Last week we went over general advice on how to eat healthier (read the post HERE). Today I’ll go more in detail with foods you should avoid for a better you. These can also be considered inflammatory foods: these attack your tissues and cells, and if you keep eating them your body can’t detox and can’t heal.

Sugar

Sugar is a type of carbohydrate that can be divided into two categories: natural and added.
Natural sugar is found in fruits, vegetables, and dairy, for instance.
Added sugar is removed from the original source and added to foods as a preservative or sweetener, which gives calories but no nutrients so we don’t need it in our bodies.
Sugar is linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and it’s said to be an immune system depressant.
How to avoid added sugar? Be very careful with soft drinks, candy, desserts in general (pies, cookies, muffins, donuts, brownies, etc.), ice cream, jams, cereals, canned fruit, sauces.

Gluten

Gluten is a protein that you can find in several grains such as wheat, spelt, rye and barley. This protein is not good for your body because your immune system cells attack gluten thinking it’s an enemy like bacteria. So, if you’re sensitive to gluten your immune system will attack the gluten proteins but also your intestinal wall and, for this reason, celiac disease is considered an autoimmune disease. This will cause chronic fatigue, bloating, abdominal and / or joint pain (which was what I was experiencing), anemia, and even more serious health issues. Not only that, it is now proven that gluten is related to brain disorders such as autism, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis.

Many people don’t realize they are sensitive to gluten. If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, consult your doctor to find out. I have a good friend and fellow event professional, she’s a photographer and she was diagnosed with MS a few years ago. As soon as she started a gluten-free her health improved and she’s now in remission.
How to stay away from gluten? Obviously, bread, pasta, certain beverages, and anything with that may contain gluten like cereal. Many of these have “wheat-free” labels but that doesn’t mean they’re gluten-free. Also, pay attention to foods such as salad dressings, sauces, spreads, soup, basically processed foods that might have gluten. In addition, many gluten-free foods may contain additives and other toxic substances that you have to stay away from.
If you want to know more, you can visit the Celiac Disease Foundation for recipes, meal plans and recommended gluten-free foods: Fruits – Vegetables – Meat and poultry – Fish and seafood – Dairy – Beans, legumes, and nuts.
Other grains and starch-containing foods can be included in your diet and these include: rice – potatoes – quinoa – buckwheat – soy – flax -chia – oat bran. Careful, though: you might be sensitive to any of these, so a personalized allergy test will help you figure out what the best diet is.

Dairy

Dairy sensitivity is more common than you think. 75% of the world population has lactose intolerance. Many people don’t realize they have difficulty digesting lactose. They experience bloating, nausea, malabsorption, in certain cases even depression but they attribute these symptoms to something else very often. Do you see the pattern here? We talked about gluten symptoms and they are very similar to these here. It’s very important that you know which ingredients cause these symptoms and you eliminate them from your diet in order to stay healthy and feel better. When you feel better you can focus on your daily life and on your business. I was talking with some online friends yesterday about health and the discussion reminded me about a famous quote by Virgil that said “The greatest wealth is health” and I couldn’t agree more. When you’re sick nothing else matters in your life and you can’t focus on other things.
Good alternatives are almond milk and other nut milk such as cashew, hazelnut and, of course, coconut milk.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are all the sugars, starches and fibers that you can find in many foods we eat: fruits, grains, vegetables and milk products. People tend to avoid carbohydrates today because they have this bad reputation that they cause weight gain but they are important in our diet. They actually help you with maintaining a healthy weight because many of them contain fiber which helps you to feel full and maintains a healthy digestive system. In addition, carbohydrates provide energy to our central nervous system and to our muscles.
There are two categories:
*Simple carbohydrates containing one or two sugars, such as fructose in fruits, or lactose in dairy. These include white rice, white bread and other white-flour foods. You can also find simple carbs in pastries, candy, soda and highly processed foods. However, these are made with refined sugars and they don’t have vitamins, minerals or fiber. These are the ones that can lead to weight gain. They give you energy faster because they get absorbed more quickly. They can also give you that sugar high.
*Complex carbohydrates that have three or more sugars. These include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans and legumes. These carbs are slower to absorb but they give you energy for a longer time so they’re the ones recommended best.

Yeast sensitivity

I also wanted to mention Yeast Sensitivity which is considered another depressed immune system and gluten or dairy are usually the ones to blame, in addition to prolonged use of antibiotics and even stress. So see, this is all about the body and mind connection, the balance that I’ve been paying attention to for several years!
This condition, also called Candida, has a never-ending list of possible symptoms that can range from gastro-intestinal problems to skin problems, fatigue, brain fog, difficulty breathing, headaches, and much more. You can find symptoms online and see if any of those might apply to you.
A yeast-free diet is needed and you can go back to what I listed earlier as far as healthy foods.

Watch the replay on Periscope below, I shared a lot more during the broadcast!

Finding 🌸🎯☀️🥗 #LifeWorkBalance 🥗☀️🎯🌸 Ep. 4: Eat better – Foods you should avoid #talk #entrepreneurs https://t.co/xkwpTVkcym

— Sabrina Cadini (@SabrinaCadini) November 24, 2017

Make sure you visit THIS LINK on my website for more information on Life-Work Balance and my journey.

~ Disclaimer ~ You should keep in mind that I’m not a doctor, a nutritionist or a dietitian so I can’t give you medical or professional advice, but I can share tips and give you general guidelines on how to improve your health by making small and easy changes. This live video contains general medical information based on my personal experience. This information should not replace medical advice from your doctor or other professional health care provider. If you have any questions in regard to a medical condition, you should consult your doctor or other professional health care provider.

Are you looking for ways to improve your life and your business? You are in the right place! Schedule a FREE Clarity Call with me HERE and gain the energy you need to be more productive and successful!

Sabrina Cadini

Holistic Precision Life Coach, Brain Wellness Coach, and Life-Work Balance Strategist helping busy professionals and high achievers live and work better by prioritizing themselves. I use different modalities (epigenetics, neuroscience, chronobiology, and positive psychology) to implement effective lifestyle changes.