According to ForksOverKnives.com, there was a groundbreaking randomized clinical trial, that Stanford University just completed. The findings were published in JAMA Network Open on November 30, 2023.
Research Scientists took 22 pair of adult healthy identical twins (which inherently possess the same DNA) and put one on a vegan diet (plant-based only), and one on an omnivore diet ( a diet that included meat, eggs, dairy and fish) for 12-weeks.
The outcomes were such, that the study was picked up by Netflix, and a docu-series will be airing covering this groundbreaking research on January 1, 2024, called, You Are What You Eat, A Twin Experiment Here, and the trailer can be found at the following link, You Are What You Eat Trailer
According to Forks Over Knives (FOK),
“With the help of identical twins, a team of researchers at Stanford Medicine have uncovered some of the most compelling evidence yet that a vegan diet can significantly improve heart health in as little as two months.”
For the study, they took baseline blood tests and recorded their initial weight of each participant. Researchers then placed one twin on a vegan diet, while the other ate a diet that included meats, eggs, dairy and fish. At the halfway mark, they again took more blood and body weight. They switched the participants. So, those that the one on the vegan diet, was now on the omnivore diet and vice versa. At the end of the trial period, more blood and body weights were taken from each participant.
“The researchers ensured that both diets were as healthful as possible, with both the vegan and omnivore diets containing ample vegetables, beans, fruits, and whole grains and minimal sugar and refined starches. The omnivorous diet additionally included chicken, fish, eggs, cheese, and dairy. For the first four weeks, breakfasts, lunches, and dinners were provided via a meal-delivery service seven days a week for all participants. For the final eight weeks of the study, they prepared their own meals.”
Results
“The findings suggested that a healthy plant-based diet offers a significant protective cardio metabolic advantage compared with a healthy omnivorous diet.”
Specifically, the researchers found, “that, at the halfway point, the twins eating vegan had already seen significant improvements in their cardiometabolic health, with lower LDL cholesterol, insulin, and body weight. By the completion of the study, the vegan group had reduced their LDL by around 14% and their fasting insulin levels by 20%. They’d also lost, on average, 4.2 pounds more than the omnivorous group.”
This is definitely food for thought as we head into the new year!
With the holiday’s almost behind us, and large quantities of food and beverage consumed, everyone is thinking about those pending New Year’s Resolutions. After all, they are just around the corner.
How do you even make a resolution and set yourself up for success? Well, here are a few tips and tricks to get you started.
First, you must find a quiet moment and sit down with a piece of paper and pen. Take a serious inventory of your life in the areas areas that are important to you (feel free to add other areas if you wish).
Work
Finances
Spiritual
Health
Family
Friends
Relationship
Next, in each of those areas, and list how happy you are on a scale from 1 to 10 (with 1 being the least happy and 10 being the most happy). Look at your numbers. Are the results where you want them to be, or is there room for improvement? Be honest, this is the only way it will work!
Then take a look at those that are low scoring or which areas might be most pressing for you. Maybe your health is catapulted to # 1 because you just had a heart attack, or diagnosis of cancer. Maybe your marriage is heading for divorce. Next, ask yourself what are three to five things you can do to help you reach your goals for the end of the year. Write those down under each category. Remember, this is your inventory not others in your life.
Also, you need to write down realistic goals for each category you choose. Please do not say that you want to loose 100 pounds in six months. While that is a lofty goal and something you might want to achieve, is that really healthy? Keep this simple.
Keep in mind what you want the end result to be. Maybe you want to loss thirty pounds, or reduce your debt by $5,000 dollars. Maybe you would like to find a relationship, or say goodbye to one that is not working. How about doing nightly readings on scripture or watching motivational channels on YouTube? How about vowing to increase your exercise by 4 times a week for just 30 minutes. These are all small changes that can greatly impact your goals in the right direction over the course of the next 12 months, and have a positive effect on your outlook on life, as well as your mood.
Getting buy in
Now that you have your category list and three to five things in each category to help you reach your goals, you need buy in from friends and family. This is where you have those frank conversations, and ask for a little support.
Maybe it’s telling your friends or coworkers, that on your girl’s night out, you will be abstaining from alcohol. Instead of ordering that glass of wine or margarita, you can choose to replace it with a virgin margarita, virgin Bloody Mary, or even water. They need to support you and not give you grief. If it becomes a big issue time and again, maybe you need to take a step back from that friend(s) or family member for a while.
