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Gist: healthy living is more about the things you can have than the things you shouldn’t.
We live in a world where anyone’s opinion can find a platform. For every opinion there’s a dissenting opinion. Media consumers are left to wade through a hectic pool of information–especially when it comes to healthy living. A health craze gets released into the wild every day and this safari is already overpopulated.
A new article comes out mentioning this thing that you are doing that’s likely killing you. A new study finds disturbing links between this ingredient and an increase in infertility. Another study comes out disproving the former.
Perhaps you feel as overwhelmed as I do.
However, if you haven’t come across the comparison in these images before, courtesy of Food Babe, give them a good look:
Perhaps individuals, especially those living in the United States, have a right to be a little skeptical and concerned. At the very least we should be wary.
I asked a health specialist to help me navigate health dangers in the face of information overload. She gave me three of the top generalized ingredients people should avoid along with actionable tips to follow for healthy living.
Tiffany Knight trained in Herbalism and Holistic Health and has been practicing holistic healing for over 25 years. “Not a day goes by that I’m not continuing to learn and grow,” she said. She actively participates in her community, sharing her knowledge and propagating healthy living.
3 toxic ingredients that everyone should avoid
1. Chemicals and additives in food, body products and cleaning products
As we saw in the comparisons above, American food is uniquely a target of harmful additives.
“Keep in mind, it’s not just what you put in your body, but what you put on your body as well,” Knight says. “Common laundry detergents and fabric softeners are filled with Xenoestrogens.”
2. Ultra-processed and refined oils (including seed oils)
There’s been a lot of talk about the potential dangers of seed oils in media lately. Knight confirms that we should absolutely avoid these.
The issue with heavily refined oils is the process they undergo to make them shelf stable (purification and refinement). After being heated to extreme temperatures, the process involves the use of toxic chemical solvents which triggers the creation of PUFas, or rancid polyunsaturated fats, which ironically do not hold up to the high heat they are almost always used in. additionally, the smell that results from the process is so putrid, the oils undergo another bleaching or deodorizing process that further denatures the oil. What results is a majority of the oils that line the shelves of our grocery stores: a vessel of damaging Omega 6 fatty acids.
Studies are coming out linking them to (yes I’m playing the study/link card) an increased risk for obesity and high levels of inflammation, and inflammation tends to be the trigger for a whole host of other health issues.
Here is a basic list of seed oils to avoid:
- Canola oil
- Corn oil
- Cottonseed oil
- Grapeseed oil
- Safflower oil
- Soybean oil
- Sunflower oil
- Any sort of “vegetable oil”
- Margarine or any fake, buttery spreads
- Hydrogenated oils
A quick fact about canola oil: it makes for wonderful machinery lubricant. You can decide how to interpret that.
I cut out oat milk from my diet months ago, and I used to put it in my coffee every day. Milked oats are not naturally creamy. If you look at the ingredient list, at least one type of refined oil is used to emulsify the milk. There are a few brands that manage to avoid using seed oils. My favorite is Three Tree’s Barista Almond & Oatmilk (and it’s the only one I’ve found where the milk is still creamy).
Eating out in the states and avoiding seed oils is a nearly impossible feat. However, this app recommended by Knight makes it possible.
While the research out there can be all over the board, might as well play it safe in light of what we do know and stick to minimally processed/unprocessed oils.
Instead of memorizing long lists of what to avoid, Knight recommends focusing on the minimally processed things you can have instead including olive oil, butter (preferably grass-fed), tallow, lard, duck fat and unrefined coconut oil.
3. Fake sugars
After sugar was touted as a weight-loss hack in the 80s, a sugar scare emerged, and the food industry heard the call. An influx of alternative fake sugars derived from chemical substances not meant to be ingested flooded our processed foods. Calorically, the fake sugars are seductive, but the data suggests despite the decrease in calories, there is a direct correlation between increase consumption of artificial sweeteners and weight gain. Furthermore, they likely contribute to metabolic syndrome and the obesity epidemic.
A short list of harmful fake sugars:
- Aspartame
- Sucralose
- Saccharin
- Sorbitol
- And a lot more, unfortuantely.
