Synthetic

Synthetic

Ingredients:
The sneakiest ingredients lurking in juice come in the form of synthetics
made in a laboratory. These include Fibersol-2 (a proprietary synthetic digestion-resistant fiber),
fructooligosaccharides (synthetic fibers and sweeteners), and inulin (an artificial and invisible fiber
that’s added to foods to increase fiber content). Avoid synthetic ingredients in your diet, because they’re
usually made from petroleum, coal, and GMOs, none of which provide any nutrients.
Pasteurization: This process kills raw enzymes, minerals, and vitamins, which means it kills off our
reasons for drinking juice in the first place. Heat kills the bad stuff and the good stuff, making the juice
pretty much worthless. Juice companies sometimes even replenish the lost vitamin content with
synthetic vitamins because there is barely any nutrition left after processing. Furthermore, most
companies create vitamins through chemical manipulation and synthesis, not from actual fruits and
vegetables.
CHOOSE THE BEST STORE-BOUGHT JUICE
Now that I’ve exposed commercial juices, you must be wondering if there are any store-bought juices
that are nutritious. I created the following chart to help you navigate the juice aisles more confidently
and choose the best store-bought juice. Thankfully, there are lots of good options!
How to Choose the Best Store-Bought Juice
Best: Fresh Raw Organic
Suja juice
Suja Elements
Juice Press
Organic Avenue
Luna’s Living Kitchen
Viva Raw
TurmericALIVE
Blue Print
Evolution Fresh (some)
Better: 100% Organic, Not from Concentrate
Uncle Matt’s Organic
365 Everyday Value
Lakewood
Bolthouse Farms
Odwalla (some)
Trader Joe’s (some)
Questionable: Organic, but from Concentrate or with Additives
Santa Cruz Organic
Honest Kids
Purity
Worst: Nonorganic, Pasteurized
V8
Naked Juice
Zico
POM Wonderful
Simply Orange
Tropicana
Ocean Spray
Minute Maid
Mott’s
Del Monte
Welch’s
CHECKLIST
Today:
I did my morning lemon water ritual.
I enjoyed a green drink.
Day 3—Stop Drinking with Your Meals
LET’S DO A QUICK checkup: Do you have any of these symptoms?
Indigestion
Heartburn
Irritability
Bloating
Fatigue
Headaches
Food cravings
Difficulty losing weight
Depression
If you checked one or more of these, you might have one bad habit that is contributing to these
symptoms. You won’t believe the likely culprit: the habit of drinking fluids with your meals. Never
mind the fact that everybody does this; unfortunately, it runs roughshod over digestion and triggers
nasty symptoms like these.
For most of my life, I’d wake up, have breakfast, and then immediately feel bloated, uncomfortable,
and sick to my stomach. Some mornings, I didn’t feel well enough to go to school—I didn’t even want
to go out the door. In the summers, I couldn’t even put on my bathing suit or zip up my jeans. I would
feel sluggish all day long. I took all the standard advice, such as drinking lots of water, eating plenty of
fiber, and sipping ginger ale, but nothing worked. I think I knew, subconsciously, that something was
going on.
While still working as a management consultant, I began to delve into Ayurvedic medicine.
Originating in India, Ayurveda is an ancient healing system based on lifestyle and diet. Adherents to
Ayurveda practice meditation and yoga, use herbs to treat illness, and follow a diet customized to their
constitution.
While studying Ayurvedic practices, I took my first trip to India. Other than the splendor of the
scenery, I observed something fascinating about the culture: In restaurants, water was rarely served with
meals, and when it was, the water was at room temperature. If you asked for ice, you’d be lucky to get a
single cube. Usually, the only liquid you’d have with meals would be warm ginger tea, to enhance
digestion.
This habit is so unlike the experience we have at American restaurants, where we swallow our food
and slam back ice water, several soda refills, and maybe some beers.
After that trip, I got into the habit of not drinking fluids with my meals, with the occasional
exception of warm ginger tea. I paid attention to the food I was eating. I slowed down my eating and
thoroughly chewed my food. Overall, I began to eat more mindfully. And when I did, I started feeling
full faster; I was no longer overeating. I began to feel the energy from my food go to work in my body.
In one short week, my stomach symptoms eased. The bloating and feelings of heaviness
disappeared, and there was no more bubble gut. My food gave me so much more satisfaction, and I
suddenly had more energy.
During late-night work sessions or when we were out of town and eating at restaurants, my
coworkers noticed my new habit. “What are you doing?” they asked. “Without water to wash it down,
won’t you choke on your food?”
At the same time, they noticed my newfound energy and alertness. I made believers out of people.
Though this habit might sound crazy, it is key to healthy digestion, satiety, and overall vibrant health.
Stop This Sticky Habit Today
A lot of people think chewing gum aids digestion. It does not; chewing food does. The process of digestion begins in the mouth,
where saliva starts breaking down food. If you chew gum, you tax your saliva glands and digestive enzymes, and you won’t have
enough enzymes to properly digest real food as you age.
Chewing gum can also make you feel bloated. When you chew gum, you swallow excess air, leading to abdominal pain and
bloating. What’s more, chewing gum sends your body physical signals that you’re about to eat food. In response, your body releases
enzymes and acids, but without the food they’re supposed to digest. The net effect is more bloating and an overproduction of
stomach acid.
Gum is also made with synthetic rubbers and contains additives such as texture modifiers, plasticizers, softeners, fillers, and
emulsifiers to give specific properties to the gum. Many popular brands contain artificial sugars linked to cancer, artificial food dyes
made from petroleum, and preservatives banned in other countries. If you’re chewing gum, you’re chewing chemicals you
shouldn’t be putting in your mouth.
Stop this sticky habit and you’ll look and feel better right away.
Check out the worst offending brands on foodbabe.com.
GUT FEELINGS
Drinking liquids with your meals interferes with the production of spit, or saliva, the substance you
swish around in your mouth. Saliva is your friend. It helps break down food in the mouth. It helps us
swallow food. It protects tooth enamel.
The salivary glands in your mouth churn out saliva to the tune of about four cups a day. Over your
lifetime, these glands will produce 10,000 gallons of saliva, enough to fill a backyard swimming pool.
As long as you chew your foods thoroughly, you’ll create saliva, which lets you eat comfortably without
lots of liquids. Let your saliva naturally help you swallow your food.