Remember, this is your life and you are choosing to improve it, by making these small changes, you are helping redirect the outcome. If they cannot support your goals, well then, I think you have your answer. You don’t need to be around toxic people when you are trying to inject positive changes in your life.
Blocking time for your resolutions
It is important that you look at your schedule and add small blocks of time during the week for the things you need to do (say 15-30 mins). This will help you keep on track. If you want to get four walks in a week, then add those thirty minute blocks to your schedule and try to stick to them. Understand that life happens, and we all get off track. The important thing is that we don’t stay there. The next day, get back on that horse!
Small blocks work best, say under 30 minutes. If you try and block hours at a time, you most likely will not do well at achieving your goals. After all, we all have responsibilities, but make sure you are making a bit of time for you and those things that are important to you.
Some things you can do to increase the joy in your life
Journaling
Gardening
Woodworking
Reading
Meditation
Walking
Biking
Swimming
Prepping meals/cooking
Writing
Listening to music
Playing an instrument
Playing with your pet or children
Church
Volunteering
Learning a new language/software program or instrument
Birdwatching
Hiking
Take a relaxing bath and practice some deep breathing
Yoga
The list is endless. We are all unique and have different thing we like to do, but keep in mind your goals, and make sure you are moving in the direction of those goals.
Happy New Year and may all your goals be achieved!
What is your why? Let’s take a look. Grab a journal and let’s get started. I am going to ask you to take a serious inventory of what you eat on a daily/weekly basis. Write everything down. Don’t worry, this is only an initial exercise for the first week. You will not have to log your intake past this point unless you want to. The one thing is you will need to be is totally honest with yourself or this will not work. I want every stick of gum logged.
I am going to write a scenario and I want you to see if you recognize any of these hamster wheel behaviors.
The routine
You wake after a not so good night’s sleep. You’re already tired. You put on the coffee while you take a shower. You have a cup of coffee while getting ready for work. You head out the door and swing into either you neighborhood Starbucks or fast-food drive-thru. You grab a Frappuccino and a morning combo meal. As you are sitting in traffic you consume both.
When you get to the office you have another coffee/soda before you head to a meeting. Everything is gone off the rails at work, and now you and your team are in crisis mode. Your stress level just increased even more. You head to the vending machine for a RedBull/Soda. You are hungry, so you grab a candy bar or chips too.
At lunch, you drive thru another fast-food line and get another combo meal with a soda or head to a restaurant. You down that and get on with your day.
Around 3:00 pm, you feel like your tank is running on empty, so you grab another soda/coffee/RedBull, and some more goodies from the vending machine.
You’re heading home from work and traffic is terrible. While you are sitting in traffic, you think to yourself, “There has to be more to life than this.” Once you get home, you are so tired, you just want to order DoorDash or a Pizza and call it a night.
You get in bed on your cell phones or tablets. You can’t sleep well for thinking about life’s little problems, like living paycheck to paycheck (or hand to mouth). You are worried about how you are going to pay for those mounting student loans, medical debt or credit cards. Each of those are big green monsters living under your bed. You get up sometime during the night and grab whatever you can find and begin stress eating. Maybe it’s cookies and milk, chips or something else. By the time you stop, half the bag is gone.
You go back to bed and finally fall asleep around 2 or 3 am. When your alarm goes off, you wake so tired and unrested, you head for the coffee pot, get in the shower and rinse and repeat the day. This is your life. This is a hamster wheel that I cannot seem to get off. This is a freight train that is about to hit a wall going 80 mph. How do I stop the madness? Does any of this resonate with you?
The outcome
Now, let’s say you logged your food and beverage intake for the entire week. Looking back on what you logged, what nutrients do you think you actually ingested? Nutrients that fuel your body so it can repair itself, and provide you with the daily requirements to make sure everything is working properly? Most likely, not many. In fact, wouldn’t you say that you did more harm than good with the high-fat, highly processed, sugary and sodium bombs you consumed that were layer is caffeine? Ask yourself, how is your body supposed to recover from that, day after day, year after year. At some point, it just cannot.
You body screams for help and breaks down. This is when diseased starts to occur. Things like high blood-pressure, diabetes, depression, GI issues, sleep apnea, heart, vascular, cancer and autoimmune. They mount one after one and you cannot see to get off the disease freight train.