Instead of wasting energy continuing the list, simply stick to the good ones.
Knight suggests using the following natural sweeteners: honey, maple syrup, unprocessed stevia, allulose, monk fruit and date sugar.
All in all, Knight says these three most toxic ingredients can be one or more of the following: neurotoxins, obesogens and endocrine disruptors. “They can cause histamine reactions within the body. They breakdown the microbiome of the gut and throw the body out of balance. All of them upset the internal terrain of the body contributing to chronic inflammation.”
Despite the extensive list of specific ingredients to avoid above, I appreciate Knight’s more simplified approach.
“This can all feel very overwhelming, when you start to point out what not to have,” Knight notes. “I have found it far more valuable to share what we can have.”
3 simple healthy food tips to follow
Here are Knight’s easy to follow tips.
1. Eat real, whole foods
Cook for yourself! This is the best way to ensure you know what you are consuming.
2. Become a serial label reader
When you must buy packaged foods, read the label.
Knight suggests, instead of memorizing all of the harmful ingredients and looking for those on labels, “if it has to be interpreted or you can’t pronounce it, put it back. Clean food has few ingredients.”
3. Eat organic
“Always try to eat Organic, especially grains,” Knight says. “Grains that are not Organic are extremely high in Glyphosate.”
Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup, and unfortunately, it is the most widely used herbicide in the world. Studies have shown its effects as a neurotoxin.
The study highlights that “it is unequivocal that exposure to glyphosate produces important alterations in the structure and function of the nervous system of humans, rodents, fish, and invertebrates.”
Knight stresses the Glyphosate is extremely damaging to the gut.
3 tips to healthy living
Apart from the things we ingest, Knight also has healthy lifestyle recommendations.
Knight stresses the power of movement, joy, love and, of course, the earth and sunlight.
1. Earthing
“How we live is directly correlated with how we thrive,” she says. “There are natural laws to being well, to being human. We absolutely need to touch the earth with our bare feet.”
There is a lot of captivating research and studies on the benefits of grounding or earthing.
It is linked to a marked decrease in bodily inflammation and pain, better sleep, accelerated wound healing, improved blood flow, among other things. And all it requires is your bare feet and the earth. This fascinating practice has begun to garner more attention in the recent years.
2. Movement
“We are not meant to be sedentary. Twist, bend, jump, run, play!”
3. Sunlight
“Feel the sun on [your] naked (unsunscreened) bodies.”
Knight isn’t the only one to have suggested direct exposure to sunlight. Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist and popular podcaster, is also a big proponent of sunlight exposure, particularly morning sun.
Bonus Q + A with Knight
What is something you are committed to doing every single day for your health no matter what?
“Oh my, I can’t really say just one thing, it’s all the parts together that keep me healthy. Prayer and Gratitude. Movement. Grounding my feet or body to the earth, getting outside. Feeling the sunlight on my skin. Hydrating and eating clean food.”
What are some further reading/researching recommendations?
“There is so much out there, I love anything by Dr. Cowan. The Weston A. Price Foundation has a ton of excellent information.
“I love Paul Saladino. He wrote the carnivore diet but has since changed some of his beliefs on that. I listen to his podcast often, and I like that he is willing to ebb and flow in his experience. I think the most important thing we can do is learn to listen to our bodies. Perhaps in the midst of healing we have to follow strong, strict boundaries, but as we heal, listening is the skill we are there to gain.”
Key Takeaways
- Avoid these 3 things:
- Avoid chemicals and additives in food, body products and cleaning products.
- Avoid ultra-processed oils.
- Say no to fake sugars.
- Instead of getting wrapped up in memorizing the things you can’t have, do these 3 things:
- Prioritize whole foods whenever possible.
- Read labels and avoid products with long lists of unfamiliar or unpronounceable ingredients.
- Choose Organic.
- Embrace healthy living practices:
- Incorporate earthing, movement and sunlight exposure into your daily routine to support health and well-being. These practices have been linked to reduced inflammation, improved sleep and enhanced mood/vitality.
- Continue to learn!
Please leave a comment or message me here if you have any questions for Tiffany Knight.