Drinking fluids with meals also dilutes digestive enzymes (which diminish with age) and stomach
acids, making digestion incomplete, and that will delay your poop train. As a consequence, you’ll have
trouble losing weight, getting rid of toxins, and feeling like a happy, energetic person. With bad
digestion, toxins can build up in your digestive organs. This can inhibit the body’s ability to break down
fat. It also causes insatiable cravings and interferes with your body’s ability to register hunger or
fullness.
You don’t want to mess with these enzymes, acids, and saliva, so avoid drinking fluids with your
meals. Start this habit today.
POP QUIZ: WHAT IS THE HEALTHIEST-SOUNDING BUT
WORST LIQUID TO DRINK WITH MEALS?
Answer: cold water. (Cold soda is just as bad!)
After several studies were published a few years ago demonstrating that consuming cold water
increases your metabolism, you could literally hear the ice plopping into glasses across the country.
People thought: “Wow, if I just drink cold water all day, I can lose weight!” Well, this bit of wisdom is a
double-edged sword. True, drinking cold water does speed up your metabolism (about four extra
calories for every eight ounces of water). It does so by using energy to heat up the cold water to body
temperature.
But here’s the problem: If you drink cold water with your meal, energy required for digestion is
diverted. That’s not good. While eating, you want all of your energy directed at breaking down food so
your body can easily assimilate the nutrients and eliminate waste and toxins.
Be careful at restaurants. The wait staff is trained to bring huge glasses of ice-cold water to your
table. I see people at restaurants getting refill after refill of cold liquids while gulping down huge
amounts of inadequately chewed foods. These are very bad habits, and your digestion will hate you for
it.
THE FOOD BABE WAY
When should you drink fluids? Here are my recommendations:
DRINK WATER OR OTHER LIQUIDS TWENTY MINUTES BEFORE MEALS
That way, the beverage won’t interfere with digestion—and you’ll knock off pounds. This advice seems
unconventional, given our current habits as a society; but try it, and you’ll see that it actually works.
According to one study, people who drank two glasses of water before eating their meals lost about
fifteen pounds over a three-month period, compared to the eleven pounds lost by a non-water-drinking
group following the same low-calorie diet. Why the difference? Researchers suggested that water
reduced the dieters’ calorie intake either by swelling their stomachs and making them feel more full, or
by making it less likely that they would revert to drinking sugary drinks with their meals.
DRINK FLUIDS AFTER A MEAL
The next-best time to drink fluids is after your meal, but you should wait at least thirty minutes and up
to an hour. This allows your food to be adequately digested without complicating matters for your
tummy and intestines.
Don’t overthink this habit. Just slowly go from drinking with meals to drinking between meals.
Mindful drinking (and eating) will have a positive impact on the way you feel.
IF YOU MUST DRINK WITH YOUR MEALS, SIP ON A WARM BEVERAGE
Good options include herbal tea or warm water with lemon. Because the temperature is closer to your
body’s normal heat, warm water will ease digestion rather than disrupt it. Ginger is my favorite type of
tea to drink with or after meals because it naturally and gently moves food from the upper part of the
digestive tract into the lower. The wait staffs at my favorite restaurants know to bring me a cup of
ginger tea right after I’m seated—no ice water.
At home I just cut up a few pieces of fresh gingerroot and pour hot water over them. On the go, I
always carry ginger tea bags with me. Yogi tea, Numi, and Traditional Medicinals are my favorite
digestive teas.
BE CAREFUL ABOUT STEEPING PESTICIDES
Tea is something I drink every single day. It’s sacred at my house, and I have a whole drawer devoted to
it. I drink it because it is amazing for your health. There are so many varieties of tea that can improve
digestion and metabolism and even prevent certain diseases.
But what I’m about to share with you rocked my world when I first heard it, and I’ve never been
able to look at tea in the same way again.
Did you know that most tea is not washed before it is put into bags? That means if the tea was
sprayed with cancer-causing pesticides, those pesticides go right into your cup.
Many popular tea brands get away with using the ingredient “natural flavors” to make us think we’re
buying better, cleaner ingredients; however, companies are just covering up the inferior taste and low
quality of their tea. Fortunately, there are brands that are putting the kibosh on the use of “natural
flavors” and are instead using only real ingredients. I was happy to learn that Ahmed Rahim, CEO of
Numi Tea, is just as disgusted by this ingredient as I am. He told me, “You can break down anything
that is found in nature and if it ends up tasting like the flavor you wish to use, you can add it to any
product and call it ‘natural flavor’ on the ingredient label. It could come from a stone in the ground and
you’d never know.” This is why I put a product down and run far, far away when I see the words
“natural flavor” listed on a label. I want to know what I am eating! Don’t you?
WATCH THAT TEA BAG
A recent article in The Atlantic discussed the “silky sachet” and “luxurious mesh bags” that hold loose-
leaf teas (like in the brand Tea Forté). Terms like “silky sachets” and “corn-based biodegradable tea
bags” mislead customers into believing a product is more natural and sustainable than it really is. It
turns out that these modern-day bags, which are meant to showcase the tea leaves, are made of plastics
such as polylactic acid (PLA) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The Atlantic pointed out that
researchers have found that PET leaches estrogen-mimicking pollutants into water. Although the actual
tea bag is not an ingredient like teas and herbs, it is still an element you put into boiling water and may
leave traces of harmful ingredients in the tea you drink.
My Favorite Digestive Teas
If you love tea as much as I do, you’ll want this list of pesticide-free teas that only use real, safe ingredients when it comes to both
the tea leaves and the tea bags:
Numi Tea (any flavor—my favorites include mint, English breakfast, and gunpowder green)
Yogi tea (look for “certified organic” on the package, any flavor)
Traditional Medicinals (any flavor)
Rishi (any flavor)
Organic India (any flavor)
For more info on tea, check out my investigation on foodbabe.com.
The bottom line: Avoid drinking liquids with your meals, and time your fluid intake so that it works
with your digestion, not against it. Stick to approved teas rich in truly natural ingredients, and drink
plenty of clean water (at the appropriate times) to help your body flush toxins.
CHECKLIST
Today:
I did my morning lemon water ritual.
I enjoyed a green drink.
I stopped drinking fluids with my meals.
Day 4—Be Aware of What’s in Your Water
SPEAKING OF WATER AND fluids: It’s great if you’re in the habit of drinking the recommended eight
glasses of water a day, but the important question is whether or not you are drinking “clean” water.
Many of the doctors and scientists I’ve had the chance to speak with about what’s happening to our
food supply say that what’s happening to our water as a result could be even more disastrous. Our tap
water is laced with toxins, including pesticide runoff, pharmaceutical residues, and hormone
impersonators.