You have now added more medication, procedures and diagnosis’ to your life. This means more missed work time, and expensive dangerous medications the doctor tells you that you will take for the rest of your life.
Remember those CDC stats I mentioned? Almost 75% of Americans are obese or overweight. As well as 50% of Americans have been diagnosed with high blood pressure and are on medication. There are now twelve year old children are being diagnosed and put on medication for high blood pressure. What do you think their future holds? After all, we most likely began our journey in our thirty’s or forty’s and they are starting at pre-teen ages! If case you missed the stats, here is a link..
Welcome to your WHY! Why, you should want to change these habits and create a better plan for what you give your body. Our body is like a temple, and this is how we treat it. We only get one, and it’s not too late to change your course. I don’t care how old you are. Change starts with you and only you. Let’s turn this train around!
I don’t know about you, but this is the most confusing part of trying to decide which eating plan to follow in my new journey to a healthier lifestyle. I have been on both a vegan diet and a keto diet, and achieved significant weight loss on both. My concern comes with a high fat Keto diet and what effects it will have on my systemic health, especially my cardiovascular system. Then, there is the concern of some limiting factors on a vegan diet like like B12, protein, not to mention increased fructose intake.
If you look at the photo above, you realize the animals in that picture are notably some of the strongest (if not the strongest) animals on this earth, and they don’t eat meat. That’s right, they are fully powered by plants! Common sense would tell you they ALL can’t have it wrong. Right?
I looked up vegan plant-based athletes to see what I could find. What I found were some jaw dropping stories. Some of the world’s greatest record holders in every sport are vegan, and their stories are incredible. Below are just a few of those stories. You can find them in weightlifting, skiing, surfing, race car, cycling, swimming, NFL, NBA and NBA and just about every sport you can think of.
Just a few vegan athletes
Ruth Heidrich – Is one of the most impressive stories I’ve read. She was a marathon runner who was diagnosed with Stage IV Breast Cancer. She was given a death sentence. She refused all chemo, radiation, and hormone blockers and sought the guidance of Dr. John McDougall, MD.
McDougall is a functional medical doctor, who placed her on a strict vegan diet and exactly two years from the date of her diagnosis, she not only beat her cancer into submission, but she completed her first Kona Ironman Triathlon, becoming the first vegan and cancer survivor to do so.
At 86, she went on to complete five more Ironman competitions. She holds over 900 trophies, 8 gold medals in the U.S. Senior Olympics. She has competed in 67 marathons to include Boston, New York and Moscow, and all while powered by plants!
Fiona Oakes – British runner and vegan since the age of six. She has completed 50 marathons and holds four world records. She holds the world record in an event where she ran 7 marathons on all seven continents, and took the fastest aggregate time. All, powered by plants.
Carl Lewis – is a track and field superstar and has been vegan since 1990. He won eight world championships titles and nine Olympic gold medals. It is difficult to deny the power of plants when you look at his story.
Pat Reeves – British runner, turned power lifter. At age 32, she was diagnosed with a terminal genetic cancer (14 brain tumors). She adopted a vegan diet, and her cancer went into remission, there was no evidence of tumors remaining.
In 1982 she took up powerlifting and began to compete. In 2019, she was told she had three months to live, due to a car accident that left her with crushed lungs and pulmonary fibrosis. She has refused to submit to the disease, still power lifting at age 76 and still breaking her own records.
Scott Jurek – Named one of the greatest runners of all time. Scott eats a plant-based diet and has given it credit for some of his greatest wins. Although there are too many to list, he holds the world record for running the 2189 mile Appalachian Trial Run. Not a run for the faint at heart. Scott has won over twenty-four marathons to date.
A personal account
I spoke with a woman that was diagnosed with terminal metastatic cancer from a prominent medical facility in California. The doctors told her she had just months to live and to get her affairs in order. She moved back to Texas to be closer to family. She refused all treatments, went fully vegan (specifically 100% organic) and exercised 8 hours a day as a spin class instructor. She only drank Fiji water and changed to all natural products in her environment.
After six months, she went to an area oncologist to get additional scans. She wanted to see if her efforts were paying off. The doctors could not fine a trace of any tumors left in her body. The doctors looked on with disbelief and asked her what protocol she was using to cure her cancer. Her response, “I am vegan”. They all scratched their heads in disbelief. Plant power once again.
