per meal or eating event. That means you can have less than one tablespoon of raisins.
Where else is sugar hiding? Peanut Butter and other nut butters. Read labels and see how much sugar is in a serving. Remember the 5 grams rule.
Also look at your drinks, such as your coffee drinks, those cute little box drinks, and powdered hot chocolate.
Lastly look at those potatoes and bags of white rice – it’s time for them to go because they convert to sugar UNLESS you cook them and then chill them overnight, then they convert to a type of prebiotic.
Now that your pantry is somewhat cleared out, you can add healthier alternatives such as Coconut, Coconut Butter, and Dark Chocolate if you shoot for 85% cacao or higher.
If that’s too bitter, you can start lower and work your way up. Do not fall victim to the “Fat Free” cookies and candies because they are probably loaded with sugar. And the “Sugar Free” ones are full of artificial sweeteners. Next!
What about Artificial Sweeteners?
The next ingredient to clear out from your pantry is anything with artificial sweeteners, which are foreign foods which your body recognizes as invaders it cannot process.
What you might not realize is that artificial sweeteners can cause a dangerous addiction to overly sweet foods. They retrain the taste buds to need more and more, sweeter and sweeter foods. This leads to even greater incidences of obesity, type 2 diabetes, kidney damage and so much more.
Time to grab your readers and start reading labels – here are the artificial sweeteners you are looking for:
Aspartame – (Equal, NutraSweet – Blue packets, NatraTaste Blue) Impairs memory performance and increases oxidative stress in the brain.
Sucralose (Splenda – Yellow packets) Was initially developed as a new insecticide compound. Look for sucralose in foods which appear to be healthy, like protein bars and drinks.
Saccharin (Sweet 'N Low – Pink Packets). Studies from the 70s link to Bladder Cancer
Xylitol (Erythritol, Maltitol, Mannitol, Sorbitol and other sugar alcohols that end in the letters “itol”) Watch the amounts because they have a laxative effect.
Fructose – increases visceral fat, risk of high blood pressure, and diabetes.
Some healthier substitutes include Stevia, maple syrup, coconut sugar, and raw honey.
Next - Time to Clear
Out the Crappy Oils
Partially Hydrogenated Oils actually damage cell membranes in the brain, immune system and nervous system. These oils contain Omega 6 oils that inhibit your body’s ability to process and absorb the beneficial Omega 3 oils that we so need.
Here are the oils to toss out: Canola, Soybean, Safflower, Sunflower, Grapeseed, Peanut, Crisco, Vegetable Shortening. And toss out any products, like salad dressings, condiments, sauces, etc. containing them.
Healthier alternatives: Olive Oil (dressings and for low heat cooking), Grassfed butter, Avocado Oil, Ghee, Coconut Oil, and Beef Tallow.
Last Big Category: Gluten
Gluten is a protein which creates the elasticity in dough. It triggers an inflammatory response in the body, compromising digestion and immune function. Extreme exposures cause Celiac disease and leaky gut.
The main foods which contain gluten are Wheat, Rye, Barley, Graham flour, and Corn. It’s obvious that the breads, cereals, chips, crackers, pita chips, and pastas must go if they are not gluten-free, but any bag, box, jar, or can which doesn’t say it’s Gluten Free, probably has gluten in it. Yes, I am talking about everything from your salad dressings to your baked beans to your soups all probably have gluten in them to thicken them up.
Don’t ignore those foods which you originally thought were “healthy”: Granola, veggie burgers, and meat substitute products are usually full of gluten. Also be weary of nuts which are smoked or flavored or coated in any way.
Here’s a partial list of the words to look for on labels which translate into gluten: Brown Rice Syrup, Caramel Color, Cyclodextrin, Dextrin, Fermented Grain Extract, Hydrolyzed Malt, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Modified Food Starch, MSG, Natural Flavoring, Soy protein, Vegetable Protein and Yeast Extract.
There are now plenty of Gluten Free options out there, and it will be just you experimenting with different brands to see what you like. Be patient. You are retraining your taste buds.
Also get creative and make your own bars and granolas. Grab your favorite seeds, nuts, blueberries, coconut, and little pieces of dark chocolate – yummy.
Now that you are done with the pantry, go do the same thing with the refrigerator. You may need another garage bag.
Happy cleaning! If you need any recommendations for healthy replacements, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.
Annie Bush
Your Total Body