In 2010, the Environmental Working Group, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, reported that tap
water from forty-five states contained more than 300 contaminants! You’ll be shocked at what some of
those contaminants were: radon, a radioactive gas; Freon, a refrigerant pumped into air conditioners; the
weed killer metolachlor; and acetone, the liquid used to remove nail polish.
The Environmental Protection Agency even admits that there’s so much perchlorate in drinking
water that it needs to be more tightly regulated. Perchlorate is an ingredient in rocket fuel. Yes, rocket
fuel. We’re all looking for that extra pick-me-up in the morning, but personally I would rather stick to
my green smoothie. (For other toxins in drinking water, see the chart here.)
FOOD BABE ALERT: FUROR OVER FLUORIDE
Every time you have a sip of water from the tap, cook a meal with tap water, or take a bath or shower, you’re exposing yourself to
fluoride. It has been added to our drinking water for decades, put there to ward off tooth cavities from childhood on. But fluoride is
essentially a toxic waste product fed to us through our taps.
The fluoride in our drinking water can be a stealth source of arsenic contamination. Arsenic is a powerful carcinogen that
promotes the risk of several types of cancer, and it gets into the water supply by way of fluoride. The most common form of fluoride
is hexafluorosilicic acid, which is the type frequently contaminated with arsenic.
There’s mounting evidence that fluoride itself poses grave health risks to infants and children—including reductions in IQ.
Further, arsenic exposure may cause lasting damage to the developing brains and endocrine and immune systems of fetuses, toddlers,
and infants.
Amazingly, the debate over the dangers of fluoride has raged on for more than sixty years. Yet study after study confirms that
fluoride is a dangerous poison that accumulates in your body, and that ultimately it isn’t even very effective at preventing dental
decay.
Are you starting to get the picture? I, for one, am glad the government is watchdogging our water supply, but we can’t rely on
others to protect our health. We’ve got to take control of it ourselves.
THE FOOD BABE WAY
Stop drinking water straight out of your tap. Tap water is poisoned with a variety of toxins (again, I
refer you to the chart). Some recommendations to help you:
FILTER YOUR WATER
The easiest way to ensure you are getting safe water without contaminants is to filter your tap water
directly under your kitchen sink. Simple carbon filters that mount on your faucets or come in a pitcher
can reduce contaminants, while more costly reverse osmosis filters can filter out fluoride, arsenic, and
chromium. These will not, however, filter out perchlorate and nitrates.
Personally, I recommend getting at least a two-stage water filter. It takes a plumber or a crafty helper
a short time to install one, but it is totally worth it. You can learn more about water filters from the
Environmental Working Group at
CHANGE YOUR WATER BOTTLE
When you go out, drink water out of reusable stainless steel or glass water bottles. Fill them at home
and take them with you when you’re on the go. My favorite water bottles are:
Klean Kanteen (
Thinksport (
bkr (
Life Factory (
FILTER YOUR SHOWER WATER
Harmful chemicals can enter your body through opened skin pores while you’re showering, which is
why I have a water filter on my shower head, too. At first, I wasn’t sure whether filtering my shower
water was worth it, until an experience at my hairdresser’s salon settled the question.
I’ve been going to the same hairdresser, Megan, for more than ten years. She knows my hair, inside
and out. A few years ago, I had taken a six-month hiatus from getting my hair cut, because I wanted to
grow it a little longer. After the six months were over, I went in to see her. She began to comb her
fingers through my hair to see what needed to be done.
“What are you doing to your hair?” she asked.
I was a little alarmed. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing! It is so much thicker. It feels like a whole new head of hair!”
At first, I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what had changed. I was still eating a nutritious, additive-free
diet and living a healthy lifestyle.
Then I put two and two together. A water filter company had contacted me, asking me to try out a
shower filter. Given that your body is over 60 percent water, that your skin is your largest organ, and
that you expose yourself to nearly twenty-five gallons of water on average when you shower, bathing
with clean water is crucial for a healthy body.
After receiving the shower filter, I opened the box and immediately thought, “Is the filter going to
affect the water pressure? Do I really want to install this? What am I doing?” All I could think about
was the fact that my hair was going to take longer to shampoo and condition.
After my husband installed it (it took about two minutes), I turned on the faucet, and much to my
surprise, the water pressure was so good that I didn’t miss my old shower head at all.
After showering in filtered water for several months, I could see noticeable differences in my hair
and skin. There were barely any stray hairs left in the drain. Very little hair fell out when I blow-dried
my hair (my bathroom floor used to be covered!). My hair had luster and was never dry. I needed to use
less shampoo and conditioner. After I got out of the shower at home, I needed fewer oils and
moisturizers on my skin. None of these results constitute a scientific study, but they made a miraculous
change for me personally. And the real magic was happening in ways I couldn’t even see—namely, the
reduction of the daily toxins I was being exposed to, which could accumulate and cause disease and
aging in my body over time.
Unfiltered shower water contains potentially hazardous chemicals, of which chlorine is the most
common. It can cause dry skin and hair, itchiness, and eye irritation. It is also linked to cancer, asthma,
and allergies.
I’m a believer in shower filters and will continue to use one. This lesson taught me that what I put on
my skin is just as important as what I put in my body.
SAY NO TO BOTTLED WATER—AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE!
Break the bottled water habit. First of all, many bottled waters are just tap water in disguise. But second,
plastic water bottles may contain BPA (bisphenol A) and other obesogens that increase the size of fat
cells. These chemicals leach from the bottle into the water. I always carry a stainless steel or glass
container of water around with me—to the gym, in the car, to meetings, and even to some restaurants!
Once you start drinking your delicious filtered water at home, you’ll never want to drink anything else.
You will start to taste the chlorine and other impurities from other water sources. But this is a good
reminder to always carry your water with you. The only time I get bottled water is when I’m in a
foreign country or traveling somewhere where I don’t have access to filtered water in a glass bottle. If I
can hit a Whole Foods while I’m traveling, I’ll always buy Mountain Valley Spring Water from Hot
Springs, Arkansas, which is sold in a big green glass bottle. Sometimes I’ll have a case of it delivered to
my hotel so that I have it on a long business trip. It makes a major difference in the way I feel.
STOP REHYDRATING WITH SPORTS DRINKS
Sports drinks are little more than sugar-laden soft drinks packed with a cocktail of additives,
preservatives, tooth-eroding acids, and colorings. Some used to contain brominated vegetable oil, or
BVO—which is banned in many countries because it is a fire retardant. BVO can cause headaches and
exhaustion, and can take a serious toxic toll on your body.
