No Bad Foods. Just Bad Habits.

I never tell my clients to stay away from ANY foods. I believe that there are no bad foods: just bad habits.


Okay, okay, I know about pesticides, artificial sweeteners, artificial preservatives, red #40, yellow #6, high fructose corn syrup, you name it. I know about all these chemicals and others that have been put on the nutritionist's hit list. I understand how some of these chemicals could harm your health, especially that of your children.


But guess what? Unless you're willing to live on a remote island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean that no human has contaminated yet, then it's pointless to try to isolate yourself from all these chemicals. Chemicals are EVERYWHERE, not just in the foods we eat.


In your home, you have plenty of chemicals that you live with on a daily basis. Your carpet, hairspray, the paint on your walls, your computer, cell phone, refrigerator, etc., frequently release chemicals and radiation that could kill you if taken in large enough doses. In your car, motor oil, transmission oil, gas, and your muffler release toxins that you're exposed to every time you're driving. And if you bought a brand new car, then you're exposed to chemicals that your interior fabric releases (that "new car smell" is nothing but toxins). You are ALWAYS being poisoned.


But thank the good Lord that your body has a detoxifying system to keep your body clean. This system includes your liver, kidneys, your ability to pee, poop, sweat, and breathe.


So, whenever your body is exposed to toxins, the body knows that it can't do anything with these toxins. In fact, if the body can't or won't use something, then it's a toxin and the body packages up this toxin to release it from the body.


All the foods you eat that are laced with toxins the body could take care of. Your body is designed much better than you think! It is a beautiful piece of machinery that could handle more punishment than we realize.


Therefore, I don't tell people to try to avoid anything, especially if they are struggling financially.


You see, when you start telling people that this food kills, or that food poisons, or this drink does this or that, you make a person who is in a financial bind feel helpless. I mean, all the certified organic foods are expensive. It's also expensive to set up a GOOD water filtration system. What is a poor person to do???


One time, I was watching this show (sorry, I can't remember the name of it) that separated these folks into two groups. One group would be the "detox" group where they would eat foods they believed would detox the body. Also, this group wouldn't eat any meat. The other group would eat healthy, but won't eliminate any foods, especially meat.


After about a week, the group was evaluated by a doctor. This doctor took their blood work before this experiment and after the experiment. What were the results? In his words, there was "no difference" between the two groups. He also added to those of the detox group, "We underestimate the body's natural ability to detoxify itself."


If you eat that candy with all the food dyes or the apple with all the pesticides, the body would take those toxins and eliminate them because the body can't do anything with the toxins.


Now, I would say this. While I believe in the body's amazing ability to detoxify itself, you can still harm your body by overloading it with toxins. It's not about your body getting the toxins, but how many toxins the body is exposed to over time.


For example, drinking tap water could be harmful because of the NUMEROUS chemicals used to treat the water. I've read my city water's report, and man, I shake my head at the many chemicals used in the water. I think I've read between 15 to 25 different chemicals used! If I'm constantly drinking that water, then my body could be overloaded with toxins that would eventually cause health problems.


Or think about toll workers. Everyday they are out on the highway exposed to emission fumes from vehicles. Eventually, they would have health problems.


Or think about someone who mostly eats junk food with all the chemicals in them. Eventually, that person will have problems.


If your body is exposed to toxins to the extent where it can't eliminate them all quickly enough, the toxins will build up and poison your body. This is why MODERATION to toxic exposure is key.


The person with cancer or diabetes or whatever health-related disease you could think of wasn't the one who had a doughnut for breakfast. It's the one who had two or three doughnuts for breakfast everyday. It's not the one who ate fast food. It's the one who ate fast food everyday. It's not the one who drank a diet soda that uses aspartame as a sweetener. It's the one who drank 7 diet sodas a day (yes, I had a client who actually drank that many diet sodas on a daily basis). 


Speaking of drinking so much soda, it would be that type of person who would have corroded teeth -- not the person who drinks one soda every now and then.


Your HABITS kill you, not the food.


I want my clients to have a healthy relationship with ALL foods, both the healthy and the "unhealthy" foods. It's a pain to avoid all the foods you love. Learn how to manage how and what you eat rather than abstaining from everything you love.


Now, let me leave you with this caution: certain things in whatever you consume may have something that could be causing you problems. For instance:
 

• Dairy may aggravate asthma or cause respiratory problems
  
• Dairy may also cause acne
  
• Artificial dyes may change your behavior
  
• Aspartame (artificial sweetener) may cause seizures in some individuals
• Certain fruits have protein that could cause an allergic reaction
  
• Simple sugar found in fruits and candy may cause severe fatigue in some folks
  
• High-fiber foods may irritate your bowels if your digestive problems
  

If you're having health issues and you think a certain food may be causing it, back away from that food and see what happens. Otherwise, if you're healthy with no known problems, MODERATION, NOT ELIMINATION, IS WHAT'S IMPORTANT!

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