Is this ok…?
When coaching up clients around fueling their bodies with real whole foods (foods your bodies were meant to thrive upon), I get asked all the time the question, “Well what about…(XYZ)?”
Oats? Yogurt? Diet Coke? Rice? Protein powders? Egg whites? Whole grain bread? Sugar-free products?
Those ‘nitty gritty’ foods that, in some circles, are viewed as “healthy”, while in other circles, they are “not real food.”
In fact, thanks to the marketing of our food industry and conventional nutrition wisdom from the USDA’s food pyramid, it’s hard to know what to believe nowadays.
- “Eat 3-5 servings of dairy a day for calcium.” vs. “Dairy is a gut irritant.”
- “Choose 6-11 servings of whole grains per day” vs. “Gluten free is the way to go.”
- “Aim to eat low-fat and fat free foods” vs. “Healthy fat is your friend!”
- “Egg whites are ‘better’ for you” vs. “Eat the yolk.”
- “The more protein the better” (it’s added to cereals, yogurts, bars, milks and more today) vs. “Not all proteins are created equal” (i.e. soy protein causes cancer, protein powders are fake sources of protein, avoid hormones in your chicken)
Any of these sound familiar?
While I am a firm believer that food is not a game of perfection (and that an 80/20, or 70/30, rule of thumb with thyself is a great perspective to keep when it comes to balance for yourself and those times in your life when “life happens”)…for the majority of our daily food choices, there is NO DENYING that aiming for more real whole foods sources is really what our bodies are wired to eat.
For that other 20-30%, some of the following ‘nitty gritty’ foods listed below may fit perfectly fine in your diet.
And, that being said, chances are, if you truly give eating real food a chance (organic, pasture-raised, grass-fed and wild-caught protein sources; fresh veggies and fruits; essential fats; lots of water; little starch; no sugar), you will probably notice, your bod actually doesn’t feel its best when you do eat these foods.
Survey Says: Yay or Nay?
1.) Quest Bars:
People love protein bars. And for convenience reasons and health claims of the Quest Bar, these bars in particular are all the rage. Low carb, higher protein, no sugar…healthy right? Well they are definitely more minimally processed than other bars out there on the market. The main offenders in these bars are the artificial sweeteners and the purpose use of these bars (Are they replacing a meal? Are you eating multiple ones in a day? Is it a quick go-to for those in-a-pinch snack moments?).
The reason that a chemically altered molecule, like sucralose in Quest Bars, can be threatening for our health if ingested, is the fact that our bodies are not made to recognize these substances and do not know how to properly deal with them. Artificial sugars are directly linked to stomach issues (nausea, indigestion, destroys ‘good’ gut bacteria, constipation, gas, bad bacteria, etc.), headaches, skin breakouts, chest pain, blurred vision, and a similar spike in insulin (increased blood sugar), just like sugar does to your body. Ick! The Replacements: For a more real foods source protein bar, you have to try these new RXBars recently on the market–boasting only 5-6 ingredients (egg whites, dates, almonds, sea salt, and several flavors—including, chocolate, coconut, and/or fruit). Another great option: HOMEMADE! Whip up the protein bars listed below for a week of grab-and-go options for that bar that you crave.