Fortunately, Coca-Cola announced in 2014 that it would drop this controversial ingredient from its
Powerade sports drink, after a similar move made by PepsiCo’s Gatorade in 2013. These positive
actions were taken after a Mississippi teenager, Sarah Kavanagh, targeted both products in Change.org
petitions. Her Powerade petition had more than 59,000 online supporters, while the Gatorade petition
had more than 200,000.
It’s ironic, but if a sports drink is very sugary (more than 8 percent added sugar—as most are), the
beverage will dehydrate you. These sugary beverages draw water out of cells and dump it into the
stomach to dilute the drink before digestion.
You can find a lot of research validating the benefits of sports drinks, but that could be because much
of this research is funded by sports drink entities, such as the Gatorade Sports Science Institute. The
marketing hype around sports drinks makes them sound attractive, but they provide virtually no benefits
when compared to plain, pure water for the average person.
For moderate workouts under an hour, water is all you need for rehydration. Instead of filling up on
sports drinks, a healthful postworkout snack such as a banana is a better choice to replenish minerals
and nutrients lost in sweat. One of my favorite rehydrators is coconut water. But you have to be careful
and read labels because a lot of coconut waters on the market contain added sugar or added flavorings.
My advice is to purchase coconut water produced by Harmless Harvest. Its product is not made from
concentrate, and it is not heated, so it retains nutrients; it also does not contain added flavors or sugars.
Another effective rehydrator is green juice that includes celery juice. The celery juice replaces lost
electrolytes, rehydrates the body with its rich minerals, and is a much better alternative to the synthetic
ingredients in most sports drinks.
STAY INFORMED
Get in touch with your local water company. Legally, they must issue an annual report that lists all the
contaminants found in your water supply, disclose the quality of your water, and reveal the source of
your local water. They can mail you a copy, or you should be able to find it online at
Having access to clean and unpolluted water is vital to your health. You can eat the best organic food
on the planet, but if you’re drinking water that is full of toxins, that effort could be compromised. Water
needs to be clean and free of toxins and harmful microbes to keep you at your best.
Contaminants in Tap Water
Toxins: Aluminum
Potential Adverse Health Effects: May cause cognitive decline in the elderly.
Toxins: Arsenic
Potential Adverse Health Effects: May contribute to cancer, organ failure, reproductive problems, and other diseases.
Toxins: Chlorine
Potential Adverse Health Effects: May increase cancer risk.
Toxins: Chromium
Potential Adverse Health Effects: Causes allergic dermatitis (skin reactions) and may increase cancer risk.
Toxins: Fluoride
Potential Adverse Health Effects: In excessive amounts, may cause bone fractures in adults and developmental problems in children;
may increase cancer risk.
Toxins: Gas, oil
Potential Adverse Health Effects: May damage kidneys, liver, or other organs.
Toxins: Lead
Potential Adverse Health Effects: Can cause learning, neurological, and behavioral problems in children.
Toxins: Microbes (bacteria and viruses)
Potential Adverse Health Effects: Linked to upset stomach, diarrhea, and more serious illnesses.
Toxins: Nitrates
Potential Adverse Health Effects: Associated with birth defects and miscarriages.
Toxins: Perchlorate
Potential Adverse Health Effects: Can decrease production of thyroid hormones, which are important for normal metabolism and
good mental function.
Toxins: Pesticides
Potential Adverse Health Effects: May damage kidneys, liver, or other organs.
Toxins: Prescription drugs
Potential Adverse Health Effects: May increase cancer risk, cause organ damage, and promote the development of antibiotic-
resistant bacteria.
CHECKLIST
Today:
I did my morning lemon water ritual.
I enjoyed a green drink.
I stopped drinking fluids with my meals.
I drank, and bathed in, pure, clean, filtered water.
Day 5—Ease Back on Dairy Foods
MANY POPULAR DIETS DEMONIZE dairy foods and insist that you cut them out altogether, forever.
I disagree. I don’t think you have to give up dairy to live a healthy lifestyle. But I do believe that we
need to eat less of it. The reason? Most dairy foods are laced with hormones and chemicals.
EAT LESS DAIRY, ENJOY IT MORE
I didn’t need to search far to learn how to include dairy nutritiously in my diet; I just listened to the
stories of my parents. For thousands of years, my ancestors in India had one cow that they shared with
the rest of the villagers. Traditionally in India, the cow is allowed to give its milk to its calf first, and
what remains is used for human consumption. This leaves a very small amount to use throughout the
week for cooking (and it’s not in gallon-size containers that can stay fresh for weeks).
From that single cow, my ancestors made yogurt, cheeses, and other dairy products, but they used
those foods as condiments for their meals, eating very little.
They did eat a small amount of dairy every day, however. And they were able to do this without
negative health consequences because the milk they received from the cow was pure, raw milk. It was
not poisoned with pesticides, chemicals from genetically modified crops, antibiotics, growth hormones,
or toxins from feedlots, where livestock is fed before slaughter. The milk was unpasteurized and
completely free of chemical processing, making it a healthy nutritional addition to a strict vegetarian
diet.
ADULTERATED DAIRY
By contrast, on typical farms in the United States, calves are slaughtered shortly after birth for their
meat; this creates a great deal of pain and suffering for the mama cow, causing her to secrete massive
amounts of stress toxins that are released into her milk. These toxins are then passed down to us, along
with all the other unknown antibiotics, growth hormones, and chemicals the industry uses to produce
the milk. This didn’t happen in India where my parents are from because the cow is sacred and the
majority of Indians don’t eat beef.
Milk is pasteurized to control bacterial growth. Pasteurization, however, destroys many vitamins
found in raw milk. A 2011 study published in the Journal of Food Protection reported that
pasteurization decreases vitamin E, and several B vitamins, including B1, B2, B12, and folate. The heat
also destroys enzymes your body needs for proper digestion. One of these is phosphatase. Without this
enzyme, the calcium lingers in your bloodstream and can accumulate in your arteries. As a result, your
arteries get stiff and it’s more difficult for them to pump blood. Stiff arteries give rise to hypertension
(high blood pressure), chest pain, and heart failure.
Calcium can also build up in plaque, the cholesterol-filled pouches lining the interior of arteries.
This process constricts the arteries and potentially chokes off blood supply to the heart and other vital
organs. Should a plaque rupture, you’d be at risk of a heart attack or stroke.
The pasteurization process is why America is still one of the top nations suffering from bone-related
illnesses—even though we are one of the top three dairy consumers in the world—and why our rates of
heart disease continue to rise.