I don’t know about you, but I am seeing a common thread in these accounts.
Cancer + vegan + exercise + positive attitude = cancer remission (in some incidents)
Not all people find these kind of results. I lost my mother to cancer, so I understand not all stories have happy endings. There are an estimated 2 million new cancer diagnosis each year, and over 608,570 deaths that are attributed to cancer alone. For some, it’s a second chance. For others, it is a death sentence.
My personal journey
In 2019, I was diagnosed with Stage III Metastatic Triple Negative Cancer. This was an extremely aggressive cancer. I was thrust into the conventional therapies of multiple chemotherapies, and radiation, and surgery, but fell short and could not finish either therapy due to complications. This was before I knew about a plant-based diet and the effects in can have assisting cancer patients overcome their disease. It didn’t really matter, I didn’t want to eat anyway, not even with all the steroids.
By the grace of God, I am still here to write this blog, and I am currently trying to educate myself on transitioning to a plant-based diet. Chemo and radiation is the gift that keeps giving. For any of you that have gone through it, you will understand what I am saying without any explanation. All cancer therapies come with a great risks, some more that others.
When I was diagnosed, my cancer had already metastasized to my nodes. I had a tumor in my axillary region (under my arm) that was larger than most women’s tumor in their breast. The primary tumor in my breast was large. Triple Negative is the second most aggressive breast cancer, only taking a back seat to Inflammatory Breast Cancer.
When I was in chemo, I would talk to the other people next to me and I would always ask what kind of cancer they had. When they would ask me, and I would say Triple Negative, the next words out of their mouth were always, “I am sorry.” That wasn’t a warm feeling.
All the women I was there with that had Triple Negative did not make it. They all passed within the year. So, I feel a bit guilty that I am still here. For some reason, God didn’t think it was my time.
Triple negative is a disease that likes to return quickly and when it does, it is always at Stage IV and in all organs, brain and bones before they find it. I would call that, a point of no return.
The therapies after that are, in my opinion, for the forward movement of science and science only, I am not sure if there is a TNBC Stage IV survivor in this world. I am going to have to do a bit of research. I am sure there might be, but very few.
We hear these stories of curing cancer and beating it back in submission. First of all, you never “cure” cancer. Cancer is living in our bodies all the time. It is just activated into a disease state when our bodies can no longer fight, and keep it under control. Second, I truly believe if I had refused the conventional therapies before me, and attempted a “diet only” approach, I would be dead within six months. When I came out of my fog after the diagnosis, I asked my oncologist, if I didn’t do anything, how much time would I have. He came back with 6 to 8 months.
I believe that there are certain times which we have to intervene with conventional therapies, and then follow with a diet to achieve a successful outcome. I also believe that each human being is different and what might work for one, doesn’t work for all.
You and I have much different meanings of the word “success”, than the doctors. Success to us, is a cure and we get to live and go on with our lives. Success to a doctor, is an extension of life, 3-6 months beyond what the patient would have without the treatment.
There were a lot of things I wish I knew before going into my journey with breast cancer. I had a lot of sleepless night, so I tried to put them to good use. I wrote and self-published this book in case any of you might have recently been diagnosed or you have a loved one that got the news. It is on Amazon and I will put the link below, just click on the book.
Regardless of your lot in life, the nutrition you choose to put in your body, is the key to health.
Meal planning for quick and easy meals is without a doubt one of the most time consuming parts of eating healthier. The only thing worse that this is, the actual meal prep itself. Let’s face it, planning, shopping and then prepping can take an entire day. Who has a whole day to dedicate to this? There is an easier way.
When you plan, you will want quick ideas. For this, you will need to re-think your way of cooking. For me, cooking was more of an art than a necessity. I would spend hours in the kitchen for one dinner, but that was when I cooked the good old southern way. Those days are now gone. I am focused on nutrition now.
What is your why?
You have to ask yourself “what is my why”? This gets you clear as to why, now what is your goal? You have to set an achievable goal. Ask yourself these questions:
What is my goal?
How can I get the most bang for my buck in the way of nutrients?
How can I cook or prepare quick easy and budget friendly meals?
My Goal
First of all, my goal was simple. I needed a diet plan that would support my nutritional goals of eating healthier and losing weight. Some things I needed to forgo were wine, cheese, ice cream and really most dairy altogether.
