Foods to Avoid

During stressful times it is best to eat as healthy as possible. So, we will be discussing the foods to avoid, especially during times like this. Now, we understand that not all foods listed may be possible to avoid and well there are times when you need some form of comfort from something that is old and familiar.

Category of Foods to Avoid

A general rule of thumb we like to adhere to is to avoid foods that do not provide the body with any true sustenance. So, choose highly nutritious foods that supply the body with lots of vitamins and minerals. Check out this article about some of the foods you should be eating during this time if you would like more details on nutritious foods.

In general, it is best to avoid foods that are animal based and highly processed. Foods like bacon, lunch meat, pork products are just a few food products that are processed and have very little to no nutritional value. Harm-burgers (hamburgers), hot dogs, are also of little to no nutritional benefit.

Fried foods also make the list as they are often devoid of most of their nutrition due to the high heat involved in cooking the food.

Other methods of cooking that involve high heat for long periods of time also result in less nutritious meals. But one way to circumvent this is through the use of pressure cooking, check out this article, as well as, this article for more info. on cooking highly nutritious meals.

Genetically Modified Foods

Genetically modified foods are at the top of our list of foods to avoid during times like this. The stress the body incurs is often compounded by the bombardment of genetically modified/ altered foods. These foods often contribute internal stress factors for the body and the body is then faced with dealing with both external and internal stress which can be very tasking.

Foods Grown with Chemical Fertilizers

There is often a need to grow foods faster and larger both on a commercial scale and an individual scale, but this happens at the expense of the taste and nutritional value of these foods. Most of the foods grown in with the help of chemicals result in flavorless and cardboard tasting fruits and veggies.

Chemical fertilizers are to be avoided as much as possible. The best way around this is to make your own fertilizers. Food scraps is a good way to start. Composting is a great to accomplish this and if you eat eggs, then you can certainly use the shells to help boost the nutrients your plants are getting by grinding them up and missing them into your top soil. Or you can certainly mix them into your compost heap for added calcuim.

Another way you can help boost the level of nutrients you plants get is by making sure your soil is healthy – feed the soil, feed the plant! Make sure you have a well balanced soil and one that is a good home for microbes that are beneficial to plants, as well as, earthworms.

Earthworms in your soil will provide all the fertilization your plants could ever need through their castings (worm poo) which contain all the nutrients and microbes your plants could ever need. And you will certainly taste the difference in the flavor of your fruits and veggies.

The Dirty Dozen

By now, you have heard of the dirty dozen and here is how to avoid issues with these fruits and veggies. Simply, grow them, yeah there’s a few you may have to skip due to the climate you live in …i.e. the require growing climate may not be where you live, so you need to make sure the plants you select to grow from the dirty dozen list are capable of growing in your zone.

The dirty dozen are so called due to the amount of pesticides and chemical intervention and modification to these plants in order to get a successful harvest and maximize the growing period (lengthwise as well as abundance).

Summary

There are so many ways to have access to unhealthy, chemically laden foods and very few ways to accessing truly organically grown foods, so why not avoid the confusion and doubt, by growing your very own? And if you can’t, why not follow the general rule of thumb, by avoiding the foods that do not provide your body with true sustenance and then go from there. Whether it is through growing one or two veggies or just grow your greens and at least acquiring a good portion of your daily required nutrients that way or simply being more prepared with a list of fruits and veggies that you willing to take the chance on purchasing at a local farmers market. There are plenty category of foods to avoid (i.e. the dirty dozen, junk foods, fried foods, processed foods, GMO foods, etc.), but there’s even more categories and types of foods to include in your diet. So , we hope this article has sparked your interest in exploring the foods you eat and how important it is to making sure that what is grown in the farm is beneficial to your health and not just simply empty calories. #growyourowneatyourown