Drinking cow’s milk may also contribute to various types of cancers. This is because cow’s milk is
pumped full of synthetic hormones that end up in your glass. Consider some evidence:
Prostate cancer. Researchers writing in 2012 in Nutrition & Metabolism noted that prostate
cancer is “the most common dairy-promoted cancer in men of Western societies.”
Breast cancer. Researchers writing in a 1997 issue of Medical Hypotheses noted: “Dairy
products contain both hormones and growth factors, in addition to fat and various chemical
contaminants, that have been implicated in the proliferation of human breast cancer cells.”
Other cancers. Calves are routinely injected with a hormone called IGF-1, the protein I
mentioned earlier that in excess levels can promote aging and tumor development. It is used to
spur fast growth in the animals. From a 2011 study in the Proceedings of the Nutrition Society,
researchers point out that “even within well-nourished western populations, men and women
with relatively high intakes of protein from dairy products have higher blood levels of IGF-1.
These observations have led to the hypothesis that high intakes of protein from dairy products
may increase the risk for some cancers by increasing the endogenous production of IGF-1.” IGF-
1 is resistant to pasteurization.
The Indian customs illustrate how we should use dairy today: Eat it in limited quantities and use it as
a condiment. That’s what I do.
THE FOOD BABE WAY
You don’t have to give up milk and dairy products for the rest of your life. Simply dial down your dairy
consumption. The Food Babe Way is not about deprivation or denial. I can’t imagine never eating ice
cream again, or sour cream on top of a taco, or cheese on pizza.
Fortunately, if you’re a milk and dairy lover, you have more options than ever—options that will
help you develop today’s habit for life.
CONSIDER RAW MILK
Most of my family immigrated to the United States from India, where they had access to raw milk. In
raw milk, all the natural minerals are intact and easily absorbed by the body. Raw milk also contains
several types of naturally occurring probiotics that help populate your digestive system with beneficial
bacteria. Of course, you must refrigerate it and use it before it spoils. Raw milk keeps seven to ten days
in the fridge.
Unfortunately, buying raw milk is illegal in the following states: Delaware, Iowa, Louisiana,
Maryland, Montana, New Jersey, Nevada, and West Virginia. It is legal only for pet food in Florida,
Georgia, and North Carolina. Raw milk laws vary from state to state. In many states, you can buy raw
milk only from a farmer. A good source for information on where you can buy raw milk is
It is unfortunate that the government can impose bans that override our rights as consumers to decide
what we want to eat and drink, especially when they cut out something that is healthier than the
alternative.
It saddens me that my relatives in certain states can’t get raw milk, with all its nutrition, the way they
could in their childhood. Indian immigrants and other immigrants from raw-milk-producing countries
are being duped by the US dairy industry and don’t even know it. I’d really like to see my family
recipes passed down from generation to generation, but I am not sure we can do this safely for our
future children and grandchildren unless we can all get access to real raw milk.
INTRODUCE GOAT CHEESE INTO YOUR DIET
I love goat cheese and like to use it in salads, spreads, and any recipe that calls for regular cheese. From
a health standpoint, using goat cheese makes sense. Because goat’s milk contains smaller fat molecules
than cow’s milk, it’s easier to digest and absorb. Therefore, many people who have trouble eating other
dairy products can more easily tolerate and enjoy goat cheese.
Goat cheese contains only 80 calories and 6 grams of fat per ounce. Compare this to cow’s milk
cheese, at 110 calories and 10 grams of fat per ounce. Goat cheese is lower in cholesterol, too, and it’s
full of essential nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin K, phosphorus, and various B vitamins.
FALL IN LOVE WITH NONDAIRY MILKS
The popular alternatives these days are milk substitutes such as almond, coconut, and hempseed milks.
They’re low in calories and fat. They’re hormone- and lactose-free and thus better for health and
digestion.
MAKE YOUR OWN NONDAIRY MILK
My favorite solution for milk lovers is to make your own nondairy milk. In most cases, it’s just a matter
of soaking raw, unsalted nuts or seeds in water, then blending and straining the mixture through a
cheesecloth. Take almond milk, for example. Simply soak raw almonds in water at a 1:4 ratio overnight.
Then blend and strain. It’s that easy. Even easier is my Homemade Organic Cashew Milk (see here in
the recipes chapter, Chapter 8). You don’t have to strain the nuts from the pulp, and the result is a rich,
creamy milk that’s slightly sweet on its own.
Here are some guidelines on making milks from other nuts and seeds:
Nuts: Almonds
Soaking Time: 8 to 12 hours
Nuts: Brazil nuts
Soaking Time: Not necessary
Nuts: Cashews
Soaking Time: 2 to 3 hours
Nuts: Hazelnuts
Soaking Time: 12 hours
Nuts: Macadamias
Soaking Time: Not necessary
Nuts: Pecans
Soaking Time: 4 to 6 hours
Nuts: Pistachios
Soaking Time: Not necessary
Nuts: Walnuts
Soaking Time: 4 hours
Seeds: Flax
Soaking Time: 8 hours
Seeds: Hemp
Soaking Time: Not necessary
Seeds: Sesame
Soaking Time: 8 hours
Seeds: Sunflower
Soaking Time: 2 hours
I recommend some store-bought alternatives—but with some reservations. Not long ago, I learned
from the Cornucopia Institute, a public information group that backs locally produced and organic food,
that many nondairy milks, even if certified as organic, contain carrageenan, an additive derived from red
algae. Carrageenan is not something you want to put in your body on a regular basis, as a collection of
scientific studies links it with immunity problems, gastrointestinal inflammation, and cancer.
I felt tricked after hearing this. I assumed that once a product was certified organic, it was perfectly
safe to drink. I suggest that you check the ingredients on any box or carton of nondairy milks to ensure
that it is carrageenan-free. Also if the nondairy milk is not organic, you can expect some other synthetic
ingredients you should probably avoid.
To help you, here are some organic milk substitutes that don’t have carrageenan:
Natural Value organic coconut milk
So Delicious culinary coconut milk (regular and light versions)
Native Forest coconut milk
Thai Kitchen organic coconut milk
Pacific Hemp Original
Whole Foods 365 Everyday Value almond milk
Tree of Life almond milk
CHOOSE ORGANIC DAIRY MILKS
Don’t like the taste of almond milk or its nondairy buddies? Here’s some good news: British scientists
analyzed milk from organically farmed animals and conventionally farmed animals. What they found
really opened my eyes: The organic milk had 67 percent more antioxidants and vitamins than
conventional milk, as well as 60 percent more conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, a beneficial fat that
may shrink tumors. The reason for these astounding nutritional benefits is simple: Organically raised
cows often feed on fresh grass and clover. Also, their milk is produced without antibiotics, synthetic
hormones, and harmful pesticides.