I was always heavy on the meat and startches, so I needed to add more fruits and vegetables in my mix, and cut the additional salt. Okay, I had my first base covered. I had a specific goal and kept it simple. I have my why and goal covered.
My nutritional needs
I knew that if I incorporated nutritionally dense foods, it would help my body repair itself and provide the nutrients it needed to stay healthy. So, I focused on getting the most bang for my buck. This would provide the much needed nutrition for energy and weight loss. If you need a list of those top nutritional foods, you can find them at the link below:
I also needed to save money on my grocery budget, so I followed the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen rule of buying produce. This will save you money, while forgoing those cancer-causing pesticides. Click the link below for that list:
I knew my cooking style had to change overnight. I needed to let go of my three and four course meals and focus on meal planning for quick and easy meals. This meant incorporating things like smoothies and oatmeal with fresh fruit, during breakfast and lunch, and cooking “one pot meals” or all-in-one meals for dinner. See my post below for one-pot meals:
Success comes down to having a plan and working the plan
I knew planning, shopping and prepping could not be done for me all in one day. I just simply ran out of stem and didn’t prep. I thought, “I will do it tomorrow” and tomorrow never came. Groceries go to waste like this, so a new plan of action had to be born!
I decided I would meal plan my quick meals during the week and would make a full shopping list for each of the two stores. I would also take inventory of my panty, refrigerator and freezer for the foods I needed.
I had my lists for both stores. You might ask, why two stores, why not just one? Well the reason is two-fold. First, our supply chain hasn’t recovered and my stores do not always have the things I need, so I am forced to make a second stop. Second, you always want to look at the ads for cost-savings and add those to your cards so you can take advantage of those extra digital coupon savings.
My Plan
This meant on Thursday, when the ads came out I would research and load everything I need to my digital coupons for money saving ideas. Friday night, I would clean my refrigerator out, and take inventory of anything I might need. I would make my lists for each store. If I had time, I would look to on-line healthy recipes or a book for inspiration. I may not follow the actual recipe but it will give me a guide. I tend to make my meals a bit healthier.
Then, when Saturday/Sunday rolls around, I grab my lists and keys and head out the door. Inventory was already taken from my refrigerator, pantry and freezer and lists are in hand. This keeps me from purchasing unneeded items and spending more money than planned. Let’s face it, groceries have gotten so expensive, we need all the help we can get in this area.
When I get home, I unload, wash and stock things away. Remember, the refrigerator is already clean and ready to go from the night before. I go directly into the prep of washing, cutting and containing, what I need for the days ahead. This would typically give me about 5 days of easy food ready to go for a quick toss. Realistically, I can prep and cook any dinner in 30-45 minutes and this included clean-up.
Now this will take some getting used to. It will take time to perfect your craft, but you can teach an old dog new tricks, so stick with it. You will find quick and easy ways to get healthy and nutritious foods in your body, without spending an entire day cooking.
Being successful at eating healthier is 80% of our getting healthy journey. If you can master this, then you can add walking (or the exercise of your choice), for the last 20%. All of this together is going to equal a healthier and hopefully lighter you.
One-pot meals are quick and easy, but it bucks everything we learned when growing up and cooking a meal. So, how do you get on the train for quick and easy?
First, get a new attitude. You have to be willing to say, “out with the old, and in with the new” and learn how to cook all over again. I promise, once you master this, you will say, “What took me so long?”
Second, you do not need any special equipment to start. I would have on-hand a few things that will make your job a whole lot easier.
Kitchen equipment that will make your job easier
You don’t need a lot to cook these simple one-pot meals. I will say that you will mainly use a few things over and over again. Who knows, you might be able to get rid of the rest of your pots, pans and kitchen gadgets and declutter for more space, once you get your sea legs under you.
The things I would suggest that you have a minimum are:
One large knife
One paring knife
A few assortment of spoons, ladles and a peeler.
A grater
A cutting board or sheet
One large stock pot with lid
One smaller stock pot (with straining lid)
One or two baking sheets of various sizes
One large skillet with lid, one smaller skillet with lid
A Ninja high speed blender (or model of your choice)
Various sizes in meal prep containers
Microwave
I use Blue Diamond non-stick pots and pans and have been very happy with these. There are a wide variety of non-stick pots and pans, just keep in mind that you never want to use anything but bamboo or plastic utensils in these. Also, when cleaning, never used a scrub pad.
