5 “Healthy” Foods That Aren’t Healthy at all

Most of us want to buy better-for-us foods when we can, but it’s a tough world out there. Product labels are misleading, and many of our foods have changed significantly in the past couple decades. To help you out, the following are the 5 most common unhealthy foods you’ll want to watch out for:

1. Salmon
You want a tasty, lean protein, and of course you always hear that salmon is full of good fats that are beneficial for our heart, joints, and brains. However, most people are choosing genetically modified and farmed salmon, without realizing this “food” is completely different from it’s wild-harvested cousin. Farmed salmon is actually higher in pro-inflammatory omega 6 fatty acids, and low in anti-inflammatory omega 3 fatty acids. Check your labels and always buy wild.

2. Butter Substitutes
For years people have been looking for substitutes for butter, believing myths that it is bad for your heart, it makes you fat, it raises cholesterol, or it is just plain terrible for our bodies. Now our market is flooded with dozens of butter substitutes- all terribly unhealthy. Margarine is a trans-fat, and is infamous for causing breast cancer, colon cancer, and arteriosclerosis. Equally unsavory substitutes include products like Smart Balance Buttery Spread, Promise Take Control, Earth Balance, I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter, and sprays like Parkay and Pam. These products are generally loaded with genetically modified vegetable oils which are linked to cancer, artificial colors which can cause behavioral problems and nerve damage, preservatives like potassium sorbate which can cause digestive issues and nutrient loss, and trans fats. I recommend buying the real deal, as there are so many benefits to real butter. If you are dairy-free, try coconut oil as a healthy substitute.

3. Gatorade & Powerade
Sports drinks are some of the unhealthiest products you’ll ever find in a grocery store. There are more toxic chemicals than there are electrolytes. The most appalling ingredient is brominated vegetable oil- banned in over 100 countries for causing infertility, birth defects, memory loss, nerve disorders, and cardiac arrhythmia. I always hear- “But it has electrolytes!” If you were to add electrolytes to paint thinner, would it suddenly make it a healthy paint-thinning drink? Nope! The presence of electrolytes does not make any product any less toxic. I always recommend nature’s ultimate sports drink- coconut water. Nirvana is my absolute favorite brand, and it tastes like pure heaven.

4. Cow Milk
Nope, nope, nope. Let me count the reasons why this beverage is a recipe for disaster. Found in all non-organic grocery store milks: pesticides, herbicides, synthetic growth hormones, naturally occurring growth hormones, antibiotics, pus (yes, pus!), xanthine oxidase (a free radical), etc. Which translates to cancer, heart disease, inflammation, antibiotic resistance, allergies, impaired immunity, and many more. There is also a complete lack of nutrients that should be in milk: enzymes, beneficial bacteria, & vitamins (unless added synthetically, like vitamin D). If you want real, nutritious milk, you’ll want to drink it the way nature intended, the way milk always was since the beginning of time until we humans started messing it up about 50 years ago- real, unprocessed, organic, and raw. Don’t do dairy? Try flax milk, hemp milk, or almond milk.

5. “Whole Grain” Cereals
Cheerios, Fiber One Cereal, Mini Wheats, Special K, Kix, All Bran, Chex, etc. Not a single one is healthy. These are prime examples of processed grains- while they do start as whole grains, the end product is nowhere close. They are stripped of nutrients during processing, which is why you’ll see fiber, synthetic b vitamins and iron are added back in to make them appear nutritious. Processed grains like these greatly contribute to obesity and diabetes. The extrusion process, by which almost all cereals are made, is also considered controversial. In Paul Stitt‘s book “Fighting the Food Giants,” he discusses the results of a study found locked up at a major food company, suggesting the extrusion process makes the grain’s proteins toxic. The alternative is easy- just make real, unprocessed grains for breakfast. I make a quick quinoa cereal that I reheat every morning, made with whole quinoa, blueberries, raw honey, hemp seeds, flax milk, dates, and vanilla. It’s delicious, and contains over SIXTY naturally occurring nutrients, putting these store-bought cereals to shame.

Thanks for visiting!