FOOD BABE ALERT: FROZEN YOGURT
Here we come to one of the most processed food products on the planet: frozen yogurt. When a company feeds people chemicals
instead of pure food, they make a lot of money. And frozen yogurt makers are raking in the dough.
Even when frozen yogurt restaurants market their products with buzzwords like “natural” and “healthy,” these places are often
still serving heavily processed dairy products with harmful additives that could affect your health. My previously favorite frozen
yogurt establishment has a slogan on the wall in their stores that says “I’m homemade, organic, and delicious.” That sign should state:
“I’m homemade in a factory with artificial trans fat, GMOs, and petroleum-ridden blue food coloring!” This is what I found when I
researched what was in my favorite flavor of frozen yogurt. I’d been eating this stuff every time I passed it at the mall, completely
misled about what I was actually putting in my body.
Depending on the product, frozen yogurt might contain processed sugars, sugar alcohols, emulsifiers, stabilizers, carrageenan,
natural and artificial flavors, dyes and colorings (many of which are potential carcinogens), artificial sweeteners, growth hormones
and antibiotics, and genetically engineered corn syrup.
What’s a frozen yogurt lover like me to do? The answer is to buy good organic vanilla frozen yogurt from the freezer section of a
natural food store. Top it with a few organic chocolate chips, and it will taste just like one of those high-calorie chocolate chip cookie
ice cream sandwiches you can get at the gas station. To go even healthier, you can purchase plain frozen yogurt with no added
flavorings and add a nonsugary item like chopped nuts. Be cautious about which toppings you decide to add, and remember to keep
your portion size under control when you order frozen yogurt, and especially when you serve yourself at dispensers.
A popular Indian proverb reminds us, “A harvest of peace grows from seeds of contentment.”
Likewise, I think if we can be content with eating less dairy, we’ll be pleasantly surprised to find
ourselves growing healthier and more peaceful as a result of following today’s habit.
CHECKLIST
Today:
I did my morning lemon water ritual.
I enjoyed a green drink.
I stopped drinking fluids with my meals.
I drank, and bathed in, pure, clean, filtered water.
I ate less dairy and made healthier dairy choices.
Day 6—No More Big Gulps!
YOU ARE WHAT YOU drink, too. If you’re a soda drinker, you’re ingesting a lot of bad chemicals that are
screwing with your weight, your health, and your life. Read on for the scary details—and how to stop
this horrible habit.
SCARY SUGARS
Take a teaspoon of sugar and dump it on your kitchen table. Do this ten times. What do you have?
Yes, you’ve got a mess, and no, I’m not cleaning it up for you. But you also have the amount of
sugar found in one twelve-ounce can of soda.
Obviously, if you’re hooked on soda, you’re swilling down a huge amount of sugar and calories
(around 140 calories in each can). A sugary habit like that is the doorway to poor nutrition, weight gain,
type 2 diabetes, and other health complications.
Most soda companies sweeten their beverages with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), one of the
Sickening 15 I covered in Chapter 2. HFCS is becoming increasingly unpopular these days—so
unpopular that Pepsi decided in March 2014 to put sugar in its colas instead of HFCS. To my mind, this
is not a solution. For one thing, replacing HFCS with another type of sugar will have little effect on
obesity and diabetes. Ultimately, it’s like replacing a cigarette with a cigar.
COLOR ME CANCER?
To food companies and their customers, color is everything. It gives a food product glitz, appeal, and
the expectation of delicious taste. With more products emerging in different hues, color continues to be
one of the most crucial aspects of food. At the same time, it’s becoming one of the most controversial,
especially in sodas.
Sodas use “caramel coloring” to give them that dark, delicious look. Not to be confused with real
caramel, caramel color is the single most used food coloring in the world. It is created by heating
ammonia and sulfites under high pressure—a process that produces a cancerous substance called 4-
methylimidazole (4-MEI). Although there are no FDA limits on the amount of 4-MEI that can be
present in soft drinks, a federal study in 2007 concluded that 4-MEI caused cancer in mice, and in 2011
the International Agency for Research on Cancer determined that the chemical is “possibly
carcinogenic” to humans.
If you’re a soda drinker, please be aware that your favorite soft drink may contain high levels of 4-
MEI. In January 2014, Consumer Reports had a long list of soft drinks tested for 4-MEI: Pepsi, Diet
Pepsi, Pepsi One, Malta Goya, Sprite, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola, Coke Zero, Dr Pepper, Diet Snap, Brisk
Iced Tea, and A&W Root Beer. Under California’s Proposition 65 law, any food or beverage that
contains more than 29 micrograms of 4-MEI per day must carry a health warning label. Consumer
Reports’ tests showed that each of the twelve-ounce samples of Pepsi One and Malta Goya had more
than 29 micrograms per bottle. Neither carries a warning.
Pepsi responded by stating: “We believe their conclusion is factually incorrect and reflects a serious
misunderstanding of Proposition 65’s requirements.” Pepsi also said it was working to reduce 4-MEI
levels in its products.
Regular Pepsi, which was obtained in New York State, contained as much as 174 micrograms. A
second test showed levels at 32 micrograms. Also purchased in New York, Pepsi One ranged from 39.5
micrograms to 195.3. Malta Goya had the highest levels, averaging from 307.5 micrograms to 352.5
micrograms.
These findings concern me. We are being unnecessarily exposed to a potential carcinogen just
because companies want their beverages to look brown. Ask yourself: How small a dose of poison are
you willing to consume on a regular basis?
THE BUZZ OVER CAFFEINE
The reason why so many sodas, particularly the low-calorie versions, contain caffeine is that the
manufacturers want you to get hooked on them. Caffeine is addicting because it stimulates you, and you
keep coming back for the buzz. The sugar in sodas is addicting, too, so you’ve got a double whammy
keeping you on this stuff.
Soda may have as much as 71 milligrams of caffeine per twelve ounces. Caffeine in energy drinks
often ranges from 160 milligrams to 500 milligrams a serving. That’s way too high. Caffeine forces
your adrenal glands to work harder, causing lack of energy and exhaustion in the long term. What
happens when you’re constantly exhausted? You stop moving and exercising, and you’re likely to pack
on pounds. Caffeine also depletes the body of vitamin C and leaches minerals like magnesium and
calcium from your bones.