If you get adventurous and have extra money, you might try adding:
Air fryer
Food Processor
InstaPot/Crock Pot
Outdoor grill
Building a meal is as easy as 1-2-3
Throwing together a one-pot meal is quick and simple. Don’t overthink it.
First, depending on what diet you have decided to help you on your journey, depends on what will go in it for the protein. For example, if you are following a Whole Food Plant Based Diet (Vegan/Vegetarian), then you will want to pick things like beans, lentils, tofu and tempe for your protein blocks.
If you are choosing a Mediterranean Diet or Keto, then you can have lean cuts of chicken, meat and fish. I would limit your red meats to two or three times a week. Red meat has been proven to be inflammatory. If you are cooking organ meats like liver, I would recommend one to two times per week max.
Number 1 –
Pick a Protein (meat, beans, lentils, tofu or tempe)
Use a bit of broth to add moisture to the skillet. No oil please.
Stir Fry your meat until it is done (if you are eating meat).
Place your harder veggies in after your meat is done for more cook-time like carrots, onion, garlic and celery.
Number 2 –
Add an assortment of fresh/frozen (thawed) vegetables and simmer until done.
Season to taste (get creative here). Add a bit more broth if needed.
Number 3 –
Add a starch/complex carb like pasta, rice or potatoes. (These will require pre-cooking in another pot).
If you are wanting some dessert, add some fresh fruit or a snippet of dark chocolate.
There you go, you have your meal in essentially one pot, and clean-up is super quick and easy. Enjoy!
Cooking tip- I always use canned beans to save time. I make sure to try and get them in a Non-BPA can, and always rinse before adding them to my soups/skillets. This removes a great deal of the sodium content and the gas that one might experience.
Put any remaining leftovers in the refrigerator. Just reheat on stove or pop in the microwave, and you have a meal. Not only are you saving money, you are controlling the quality of food, the nutrients going in your body, and the amount of sodium that is contained in your food. All three are major wins for you and your journey!
I will list the highest nutritional yields in each food category. These are the top guns of their categories, the biggest bang for your nutritional buck, if you will. The higher the nutrient richness score, the better it is.
Vegetables
Spinach 65
Swiss Chard 55
Crimini Mushrooms 47
Asparagus 43
Broccoli 40
Romaine Lettuce/Salads 40
Collard Greens 38
Kale/Mustard Greens 34
Tomatoes 34
Brussels Sprouts 33
Green Beans 33
Summer Squash 32
Bell Pepper 29
Cauliflower 29
Celery/Fennel 25
Green Peas 24
Cabbage 22
Carrots 22
Winter Squash 20
Beets 15
Eggplant 15
Garlic 15
Onions/Leeks 14
Sweet Potatoes 13
Cucumbers 11
Potatoes 8
Fruits
Strawberries 24
Raspberries 18
Cantaloupe 14
Pineapple 12
Kiwi 11
Oranges 11
Papaya 11
Watermelon 11
Apricots 9
Grapefruit 8
Grapes/Raisins 8
Blueberries 7
Cranberries 7
Bananas 6
Plums/Prunes 6
Lemons/Limes 4
Apples 3
Fig 3
Pears 3
Herbs and Spices
Parsley 21
Mustard Seeds 15
Basil 11
Turmeric 11
Cinnamon 10
Cayenne Pepper 8
Black Pepper 7
Ginger 5
Dill 4
Cilantro 3
Rosemary 3
Whole Grains
Oats 12
Rye 10
Quinoa 7
Brown Rice 7
Whole Wheat 7
Buckwheat 5
Diary and Eggs
Eggs 18
Low-Fat Milk 17
Yogurt 15
Low-Fat Cheese 9
Goat’s Milk 8
Fish and Shellfish
Tuna 24
Shrimp 23
Salmon 21
Cod 21
Sardines 20
Scallops 14
Poultry and Lean Meat
Calf’s Liver 41
Grass-Fed Beef 15
Venison 14
Lamb 12
Chicken 11
Turkey 11
Nuts and Seeds
Sunflower 18
Flaxseeds 13
Sesame Seeds 12
Pumpkin Seeds 11
Walnuts 8
Almonds 7
Peanuts 6
Cashews 5
Note on choosing your foods. As you can see from this list, blueberries only score a 7, compared to Strawberries, which score a 24. That does not mean you should never eat blueberries. Blueberries are loaded with cancer-fighting antioxidants. The deeper the color, generally the more the antioxidants. This is a guideline to show you where some of your favorites might fall.