Megan Normansell (Kerkhoff), CHC, AADP, CFH

Certified Holistic Practitioner/Holistic Nutrition/Herbalist/Wild Edibles Guide

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Do you have this rare form of asthma? (And the top 10 ways to treat it)

What we all refer to as plain old asthma, is really a condition called “extrinsic asthma.” This is an asthma that is most commonly triggered by allergens and accounts for 90% of all asthma cases.

Then there is the little-known form of asthma called “intrinsic asthma,” of which I’ve had the pleasure of dealing with for a good chunk of my life. Just like with what I’ll refer to as “common asthma,” it produces feelings of tightness & pain in the chest, difficulty breathing, and wheezing. As the names would suggest, extrinsic asthma is triggered by external factors, and intrinsic by internal factors.

Common Asthma triggers:
• Allergens like dust, pet dander, pollen
• Environmental & chemical pollution like smoke, or occupational chemical exposure
• Food triggers like sulfites, food additives, and sugar
This is the form of asthma that affects both children and adults, and can be well-managed by avoiding triggers and by making dietary changes.

Intrinsic Asthma triggers:
• Exercise (aka “exercise-induced” asthma)
• Cold air (aka “cold-induced” asthma or “my gym makes a killing off me in the winter” asthma)
• Air that is too dry or too damp
Intrinsic asthma tends to develop in adulthood (although mind developed as a teen), and is more chronic and persistent than common asthma. Studies show that most sufferers of intrinsic asthma are women.

Here are my observations about this particular form of asthma:
• Unlike with my husband’s extrinsic asthma, I’ve found inhalers do not help me.
• There appears to be a genetic factor. My mother has the exact same cold-induced asthma that I have. But she also has extrinsic triggers, which is known as “mixed asthma.” I believe this is why I developed it as a teenager instead of after the age of 30 like most do.
• Mine is triggered by both cold & exercise. Once the thermometer drops below 5 degrees, the wheezing immediately kicks in with my first breath in. (Being born an Eskimo would have proved deadly for me!) When I combine the two trigger it’s pretty severe, so I have to wait until the temps hit 50’s or higher to exert myself outdoors.
• I’ve also noticed an interesting difference regarding caffeine. While the symptoms of regular asthma improve with immediate caffeine intake, my intrinsic asthma symptoms can actually be triggered by caffeine. When consuming little to no caffeine prior to a workout, my asthma is sometimes barely noticeable. Today, I went wild and consumed 250 mg of caffeine (equivalent to about 2 cups of coffee) before my workout, and the sharp chest pain was intense and immediate.

Top 10 tips for treating Intrinsic Asthma:
1. Quit smoking. Cigarettes do an incredible amount of damage to the lungs.
2. Boost your immune system. Replace unhealthy junk with whole, real foods, with a focus on cultured & fermented foods.
3. Maintain a healthy weight. Extra pounds put extra pressure on your lungs.
4. Use anti-inflammatory herbs daily like turmeric, ginger or boswellia.
5. Eliminate dairy. Dairy is mucous-forming and causes congestion.
6. Increase your omega 3 fatty acids. They have a very powerful anti-inflammatory effect. See “Top Ten Reasons to Eat Raw Walnuts.”
7. Minimize your exposure to cold. Cover your mouth with a buff or scarf to warm the cold air before it hits your lungs.
8. Exercise indoors in the winter.
9. Keep your workouts moderate, and be in tune with your body. If your chest begins to hurt, ease back until the pain subsides.
10. Manage stress. Both types of asthma can also be triggered by stress or anxiety, so utilize stress-relieving methods to prevent it from affecting your physical self.

Warmly,

Megan Normansell (Kerkhoff), CHC, AADP, CFH

Certified Holistic Practitioner/Holistic Nutrition/Herbalist/Wild Edibles Guide

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram for more recipes and healthy living ideas!

Get Even Healthier!
Get the answers you’ve been searching for, and heal your body for good… naturally and holistically.  We have successfully helped thousands of people across the country live a healthier life than they ever could have imagined, and specialize in dozens of different health concerns. Curious? Schedule your complimentary consultation with me today! Read the incredible reviews we’ve received over the years here!

http://www.aayushealth.com     –     megan@aayushealth.com    –    920-327-2221