Transition to a whole food diet, primarily plant-based, to unburden your body, calm your immune system, lower inflammation, and allow your natural health defenses to reassert themselves. This approach has many beneficial effects with very few negative side effects.
Cut down or cut out drinks with added refined sugar, such as sodas, as they overwhelm your body’s systems, impair stem cell function, and damage your gut microbiome, negatively impacting immunity.
Steer clear of chemically synthesized artificial sweeteners found in diet sodas and other products, as they can harm your gut microbiome, leading to poorer metabolism and potential weight gain.
Reduce consumption of ultra-processed foods that come in boxes or cans with many ingredients and preservatives, as they are associated with poorer health outcomes like diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
Always check the ingredient label of any food or drink you consider buying. The order of ingredients indicates their concentration, so prioritize products with mostly water and natural, recognizable components.
If you encounter an ingredient on a food label that you don’t recognize or can’t pronounce, use your mobile phone to search for information about that chemical. This empowers you to make informed decisions about what you put into your body.
While some oils are healthier, limit your overall intake of all oils, aiming for around three tablespoons of olive oil per day as a maximum. Crucially, never reuse cooking oil, as heating changes its chemical structure in potentially harmful ways.
Limit or avoid processed meats, such as deli meats and commercially cured sausages, which are classified as carcinogens by the World Health Organization. These often contain embalming-like preservatives that can be harmful.
Be mindful of the amounts of alcohol consumed, as it is easy to overconsume. While some fermented beverages may contain healthful properties, the ethanol itself offers no health benefits and is a toxin to your brain.
Identify and commit to eating healthy foods that you genuinely love, using a permanent marker to circle them in a list. Starting with foods you already enjoy makes dietary changes feel less daunting and more sustainable.
When buying extra virgin olive oil, look for monovarietal oils from specific olive types known for high polyphenol content, such as PICUAL (Spanish), Koroneki (Greek), or Moriolo (Italian). These varieties offer superior health benefits.
To maximize the intake of beneficial polyphenols like hydroxytyrosol from olives, eat the whole olive rather than just consuming olive oil. While olive oil contains some polyphenols, the majority remain in the olive’s pulp and water.
To significantly increase your body’s absorption of lycopene from tomatoes, heat them in a pan with a little olive oil. Heating changes lycopene into a more absorbable form, and the fat-soluble nature of lycopene allows oil to carry it more efficiently into your body.
To enhance your body’s absorption of curcumin from turmeric, combine it with fresh cracked black pepper. The piperine in black pepper helps the body retain and utilize more of turmeric’s beneficial compounds.
Be aware that adding cow dairy (milk or cream) to tea can trap beneficial polyphenols, such as catechins, in fat micelles, reducing their absorption by your body. This means you miss out on many of tea’s health benefits, even if you enjoy the flavor.
If you prefer a milk-like addition to your tea, opt for nut milks like almond, cashew, or soy milk. These alternatives do not create the same fatty reaction as cow dairy, allowing for better absorption of tea’s polyphenols.
Explore Taiwanese ‘milk tea,’ an oolong-style tea that naturally tastes like it has dairy due to its unique growing conditions and tea type. This allows you to enjoy a similar flavor profile without compromising polyphenol absorption.
When possible, choose to obtain nutrients from whole foods rather than relying solely on supplements. Whole foods provide a broader spectrum of beneficial substances like fiber, polyphenols, and natural peptides that pure supplements may lack.
If you do not regularly consume oily fish two to three times a week, consider taking a high-quality omega-3 fatty acid supplement. Omega-3s are crucial for health and are a worthwhile supplement.
Consider taking a vitamin D3 supplement, especially if you live in northern latitudes or have limited sun exposure due to climate or clothing. Many people are vitamin D deficient, and supplementation can be very beneficial.
Increase the vitamin D content of white button mushrooms by slicing them thinly and laying the slices on a windowsill to expose them to sunlight for a couple of hours before cooking. Sunlight helps convert more vitamin D into the mushroom.
Pregnant mothers should consistently take folate supplements. This is critical to significantly reduce the risk of neural tube defects in their babies.
Approach supplement marketing with skepticism; if claims sound too good to be true or magical, it’s a red flag that the product may be misrepresented. Always research and verify information before purchasing.
Opt for organic produce because organically grown plants tend to have higher levels of beneficial bioactives. Plants produce more of these protective compounds as a wound-healing response when exposed to pests, a process that pesticides inhibit.
Consume fruits and vegetables with their skins whenever possible, such as apples, pears, peaches, and carrots. The outer layers often contain more fiber and concentrated phytonutrients, like ursolic acid, which stimulates blood vessel growth and aids healing.
Regardless of whether produce is organic or not, rinse it under cold running water for 60 seconds to remove potential pathogens like bacteria and listeria. This is a recommended food safety practice.
Even if you plan to peel an onion, it is recommended to rinse it under cold running water for 60 seconds before cutting. This helps remove any pathogens from the outer layers.
When selecting dried fruit, choose organic varieties, especially for fruits with thin skins. This is because pesticides are harder to wash off thin-skinned fruits, and organic options will have more beneficial bioactives.
If you cannot consume a specific healthy food due to allergies, intolerance, availability, or cost, understand its beneficial properties and swap it for another food with similar benefits. For example, replace kiwi with red bell pepper or guava for vitamin C and fiber, or tomatoes with watermelon for lycopene.
Healthcare professionals should ask patients about foods that bring them joy, rather than focusing on negative food habits. This non-judgmental approach encourages patients to look deeply within and engage more positively with dietary changes.
Embrace the motto: ‘Love your food to love your health,’ recognizing that both can happen simultaneously. Find and lean into the healthy foods you genuinely love to ensure a long and enjoyable life.