Remember to check out my post below on organic vs conventional for money-saving tips.
When choosing your meals, try to choose from an assortment of these top foods. It is important that you do not fall into the habit of eating the same foods every day. Try to mix it up. This will take planning and prep work on your part but you have to do it if you want to succeed.
Organic vs conventional produce has always been a very hot topic talking out foods to consume and which are healthier. There is a great deal of speculation on whether organic is worth the extra money. Easy answer, I will say, “Yes”. However, it’s not that easy.
What is Organic
Organic farming, is a strict farming practice that certifies certain standards were maintained when growing and harvesting the produce. That means that certain pesticides and fertilizers are not allowed in the growing or harvesting process of these fruits and vegetables.
You will be able to differentiate organic produce in your groceries isles because the PLU (price lookup code) will follow these standards:
4011 – Conventional Banana
94011 – Organic Banana
84011 – Genetically Engineered or modified Banana
So, the number you want to focus on is the first number of 4, 9 and 8 at the beginning of the code. This denotes the type of produce it is.
What is the Dirty Dozen
Each year, EWG.org, puts out the top conventional produce that are ladened with pesticides. EWG.org is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to protecting human health and the environment.
According to EWG, these are the top produce for 2023, that contain the most pesticides, when referring to conventional farming:
Strawberries
Spinach
Kale, Collar and Mustard Greens
Peaches
Pears
Nectarines
Apples
Grapes
Bell & Hot Peppers
Cherries
Blueberries
Green Beans
This year, strawberries take the top seat, and this is not a good thing. That means that when eating these twelve foods, your pesticide load that you are ingesting is the highest if you are picking conventional in any one of the above foods. We all know that the amount of pesticide load we ingest, has a direct correlation with cancer.
Clean Fifteen
Just like the dirty dozen list, EWG.org also puts out the popular Clean Fifteen. These are the conventional produces that contain the least amount of pesticides and are as follows:
I will say this. If you can afford to purchase organic, please do. However, if you are on a food budget, then the best tactic you can use, is to purchase items on the dirty dozen list, as organic. Then, all others you can go conventional to save money.
It should be noted this list changes yearly, so please go to EWG.org and refresh your list. For instance, the last few years, blueberries and apples took the top spots on the dirty dozen.
A few noteworthy mentions here. There are a few things that you will always want to purchase organic and they are as follows:
Almonds (conventional are treated with eronmous amounts of pesticides around the trees. So when they are harvested, they will get cross-contaminated with pesticides all over them.
Brown Rice (Organic) has a great deal of arsenic in it, so you will want to eat this sparingly, and when boiling, do so in large amounts of water and always rinse throughly afterwards before serving. This will lessen the load.
Quinoa is much like brown rice. It needs to be soaked prior to cooking. Overnight if you can, and rinse throughly. In 2023, it is said that the United States will have decreased production of this pseudo grain, due to increased fly issues. We will likely be sourcing from other countries.
Green Tea has a high pesticide yield, so you will want to purchase only organic. Look for the store brand in organic and it is usually very affordable.
Any of your berries, nuts and grains, the farmers tend to use vast amounts of pesticides to keep the bugs and the birds from ruining the crops. So, keep that in mind when shopping. Always rinse everything! Even that spinach that claims to be “triple washed”.
When trying to gain a healthier lifestyle, all of this helps. I hope you can go with confidence to the store and choose your produce wisely. I keep a screenshot of the dirty dozen on my phone, and refer to it as I am shopping. It helps.
Shopping outside the perimeter has long been a strategy of many diets. It is said that all the nutritious foods are located on the outer walls around the store. This still holds true to this day.
Where to go
When gathering your food, you will want to mainly be in the produce section, and the frozen food section of any store. There are thing like spices, beans, olive oil, broth and alternative milks that you will have to go into the inner isles for.
You need to be careful to not fall into the old traps of processed foods. Chips, sodas, diary and meat do not need to be a part of your list, unless you are consuming meat and seafood. Even then, only lean cuts and small amounts.
Setting a budget
You need to go to the store with a budget that fits your household income. Only get what you need for half the week. Make it a habit to go to the store twice a week. This will take care of fresh produce.