2.) Progenex Protein Powder
I wish I could say YES—because it tastes good! This protein powder is highly marketed, particularly to athletes and those training for performance. After all, training and protein powder go together like peanut butter and jelly, right? Eh. Think again. This one just does not cut it when it comes to what you think you get and what you really get. The industry of protein powders in and of itself is a whole other world, because ironically, even though they are often sold in health foods stores, they are often the furthest things from it. Again, like the Quest Bars: artificial sugars. I speak from experience here, as I’ve been a protein-poweder-consumer of multiple brands for more than 15 years, and just this past year, decided to give ‘em up—to really see how my body benefited from whole foods. The results? Tremendous! Improved stomach ‘issues’, less bloating and constipation in a given day, clearer skin, strength gains, normalized appetite. All around: Feeling better. So when I recently decided to try an experiment for this review, I filled my old shaker bottle up with 16 ounces of water, put in two scoops and shook it up. The results this time? Hello bloating, fuzzy head, gas, and a distilled appetite for the rest of the day. No fun. What I thought used to be a ‘power shake’ or ‘nutritional drink’ was really the furthest thing from that. If you’re a protein powder consumer, and wondering if or how it affects you, really, if at all, I’d encourage you to experiment for yourself: Cut it out for a week, then try it again and see if you notice any side effects. At the end of the day, “a little dirt never hurt” and if this powder is your dirt of choice, so be it. The Replacements: There are a select handful of protein powders coming out more recently that are actually less processed and less invasive to your cells (toxins that is). Check out the Ancient Cacao or Vanilla protein from PaleoPro, Natural Stacks Cacao Collagen-Whey protein, Wild Foods Wild Whey, or even Stronger Faster Healthier. Hemp protein powder, Egg White Protein, and Collagen and Gelatin are other excellent choices to sneak into a smoothie, or even coffee and tea (collagen). And you can’t go wrong with real food either: Bone broth, chicken, eggs, pulled pork, etc.
3.) Gluten-Free Bread & Products:
Gluten-free is all the rage right now. Real food is gluten-free, but not all food labeled gluten-free is real food. In fact, a vast majority of gluten-free products on shelves out there are just as processed and chemical-laden as the products you are replacing them with (whole grain bread with gluten-free bread; wheat thins for gluten-free crackers; Nutri-Grain bars and granola bars for gluten-free bars; etc.). Check out the list of ingredients for UDI’s gluten-free hamburger buns for instance:
Water, tapioca starch, brown rice flour, resistant corn starch, egg whites, canola oil, cane syrup, tapioca maltodextrin, citrus fiber, dried cane syrup, yeast, flax seed, potato flour, sugarcane fiber, amaranth flour, salt, sorghum flour, gum (xanthan gum, sodium alginate, guar gum), dry molasses, teff flour, cultured corn syrup solids and citric acid (mold inhibitor), xanthan gum, enzymes.
It’s missing one ingredient that other breads do have: gluten, a protein; but, otherwise, the ingredients are similar to what you find in the other breads you are trying to avoid (plus sugar). Not to mention: GMO’s (cane syrup=GMOs). The replacements: My favorite HOMEMADE bread (see recipe below) is a must try. As for products you can easily order: Check out Base Culture’s sandwich bread, “Must B Nutty almond flour tortillas, The Pure Wraps coconut wraps, and Mikey’s Muffins.
4.) Steel-Cut Rolled Oats:
While some people can tolerate ‘healthier versions’ of grains (i.e. ‘steel cut, rolled oats’), there’s no escaping phytates with this breakfast staple. In short: Grains are anti-nutrients as they contain, namely phytates, lectin and gluten—all linked to leaky gut syndrome, de-mineralization of bone and teeth, and autoimmunity). Phytate, in particular, binds with other minerals, ultimately preventing their absorption (i.e. Even if a grain is ‘rich in minerals, the presence of phytate prevents full uptake of those minerals. Ironic!). While soaking your grains is a great method for lessening these irritants, it still is not enough to do the grains ‘justice’ for completely ridding of them. What are you to do without the bland, tasteless, warm porridge that needs lots of ‘umph’ in order to make it ‘taste’ like anything? Make your own! The replacements: Check out may favorite homemade ‘no-oats oatmeal’ recipe below or try Steve’s Paleo Krunch Cereals.
5.) Greek Yogurt:
Greek yogurt is a common breakfast staple or snack-of-choice for many, touting ‘extra protein’ and ‘probiotics.’ Surely this is good for you, right? Sometimes. NOT all yogurts are created equal. While there may be some protein in Greek yogurt, unfortunately the processing of this morning staple results in a large amount of unusable whey acid by the body (i.e. the protein is not assimilated by your body and therefore considered ‘nil’). The exception? Full fat, organic, raw dairy sources (i.e. primal in nature) are much more readily accepted and assimilated by the body—yogurt included. Hard to believe skim milk, fat free cheese and fat free yogurt aren’t great for you? Check out these facts the awesome Chris Kresser brought to light recently:
- In a study out of the Harvard School of Public Health, researchers found that women who ate two or more servings of low-fat dairy foods per day, particularly skim milk and yogurt, increased their risk of infertility by more than 85 percent compared with women who ate less than one serving of low-fat dairy food per week.
