So What Should I Eat if I wish to be healthy?
Before we start going over the different food options, I’d like to say that I’m not here to tell you what to eat. Rather, I’d like you to learn the facts and then make your own personal choice according to them.
So, what should one eat?
First, let's get back to the natural photosynthesis process of the plants and remember that we would like to enjoy all this great, balanced energy that is coming from the sun, water, soil, and air to the plants—and then from the plants, as fresh as possible, to our body.
Obviously, photosynthesis happens in many kinds of plants, but of course, we are talking here about those plants that are available for us to eat and enjoy their great health benefits.
In other words, we are talking here about fruits and veggies!
Fresh Fruit & vegetables
Eating plenty of fruits and veggies helps reduce the risk of many diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer. Also, fruits and veggies are rich in vitamins and minerals that help us feel healthy, happy, and energized.
Most fruits and vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories, and none of them contain cholesterol. They are rich in fiber, which helps your digestive system stay efficient and healthy.
I could go on and on and fill many more pages with the physical health benefits of fruits and vegetables, but I'll just say that fruits and vegetables are what nature (or God, or the universe, or the divine—you name it) created for us to eat. This is the only source of balanced energy that was made especially for our bodies. But don't worry, I'm not telling you to eat ONLY fruits and vegetables! Keep reading…
Ask yourself: why consume energy from animals, when it's already filled with toxins, chemicals, hormones, antibiotics, and lots of suffering? How beneficial can that be to your health (physical and mental)? It's a question you have to ask yourself and make your choice accordingly.
Now, let's get to the most important question: which foods are best for us?
This is a list that shows you the different foods in the order of how beneficial they are for us.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are at the top. Many people don't know this, but having fresh fruits and veggies as a large part of your diet (at least 70% of it) will keep you very sharp, energized, happy for no reason, and very healthy. In most cases, when this is your diet, even a headache is something that happens maybe once a year, if at all. I'm not saying that this is the case with everyone, as people have different histories of diseases, but for most people that would be it.
Steamed vegetables
Steaming softens vegetables while maintaining most of their nutrients, especially water-soluble compounds that are easily damaged by heat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends steaming vegetables to make the most of their health benefits while preserving their low calorie and fat content. Also, they may be great for people with digestion issues, as they are much easier to digest than raw vegetables.
Remember, every process (including steaming) reduces the amount of vitamins. To preserve vitamin content, gently boil a small amount of water in the lower compartment of your steamer, then allow raw vegetables to cook until slightly softened. Vegetables should never have direct contact with the boiling water. Most vegetables require about five minutes to steam thoroughly. Monitor spinach and other leafy vegetables closely to make sure they don’t overcook.
Processed Vegetables
Cooked, baked, or fried vegetables have fewer vitamins, as most of them don't survive the heat. Also, often when we cook our veggies, we use a certain amount of processed oil—especially with deep-fried foods, where the amount of oil is too high.
Obviously, it's much healthier to cook or bake our veggies while using tiny amounts of oil (or none, if possible) than to fry them!
Pickled veggies, on the other hand, preserve most of their nutritional value and are a great natural source of probiotics.
Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds are a wonderful source of vitamins E and B2, and are rich in protein, folate, fiber, and essential minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and selenium. Technically, they are considered a fruit. However, unlike most types of fruit, they aren’t sweet and are high in fat (the “good” fat).
The cholesterol-lowering power of nuts is believed to be due in part to their high content of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Studies have revealed that people who consume nuts regularly are less likely to suffer from coronary heart disease (CHD).
That doesn’t mean that you can consume large amounts of nuts and seeds every day! Even when we talk about “healthy fats,” we still need to make sure we don’t eat too much of them.
As for peanuts, I'm sorry to disappoint: they don’t count because they are technically legumes (beans). Also, peanuts and corn may contain a carcinogenic mold called aflatoxin, and they are notorious for being some of the most pesticide-contaminated crops (recent studies showed a direct connection between eating peanut butter and leukemia).
A Word About Antioxidants Before I Continue
Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds are packed with antioxidants. Antioxidants help control free radicals, which are unstable molecules produced as a normal part of metabolism. Free radical production increases in response to processed foods (mostly from livestock), heavy sun exposure (in the wrong hours!), stress, pollution, and other causes.
This is why eating fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds will help protect your health!