If you get produce for the entire week, it might go bad before you have an opportunity to use it. That is why it is best to shop by a list and plan your meals in advance.
Comparison shopping
I once did a comparison. I shopped on the outer isles of the store getting fresh produce and meats, and then on the inner isles picking up more processed foods. The fresh was actually less expensive than the processed, and a heck of a lot healthier.
After all, have you seen the prices of food this day and time? Ice cream is almost $10 a half gallon. Eggs are $7 a dozen. Chicken has skyrocketed and sometimes is more expensive than beef. Chips are almost $5 a bag, and the bags have gotten smaller. Canned veggies and beans are $1.25 to $2.50 a can. We are not even going to talk about cleaning supplies, Kleenex or toilet paper. Sodas are almost $5.00 a six pack. It is crazy what the prices of groceries have become in today’s economy. You literally cannot get out of a grocery run for less than $80 and that is walking out with only a handful of bags.
It is going to be a bit of work and organization on your part, but you have to pay attention to the ads and what is on sale at what store. The days of going to one store for all your needs is nearing extinction. To get what you need, takes a trip to two, if not three stores, unless you live in a rural area.
If you can afford to have your food delivered by InstaCart, Amazon or one of the grocery stores, go for it if you think you budget can handle it.
I will say mine cannot. I had my groceries delivered one time and that was during my chemo, when I was so sick, I could barely stand up. You have to pay for the delivery, then tip. It can get costly.
If you don’t like to shop, your best bet is to order you food and have them bring it to your car. The only problem is you get home and need something for dinner that they didn’t have. Supply chain interruptions are still a thing. We have never truly recovered.
Prepare for the week. Make a list and only get what is on your list. This will keep impulse buys to a minimum. The only thing I might deviate from is more fruits and veggies, especially frozen.
I never said going on a diet was going to be easy, but don’t let that discourage you!
Here are some additional tips when starting your new diet. Just keep in mind that you are on a journey, not in a race. Look at this as you being sick and tired of not helping yourself be the healthiest person you can be, and you are ready to start taking steps in the right direction, to boost your nutritional intake, and hopefully your overall health.
If you haven’t seen my first post on getting ready for your new diet, please check out the below link.
I still think about the tortoise and the hare story. It is true like everything in life, you cannot rush perfection. Your diet will be your “new normal” because it is your new lifestyle change.
Does that mean you aren’t going to find yourself in front of the ice cream bowl one night? Nope, there are no guarantees here. However, only you have the power to get yourself back on track.
You had a moment of a lapse of judgment, so accept it, and get on with it. Note it in your journal and how it made you feel afterwards. Maybe when you are ready to break your diet again, you will go back on read that, and it will give you to power to say, “No way. I am staying the course”.
Water
Please remember to drink plenty of water when starting your new diet. When you go on a healthy diet, your body will start to purge toxins. You will need to assist your body with this by providing it H2O.
If you are still drinking sodas, you are not doing yourself any favors, even if they are diet. Also, energy drinks are a no-no. I allow myself one cup of coffee in the morning. By a cup, I mean 8 oz., not a 26 oz. Yeti to take to work or the gym.
I drink bottled water in non-BPA containers. It is not the best option, but it is a step above my area tap water. It also reduces your barriers to entry, when striving to get your daily water intake.
If you have it cold and ready to go, you are much more likely to grab and go, assisting you in reaching your goal. You can purchase a high-end water like, Fiji. However, they are extremely expensive, but it all depends on your budget. This is your journey.
I will also filter my tap water that goes into cooking. I have a countertop pitcher for this. A Zero or Brita works well.
Remember please recycle any bottles you use. Our planet is like our body, it is the only one we have. When it is gone, it is gone. We don’t get another one.
Try to get moving
Even if it is parking further from the doors, when you go to work, school or the store, try to get those extra steps in.
If you live in a hot area like Texas, or have a health condition and you cannot be outside due to the air quality, when you make your trip to the store, take some extra passes down each isle. If you do this everywhere you go, it will assist in getting more steps in.
Walking helps with a great many things. Remember this saying,
“Motion is Lotion”
Moving only small amounts helps with your stiffness, especially if you have auto immune diseases like fibromyalgia or arthritis (especially in your back). It will also assist in getting those intestines moving.