- A collective analysis of 16 studies concluded that full-fat dairy was either inversely associated with obesity and metabolic disease, or not associated with them at all. In short: those who consumed the most high-fat dairy foods had the lowest risk for obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
The Replacements: If dairy is a must, trade in the fat-free, processed and homogenized products, like 0% Fage, Chobani Fat Free, or any sweetened flavor, for certified-organic, plain, unsweetened, full-fat dairy that only lists Milk and Living Cultures as the ingredients. In fact, fermented foods, like yogurt, can actually be a great source of probiotics, given you purchase quality. Some yogurt brands to look out for? Straus Family Creamery and Wallaby Organic. Other dairy winners include: Kerrygold grass-fed butter, raw grass-fed cheese, cream and milk should it be a ‘must.’
There you have it. The bottom line for all of these? I will say it again: A little dirt never hurt, but the great thing is that you do HAVE even better OPTIONS when it comes to fueling your bod with foods it was wired to consume and recognize already! Enjoy experimenting!
Recipes
Homemade Protein Bars
Ingredients:
Base:
- 2 cups nuts or seeds (almonds, sunflower, pumpkin, or macadamia. Mixing several kinds is fine too. Soak and dry these if at all possible.)
- ½ cup flax meal (flax seeds ground in a blender or spice grinder) (alternatively, use protein powder*)
- ½ cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
- ½ cup seed or nut butter (raw almond butter, sunflower seed butter or cashew butter)
- 3/8 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup coconut oil (or alternative: Use cocoa butter or Kerrygold butter)
2 Tbsp liquid sweetener – stevia
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Topping:
Top with Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips or Lily’s Vegan Chocolate Chips (1 cup of chips per bar recipe)
Directions
- Place nuts or seeds, flax meal, coconut, seed or nut butter and salt in the bowl of a food processor.
- Process until the nuts or seeds are ground into a coarse meal
- Melt coconut oil over low heat.
- Add coconut oil, sweeteners and vanilla to processor bowl and process until well combined to form a thick, yet crunchy paste.
- Press the mixture into an 8×8 square pan (you can be quite flexible here. A 9×9 will work just fine. A larger pan will produce thin bars, while a smaller pan will yield thicker ones.)
- Place in refrigerator to chill.
- While bars are chilling, top bars with the your chocolate chips Bar.
- Place back in refrigerator to chill (if you can wait that long :-)!)
- Cut into squares and serve.
- Store in refrigerator.
*Makes about 16 bars
Homemade Bread
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup raw almond butter, smooth
- 6 pastured eggs
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup ground golden flax
- 3 tbsp coconut flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8 x 4″ loaf pan with parchment, grease well with coconut oil.
- In a large bowl, blend the almond butter, eggs, honey, coconut oil and apple cider vinegar with an immersion blender.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flax, coconut flour, baking soda and sea salt. Mix the dry into the wet, pour into the greased and lined loaf pan and bake for 35-40 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan by pulling up on the parchment. Set on wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days, in the fridge for 7-10 days or in the freezer for a month or so.
No Oats Oatmeal
Ingredients:
- 1 small fistful of walnuts
- 1 small fistful of pecans
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch of ground nutmeg
- 1 pinch ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon raw almond butter
- 1 banana, ripe, mashed
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (I like vanilla unsweetened)
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin seeds
- 1 handful fresh berries
Directions:
Add walnuts, pecans, flax seed and spices to a food processor and pulse it down to a course grain, making sure to stop before it’s totally ground into a powder. Set aside. Whisk together eggs and almond milk until the consistency thickens a little bit into a loose custard. Thoroughly blend together the mashed banana and almond butter and add it to the custard, mixing well. Stir in the nut mixture. Microwave or gently warm on the stove until it reaches your desired consistency; this should only take a few minutes. In both cases, stir the mixture frequently as it cooks. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds and berries on top. Add more almond milk if you prefer.