Legumes
Legumes provide essential nutrients including protein, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins. They are rich in energy-giving carbohydrates, have a low glycemic index, and are a good source of B-group vitamins (especially folate), iron, zinc, calcium, and magnesium.
Grains
Grains are important sources of many nutrients, including fiber, B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate), and minerals such as iron, magnesium, and selenium. As they are rich in fiber, whole grains reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and may reduce constipation.
You may like to know that quinoa, which is a great source of plant-based protein, is not considered a grain. Quinoa is actually a kind of seed, and some call it a “pre-grain.” This way or another, quinoa may be great for you (and if you use it with the right recipe, it may surprise you with how delicious it can taste!). Although quinoa is often prepared like a grain, it’s actually a member of the spinach, chard, and beet family, and it is the seed of the Chenopodium plant.
Next in Line: Non-Sweet Gluten Products
These include bread and pasta.
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye, as well as foods made from these grains, including bulgur, durum, couscous, and flour. The potential to cause intestinal damage is a major disadvantage of gluten.
I separate gluten products into two kinds:
- Non-GMO, home-baked whole breads and organic sourdough breads.
These are the closest possible to nature and to what our ancestors ate before the industrial revolution. - Most breads and baked goods found today in supermarkets and bakeries.
These are made of GMO white flour, sugar, oil, and other processed, unhealthy ingredients. These products are best avoided completely.
As gluten acts like glue in the stomach (think of its name—GLU-ten), you may choose to avoid it completely, especially if you tend to have reactions such as headaches, bloating, stomach pain, or eczema (please note that symptoms can appear 1–2 days after consumption).
If you are good with gluten and love bread, try to limit your consumption to a maximum of 2 slices a day, and make sure it is sourdough or whole wheat. Home-baked is always preferred.
As for pasta, I strongly recommend avoiding it, but if you must have pasta once in a while, try to limit it to special occasions such as holidays and birthdays.
For people with celiac disease, eating foods with gluten causes an immune reaction that damages the lining of their small intestines (many people have celiac disease and they don't even know it, as they never got tested).
As I mentioned before, gluten can be problematic for people without celiac disease too. Non-celiac gluten sensitivity, sometimes known as gluten intolerance, is believed to be more common than celiac disease, affecting 18 million adults and children in the United States, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Although this condition doesn’t involve the immune system or cause intestinal damage, non-celiac gluten sensitivity can cause digestive discomfort and other symptoms. People with non-celiac gluten sensitivity may experience gas, bloating, diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain, and indigestion. There is no cure for non-celiac gluten sensitivity or celiac disease, but both can be managed with a gluten-free diet.
Again, if you don't suffer from any symptoms that are related to gluten and you eat it in moderation, you should be fine.
Natural Sweeteners Such as Maple Syrup and Agave
Natural sweeteners such as maple syrup and agave are a good substitute for sugar, and it’s recommended to consume them in moderation.
If you choose to include animal products in your diet, try to consume only:
- Organic chicken and eggs
- Organic, grass-fed beef
- Wild fish
- Organic dairy
When it comes to dairy and seafood, these are considered especially harmful, so it’s best to avoid them altogether whenever possible.
The next chapter will explain why consuming animal products is not recommended within the natural health approach. You are welcome to read it now; if it feels overwhelming or you’re not ready for it, feel free to skip ahead.
Honey
Unfortunately, most of the honey that is sold today is a mix of honey with other materials, as there is a lack of honey in today's world. And since there is a world problem with bees, it’s better to think twice before buying honey.
Fish
Unlike meat, chicken, dairy, seafood (shrimp, lobster, etc.) and eggs, fish are much healthier for people and are less harmful. The problem is that it is almost impossible these days to find a good source of high-quality fish. Wild fish are often contaminated with dangerous compounds due to ocean and river pollution. There are many concerns about the effects of heavy metal contaminants (such as mercury), pollutants (such as polychlorinated biphenyls, PCBs), pesticides, fertilizers, and even plastic and trash that affect the safety of wild fish.
And it's not that farmed fish are any better. Farmed fish are fed GMO (genetically modified) food and are suffering from crowdedness caused by too many of them being raised together in one pool in order to maximize profits for the farm's owners. The fish spend most of their lives "swimming" in each other's secretions with nowhere to go, which is very sad. Their food also contains antibiotics and growth hormones on a daily basis, which are later consumed by the person who is eating their body.