To me, the most alarming caffeine-loaded products on the market are those made by Monster
Beverage Corporation. Its energy drinks have been referenced in the deaths of several people, according
to reports submitted to the FDA. Despite this issue, Monster drinks are still on the market.
Excess doses of caffeine can increase heart rate and drive up blood pressure significantly. For
someone who has an underlying heart condition, these side effects can be fatal. In one of these deaths,
an autopsy concluded that the victim died of an irregular heart rhythm (“cardiac arrhythmia” due to
caffeine toxicity after consuming two twenty-four-ounce energy drinks in twenty-four hours).
GMOs IN SOFT DRINKS
Many soft drinks may be laced with GMOs. That’s because corn-based products such as sorbitol,
fructose, aspartame, maltodextrin, and citric acid are hidden within these drinks.
The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) reported, “There is more than a
casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects.… The strength of association and
consistency between GM foods and disease is confirmed in several animal studies.” AAEM also stated
that GMOs prevent the body from using insulin properly, and faulty insulin regulation leads to diabetes
and obesity. Based on this research, we should definitely follow GMO-free diets for weight and blood
sugar control—and that means no soft drinks.
PUSHING PRESERVATIVES
Unbeknownst to the average person, the preservatives in soft drinks can be harmful. For example,
sodium benzoate is a preservative found in many soft drinks that when combined with the ascorbic acid
(vitamin C) in the drinks produces benzene, a known carcinogen.
Preservatives in sodas, particularly phosphoric acid, also acidify your body. Jameth Sheridan, Doctor
of Holistic Medicine, states that it takes thirty-six glasses of water to realkalize your body after drinking
just one diet soda. Thirty-six glasses!
I Did It the Food Babe Way
You really saved my life!! I am a single mother of three, who works three jobs and tries to eat “healthy.”I drank a couple of pots of
coffee, however, and at least one twelve-pack of Diet Coke daily (I was truly a soda addict). I developed severe acid reflux and was
in great pain. After reading your website, I quit drinking pop, coffee, and caffeinated tea. I started eating organic foods.
The result: No longer do I have acid reflux. I have more energy than ever. And I just feel like I’m getting healthier from the inside
out. You have been such an inspiration.
—Dawne
FOUNTAIN OF CHEMICALS?
When I drank soft drinks as a teenager, I always wondered why fountain drinks tasted better. My friends
and I would go on and on about how fountain drinks were the best, and then we’d hit up the local gas
station to get our fix. Thank God those days are over. Giving up soda was the first habit I adopted on my
journey toward healthy, organic living. Almost immediately after I stopped drinking soda, I began to see
changes in my skin. It was no longer dull-looking, dry, and pocked with eczema. Instead, it became
glowing and vibrant.
During my investigative work, I found out that fountain drinks have a totally different formula than
their bottled or canned counterparts found on store shelves. One of the scary ingredients in fountain
drinks is dimethylpolysiloxane. This additive is commonly used in vinegary-smelling silicone caulks,
adhesives, and aquarium sealants; as a component in silicone grease and other silicone-based lubricants;
and in defoaming agents, mold release agents, damping fluids, heat transfer fluids, polishes, cosmetics,
and hair conditioners. It is also the major component in Silly Putty.
The food industry doesn’t want you to know about the differences between formulas for fountain
drinks and drinks in cans and bottles. How many more lawsuits might they face if people knew that
their sodas contained the main ingredient in Silly Putty?
Digging a little deeper, I found out that fountain drinks can be contaminated with dangerous bacteria.
In 2010, researchers at Virginia Western Community College in Roanoke analyzed ninety beverages of
three types (sugared sodas, diet sodas, and water) from thirty commercial soda fountains for microbial
contamination. Coliform bacteria, including E. coli, were detected in nearly half of the beverages.
Coliform is found in the poop of all warm-blooded animals and humans. Seventeen percent of the
beverages contained other pathogens. Among them: klebsiella, responsible for an often-fatal form of
pneumonia; staphylococcus, which can cause food poisoning and other serious infections; and candida,
a fungus that may cause fatigue, headache, poor memory, and weight gain. Just thinking about this
makes my body hurt!
ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS MAKE YOU FAT AND SICK
As for diet sodas, don’t fool yourself into thinking you’ve been “good” by drinking this stuff. A January
2012 study reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggested that a daily diet soda habit
(at least one per day) could hurt your circulatory system and increase the possibility of vascular events
such as stroke and heart attack.
This was the first study that ever probed a connection between diet sodas and heart health, and
researchers aren’t clear on why these beverages might be tied to heart attack and stroke. They speculate
that it might be because daily diet soda drinkers tend to be heavier and already have heart risk factors
such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and unhealthy cholesterol levels.
If you’re trying to lose weight, drinking diet sodas is not the solution, either. The artificial
sweeteners they contain have been proven to stimulate your appetite, increase carbohydrate cravings,
and promote fat storage and weight gain. Researchers from the University of Texas at Houston
discovered that drinking diet sodas will expand your waist (translation: bigger belly), which is a risk
factor for type 2 diabetes.
When you eat something sweet—even when it has no calories—your brain is tricked into wanting
more calories because your body is not getting enough energy (i.e., calories) to be satisfied. So you keep
craving sweets, eating sweets, and gaining weight.
Furthermore, there are more dangerous side effects from artificial sweeteners—especially aspartame,
which is considered one of the most dangerous substances allowed in our food supply. Since 1980, more
than 10,000 complaints have been filed with the FDA about this substance; it was never proven safe
before it was approved for use in our food supply. In one study, the researchers found that aspartame
raised blood sugar in diabetes-prone mice. Besides diabetes, aspartame is linked to autoimmune
disorders, depression (which can also cause you to eat more), birth defects, and several forms of cancer.
Another suspect sweetener is erythritol, a sugar alcohol found in Vitaminwater Zero. The body does
not easily digest sugar alcohols, and as a result, they can cause diarrhea, headache, and other intestinal
disorders in some people.
You might see a widely used beverage sweetener such as acesulfame potassium, or Ace-K, in many
popular “diet” drinks. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), this product is
anything but safe. CSPI reported that safety tests of Ace-K conducted in the 1970s were faulty.
Specifically, two rat studies suggested that the additive might cause cancer, but these studies were never
addressed by the FDA before it approved the sweetener for use in soft drinks. Large doses of
acetoacetamide (a breakdown product of this sugar) have been shown to affect the thyroid in rats,
rabbits, and dogs. As you might know, the thyroid gland regulates the endocrine system, which is
responsible for a healthy metabolism.
Need Extra Incentive to Ditch the Diet Soda?
