6. Nutrition Labels

If it’s not on the label, it’s not in the food you’re buying, right? This really ought to be the case, but it’s not. Far from it. The FDA does not require food manufacturers to list chemical ingredients as long as they are classified as GRAS, short for Generally Regarded as Safe. You’d be amazed at the laundry list of chemicals that are classified GRAS. To get GRAS standing, a chemical must be “generally recognized, among qualified experts, as having been adequately shown to be safe under the conditions of its intended use” (quoted from the FDA website). Want to guess who provides this proof? The company that makes the chemical. As long as the manufacturer doesn’t discover that a given food chemical is unsafe, that chemical is considered safe.
 
This reminds us of the way that all of the cigarette companies kept failing to find evidence that smoking causes lung cancer from 1960 through the 1990’s. If you buy organic, the food you are buying is guaranteed to be free of GRAS chemicals. Unprocessed foods like fresh produce, fresh meats and fish, nuts, beans, and grains are likely to contain much lower levels of these chemicals. Processed foods and fast foods are loaded with artificial chemicals – often hundreds - that aren’t listed on the labels. No one really knows what all of these chemicals do to our bodies, but it’s a safe bet that they aren’t good for us.

7. Thinking That Organic Always Means Healthy

Generally organic foods are a lot better than commercial foods. But just because something is organic doesn’t mean it’s healthy. Cold breakfast cereals, baked goods, most breads, most pastas, and all sugary foods are still generally junk foods, even if they are organic. They are all over-processed, and our bodies just aren’t meant to consume processed food.

8. "Whole Grain"

Whole grain breads are always better than white bread, but, as mentioned, most are still pretty poor nutrition. The big problem with white bread is that it is so heavily processed that most of the nutrients are destroyed. What is left is the starchy carbohydrate component of wheat. This starch is “empty calories” – calories that provide no nutrition, disrupt the proper functioning of our cells, and contribute to weight gain. Whole grain breads have some of the fiber and other nutrients that white breads lack, and so aren’t entirely empty calories. But most whole grain breads are so heavily processed that these nutrients are altered and of little value. The best breads are sprouted grain breads, stone ground breads, and dark rye breads, all of which can be a valuable part of a healthy diet.

9. Atlantic Salmon

The Atlantic salmon has been fished near to extinction in the wild. As a result, all of the Atlantic salmon in stores and restaurants is farm raised. Farm raised fish are full of heavy metals, pesticides, and other chemicals. They are raised on unnatural diets, and are miserably unhealthy. As a result, they are far less nutritious. Wild salmon is a wonderfully healthy food (all Alaskan salmon is wild), but Atlantic salmon is best avoided entirely.

10. Soy Products

Not all soy products are bad. But the idea of soy as a replacement for meat is highly questionable. The protein in soy is not the same as the protein in meat. Further, soy contains high levels of phytic acid – a compound that draws minerals like calcium out of your body. Interestingly, more processed soy foods like tofu and soy milk have lower levels of this dangerous chemical than canned soy beans or edamame. A very rare instance where the more processed version of a food may be healthier! In addition, soy oil is high in Omega 6 fat, which most people consume too much of already. A diet high in Omega 6 fats reduces levels of Omega 3 fats in the body, and has been linked to higher incidences of heart disease. Millions of people are also allergic to soy. Finally, soy products contain “phytoestrogens” – plant chemicals that mimic female hormones. Many women actively supplement with soy to control the symptoms of menopause. Doing this is analogous to putting yourself on unsupervised hormone replacement therapy. Female hormones promote fat storage and may increase the incidence of breast cancer. Soy products, like soy sauce and tofu, are fine in moderation, but you should think twice before making soy a staple of your diet.