And in both cases—farmed or wild fish—the fish find their death only after long hours of staying helpless outside the water, which causes them a lot of suffering. So when you eat any store-bought fish, you still get the pain and suffering energy within it.
There is no need to eat fish in order to be healthy. The omega-3 found in fish can be easily consumed with a plant-based diet. If you wish to get truly clean fish, the best way to go is to fish it yourself in a small lake!
Organic Eggs
A by-product of the meat industry. Eggs are full of cholesterol and, when not organic, they contain antibiotics and growth hormones which are very harmful to the person who is eating them. On top of it, there is the pain and suffering that the chick was going through, which reduces its life-force/energy content dramatically. Even when you avoid the egg yolk, you still support this suffering process by purchasing these eggs. If you must consume eggs, it is better to have organic eggs from farms that keep their hens cage-free.
Organic Food
There is a lot of confusion about what organic food really is. The simple fact is that organic food is just like what it sounds like: untouched, unprocessed, natural. It is not genetically modified and was not sprayed with pesticides.
Since organic food is, in most cases, more expensive, I suggest you make sure that only fruits and veggies that are absorbing more of the pesticides will be purchased organic. To make things easier, there is a “dirty dozen” list of fruits and vegetables that are better consumed organic. The list was put out by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and is based on pesticide contamination:
- Strawberries
- Spinach
- Nectarines
- Apples
- Grapes
- Peaches
- Cherries
- Pears
- Tomatoes
- Celery
- Potatoes
Sweet bell peppers
Meat
I know, it's a tough subject for many. Some say that meat is healthy and crucial to our health, while many others show great health benefits after years of veganism (veganism means avoiding food that is coming from animals altogether, including meat, chicken, seafood, fish, dairy, eggs, and sometimes honey).
The truth to be said: today's meat (and by that I mean not only beef but also chicken, pork, lamb, and all other domesticated animals) has very little similarity to the meat we used to consume only a few decades ago.
Back in the days, farm animals used to walk freely on the farm, enjoying the sun while eating all-natural, non-GMO fresh grass/seeds. During the day, the animals walked a lot, so their body fat levels were anywhere between 5 to 15 percent (unlike today's domesticated animals which have about 30 to 40 percent body fat in comparison).
Also, the animals were slaughtered mostly alone, so they had no idea what was going to happen to them and therefore had no fear or adrenaline rush in their bodies. Today, all the animals are slaughtered one after the other and get to see each other dying in front of them, seeing and smelling the blood, which creates huge fear and an adrenaline rush in the animal’s body when it is dying. Later on, the person who eats the meat of this animal will get all this “goodness” into their own body, and this may explain many cases of sudden panic attacks, fear, and depression in people.
Only a few decades ago, meat was all-natural and didn't contain any added chemicals for color and volume, and of course, it didn't contain any antibiotics or added growth hormones that made the animal grow much faster than what it was supposed to by nature.
Today, domesticated animals live in cages that don't allow them much movement; they are fed genetically modified food that is mixed with growth hormones and antibiotics, and they go through a lot of pain and suffering throughout their short life span.
The female cows are made pregnant in order to become slaves of the milk industry; their baby cows are taken away from them only a couple of hours after birth, leaving them crying and longing for their lost baby. All that, just so we humans will drink this baby milk and make cheese out of it (with all the growth hormones that it contains in order for the calf to grow quickly—and those hormones are proven to have a direct connection to cancer tumors in humans who consume dairy).
Meanwhile, the baby cow is put alone in a cage, eager for his mommy's love and care. If it’s a male, he will be slaughtered soon. If it’s a female, she is destined to live a miserable life just like her mother (after years of being used for milk, the female cows are slaughtered too, of course).
Due to the frequent milking, the cows’ udders are filled with pus, antibiotics, and hormones, which are transferred to their milk (and then to the cheese).
And if you were thinking that eating chicken is any better, please keep in mind that the chickens not only live in horrible conditions—stuck together in small cages and eating genetically modified food packed with hormones and antibiotics—but they also get their beaks cut short without any anesthesia; no one cares that their beak area contains nerves that make the chicken suffer immense pain. I didn’t even mention all the male chicks that are shredded alive in huge machines with sharp knives, just because they are not needed in the egg industry.
I won't go into pigs, lamb, lobsters (put alive into boiling water??) — but they all go through much pain and suffering before we see them nicely wrapped on supermarket shelves or on restaurant plates, and most of them have the potential to harm our health badly.