I was so addicted to soft drinks that I drank soda five times a day. I rarely drank anything else. My friends would say, “Just drink
water.” But replacing soda with water? Impossible! I LOVED soda.
My weight climbed to 190 pounds—40 pounds higher than I should be for my height and frame. I was so fat that my shirts stretched
apart at the buttons so far that you could see my BFB (that’s short for Big Fat Belly). My ballooning weight was a “smack in the
face” that forced me to take action. I knew that the soft drinks were making me fatter. I had to do something.
Whenever I felt thirsty, I realized I’d open my refrigerator and mindlessly grab a can of soda. That’s the behavior I wanted to
interrupt. For starters, I decided to put a roadblock between me and my refrigerator. A scale! I made the rule, “Before I open the
refrigerator, I must weigh myself.” Any weight gain was another “smack in the face” to keep me from drinking soda.
Being familiar with psychology, I knew that I couldn’t just stop or start doing a bad habit; I had to replace it with something. I
replaced soda with sparkling, lemon-flavored water.
All of this worked. I dropped ten pounds right away, without increasing my workouts or changing what I was eating. All I did was
stop drinking five soft drinks a day. Now I have a sparkling water habit… and a shirt that fits.
Let’s break down why this works and how you can use it to hack your behaviors.
First, smack yourself in the face. Not literally, but you need a trigger to remind yourself that you want to make a change. For me,
the smack was my weight.
Second, create a rule to interrupt your usual behavior. My rule was to weigh myself before opening the refrigerator.
And finally, replace your behavior with a better behavior.
Follow that three-step strategy and bam! You’re set.
—Derek Halpern, founder of socialtriggers.com
THE FIZZ OVER BVO
BVO stands for brominated vegetable oil, an additive that has been used to make soft drinks since the
1930s and has GRAS (“generally recognized as safe”) status. BVO is found in some citrus-flavored soft
drinks and sports drinks.
Banned in the European Union, BVO has been found to increase triglycerides and cholesterol. In
high amounts, it can damage the liver, testicles, thyroid, heart, and kidneys, as well as cause skin ulcers
called bromoderma. It is also used in flame retardants.
THE FOOD BABE WAY
I prefer drinking plain, filtered water over liquid with sugar, artificial sweeteners, preservatives,
artificial flavors, Silly Putty, bacteria, and brominated vegetable oil. Don’t you? Here are my
suggestions for kicking this habit:
BE AWARE OF YOUR HABIT
For starters, look at the back of the can and see how many chemicals you are drinking—that alone
should steer you in another direction. Then be honest about how many sodas you drink in a week. Add
them up by keeping a food diary for seven days. For sticker shock, use a calculator to add up how many
calories and sugar grams you’re guzzling in that period. Your soda is not only costing you your health,
it’s also costing you money. Prices of soft drinks vary, but if you drink two twelve-ounce cans of soda
daily, you spend about $2 a day or more, or $730 a year.
EASE OFF SODA
Can’t go cold turkey? Try cutting back by a fourth the first week, half the second week, and so on until
you can quit your soda habit for good.
MAKE SUBSTITUTIONS
Drink lots of clean, filtered water instead of soda. Purchase a refillable water bottle and keep it with you
at home, at work, and in your car.
Plus, find other fizz. Miss the refreshment and mouth feel of sodas? Don’t worry: I have you covered
with a quick switch to a few of my favorite healthy and refreshing soda alternatives:
GT’s Enlightened Organic Raw Kombucha
Sparkling water
Sparkling water + lime juice + organic cranberry juice
Water + cucumbers + strawberries
Sparkling water + lemon juice + fresh-pressed organic juice
Zukay probiotic drinks
100% raw coconut water
Cold brewed organic tea
Remember that soda is loaded with calories, sugar, and chemicals—all hazardous to your health. I
don’t want you to be the first person whose obituary lists the cause of death as complications from soda
consumption. Can your soda habit today!
CHECKLIST
Today:
I did my morning lemon water ritual.
I enjoyed a green drink.
I stopped drinking fluids with my meals.
I drank, and bathed in, pure, clean, filtered water.
I ate less dairy and made healthier dairy choices.
I stopped drinking all sodas.
Day 7—Love Your Liver
I’M FREQUENTLY ASKED, “WHAT about alcohol? Can I still enjoy a drink or two while following an
organic lifestyle?”
The short answer is yes. But I have two caveats: First, if you’re trying to get thin and fit, it’s best to
lay off alcohol. Second, you’ve got to know how to choose the best organic wines, beers, and spirits,
because the alcohol industry often uses harmful chemicals to make its products.
For today’s habit: Go alcohol-free to lose weight, and if you do imbibe, learn all you can about
organic choices and the controversial chemicals the alcohol industry uses.
FAT BURNING AND ALCOHOL
Alcohol affects your liver, one of the hardest-working organs in your body. One of the liver’s primary
jobs is to skim environmental toxins from your body. If it is overtaxed with alcohol, the normal process
of toxin removal becomes extremely diminished and can result in rapid aging, loss of libido, and
disease.
The liver is also your major fat-burning organ, so if you treat it well, it will work to full capacity and
you’ll eliminate maximum fat. Your liver normally burns fat for energy, but when you drink alcohol,
your body “switches fuel” and burns up the booze instead of fat. In one study, volunteers were given
two ninety-calorie vodka and lemonades. For several hours afterward, their fat-burning rate dropped by
a whopping 73 percent.
Alcohol also weakens your willpower by shutting down mechanisms in the brain responsible for
self-restraint—which is why you reach for forbidden fatty and sugary foods. Studies show that people
who have a predinner tipple eat far more calories than those who have a soft drink.
The morning after, you might wake up with a hangover and try to eat your way out of it. Hangover
hunger is caused by a slump in blood sugar, brought on by too much booze. Your body wants fast-fix
carbs, as these give you an instant sugar hit. If you give in, those sugary calories just turn into body fat.
Finally, booze dehydrates you. Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it makes you pass more fluid than
you take in. Dehydration makes your metabolism drop, meaning you burn fewer calories than usual.
To drink or not to drink while on a diet? It’s clear that alcohol will tax your fat-burning ability, so it’s
best to kick it out of your diet if you want to get slim and fit and feel great.
BEER: BREWING CHEMICALS
I got curious about the chemicals in alcohol because my husband loves beer. I wanted to know exactly
what was in his favorite brews, so I started some intensive research to find out. I questioned several beer
companies. And the information I unearthed was shocking.
Under normal circumstances, beer is essentially a brew of only four