Still think that you need to eat animals and animal products to be healthy?
In 2016, the World Health Organization published a warning that processed meats have a direct connection to cancer. This didn't surprise me. I was only disappointed by the fact that they didn’t let people know that today, over 90% of all meat and chicken is processed — and so are dairy and eggs, which are derived from the same industry.
A vast array of studies from top universities and independent researchers has found that eating chickens, cows, pork, and other farm animals promotes cancer in many forms. Large studies in England and Germany showed that vegetarians were about 40 percent less likely to develop cancer compared to meat-eaters—the most common forms being breast, prostate, and colon cancers. Being vegan reduces the chances of cancer even more.
A 2014 Harvard study found that just one serving a day of meat during adolescence was associated with a 22 percent higher risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer, and that the same meat consumption in adulthood was associated with a 13 percent higher risk of breast cancer overall.
A number of hypotheses explain the connection between meat consumption and cancer risk:
- Meat is devoid of fiber and protective nutrients.
- Meat contains animal protein and saturated fat.
- Cooking meat produces carcinogenic compounds such as heterocyclic amines (HCA) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH).
- Meat contains natural growth hormones that promote tumor growth.
Meat, dairy, and eggs all contain cholesterol and saturated fat and contribute to the world’s top killers: heart attacks, strokes, cancer, and diabetes. Decades of scientific study have linked dietary cholesterol to cardiovascular disease (America’s number one cause of death).
Saturated fats are present in all meat and fish, even chicken and turkey.
Additionally, according to a study published by the American Diabetes Association, people who eat high amounts of animal protein are 22 percent more likely to develop diabetes.
One more important fact: the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that 70 percent of food poisoning is caused by contaminated animal flesh. Foodborne illnesses such as E. coli, Salmonella, and Campylobacter cause an estimated 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths in the United States each year.
There are many more reasons to avoid animal products (no one wants to suddenly develop antibiotic resistance!), but there is a deeper issue here:
Life force — how much energy/life force do you think exists in these animals' bodies? Do you think it is an energy of life and love? Or is it the energy of fear, suffering, and death?
Organic Meat, Dairy, and Eggs
Now you may ask: how about organic meats, dairy, and eggs?
While it's true that organic meats, dairy, and eggs do not contain antibiotics or artificially added hormones, most of them still contain high levels of body fat (which cause diseases in people) and high levels of naturally occurring hormones — especially in female animals.
All dairy products contain growth hormones due to the fact that in order to produce milk, the female animal must be pregnant, and therefore she has high hormone levels. These hormones are responsible for many Western-world diseases, especially cancer.
And most of all — organic or not — all domesticated animals are slaughtered one next to the other. The animal sees what is waiting for her when her turn comes, and she absorbs the fear of death and a great amount of adrenaline. Later, a human will eat this body and absorb all that adrenaline. Does this have a connection with the huge rise in panic attacks and unexplainable fears that people — even young kids — are experiencing? I assume the answer is yes.
There are farms where they grow grass-fed animals (organic meat) without the use of added hormones and antibiotics. Still, the female’s body contains her own natural hormones, and I’m not sure if they take away their babies and how exactly they slaughter them (they can say whatever they want, but we aren’t there to watch).
I once spoke to a farmer who grows organic, grass-fed cows and chickens, and he admitted that the meat he sells is way less tasty than the meat found in supermarkets. The reason, as he explained, is that the animals in his farm are in constant movement in the field, and their body fat, as I mentioned before, does not exceed 15 percent. Therefore, many people complain that the meat is not tasty like supermarket meat, which contains much more fat.
Were Humans Even Designed to Eat Meat?
Moreover, our body was not even designed to eat meat in the first place. If you compare a human’s digestive tract to the digestive tract of natural meat-eaters such as tigers and lions, you will notice a great difference. Also, our set of teeth is much different than theirs.
We are not attracted to meat in its raw form. If we had to catch an animal, kill it, clean it, and eat it raw — would we do it? Most of us would not. We can’t even digest raw meat properly without cooking it. So did nature (or God, or the power of life that created us) really intend for us to cook our food first?
Take a young child who is hungry. Put in front of him a colorful, sweet fruit and a dead animal body. What do you think he or she will pick?
And as the old saying goes:
“There is a reason why we take our kids apple picking, but we never take them to a slaughterhouse.”
So, why did humans become meat eaters in the first place?
There are a couple of explanations, and I choose to go with the most logical one. According to how I see it, humans started to develop in warm climate areas of the world, where they had their natural food (fruits and veggies) available for them all year round.
But people developed and wanted to explore the earth; they traveled and reached new lands and continents, happy to make them their own. The problem was that when winter arrived in some of those places, there was no food growing due to the cold weather. This is when hunting began, and people started to get their food and clothing from local animals, as they had no other choice.
Some people will tell you that humans started to eat meat after discovering fire. Others will mention that, according to the Bible, we must eat animals in order to elevate the sparks of the souls of the sinners. There are many explanations, but really, what matters most is how eating animal products affects our personal health today.
By the way, according to the Bible in the Book of Genesis (the book that explains how the world was created), it is described very clearly how God made all the fruits and veggies for people to eat. No dairy, meat, eggs, or fish are mentioned in connection to human food in this chapter of the Bible about creation—only fruits and vegetables!
I meet many people who tell me about their uncle who ate meat all his life and still reached the age of 90. To those, I can only suggest checking all the details first. There are many factors to health.
If this uncle was 90 years old, he probably ate organically-grown, grass-fed, and especially low-fat meat most of his life. And if we check well (as I sometimes do when I know the person or the family), we will find that he only had chicken once or twice a week, if at all.
Back in the day, people ate so much more fruits and vegetables alongside small quantities of chicken and meat, with way less fat and processed foods than today. They didn’t eat out, and they cooked their food from scratch. And of course, there are other factors to longevity: low stress levels (no internet, more family and friends who lived close, which contributed to a feeling of supportive community), good sleep, moderate sun exposure, daily physical activity, and more.
The Reality Today
In recent years, I have met many people and done my own personal research, alongside reading many studies made by respected universities around the world, and I can tell you with confidence that most people who eat meat, dairy, and processed foods—such as pasta, most store-bought crackers, hamburgers, hot dogs, pastrami of all kinds, most baked goods and pizza, and of course dairy cheese of all kinds—on a daily basis, with very small quantities of fruits and vegetables, will face health issues when they reach their 40s or 50s, if not sooner.
They will start taking pills for cholesterol, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, thyroid—you name it.
Their chances of reaching the age of 60 while still being completely healthy and feeling good are extremely low.
Is this what you wish for yourself?
Not Recommended Foods
At the very bottom of this food list, you will find meat, dairy, and processed foods of any kind (including canned food, most store-bought cakes, cookies, chips, crackers, and more). All of them can be harmful to your health (physically and mentally) and are not recommended.
Coffee
Coffee does not create energy — it borrows it. When you drink coffee, caffeine triggers your adrenal glands to release stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones are meant for emergency situations, not daily use. They temporarily make you feel alert and awake, but it’s not real energy — it’s a stress response. Your body is simply being pushed into “fight or flight,” forcing it to work harder than it naturally wants to.
Because the energy you feel from coffee is borrowed, your body pays the price later. After the caffeine wears off, your hormone levels crash, leaving you feeling tired, foggy, or even irritable. Over time, this cycle exhausts your adrenal system and nervous system. Your body must constantly work to rebalance itself, which takes even more energy. This is why regular coffee drinkers often feel they “can’t function” without coffee — their natural energy production has been depleted.
In other words, coffee does not add energy to your system. It withdraws energy from your future, leaving you with less natural vitality over time. The more your body depends on caffeine to feel awake, the more your true baseline energy drops. That’s why many people feel exhausted in the afternoon, need multiple cups a day, or struggle with sleep — their body is constantly trying to recover from the artificial stimulation that coffee creates.
After Reading So Far
I recommend you create a personal food journal and write in it what you are eating every day (no worries, it’s not forever! Only for the healthy lifestyle transformation period. Later on, it will all come naturally).
Start your journal by writing what you currently eat in your everyday life. Now compare it with everything you read in this section so far. Make your own personal calculations of what you would like to keep as a part of your daily diet, and what not. Wondering about replacing some of the foods in your log? No worries, there are plenty of healthy options, and there are also many recipes that are included in this program.
When I started my way into healthy eating, it took me a couple of years until I made the change. That doesn't mean that it will take you a couple of years too! Back in the day, I had no support whatsoever; I was pretty much on my own in the process. Today, there is so much more information available, which can make a healthy transformation so much easier and faster.