Forget Feedlot-Raised Meats
Commercially raised animals are fed mostly grains, soybeans, and corn—a diet that is high in pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids and low in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats. Omega-6 fatty acids are pro-inflammatory because they are broken down by the body and converted into prostaglandins and other inflammatory proteins. These proteins cause inflammation. They are kept in crowded living conditions where they gain excess weight. This results in highly saturated fat. To force them to grow faster and prevent them from getting sick, they are injected with hormones and antibiotics. Animal foods including beef, lamb, poultry, and eggs have been safely eaten for thousands of years without causing problems. Modern-day diseases associated with the Western diet include eating large quantities of cheap feedlot-raised meat that is high in arachidonic acid, an omega-6 fat that can trigger joint pain and inflammation. The same goes for chickens and eggs raised in cages or close quarters with conventional food. Most of the animal products in the supermarkets and restaurants come from feedlot farms. Completely avoid them.

Steer Away From Unhealthy Oils
Eliminate all hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, trans fats, and polyunsaturated vegetable oils, including safflower, sunflower, corn, and soy along with canola oil (a big GMO crop). The American diet is loaded with omega-6 oils and deficient in the anti-inflammatory omega-3 oils found in vegetables; seeds like flax, hemp, and chia; and walnuts, plus fatty cold-water fish. Too much omega-6 from refined vegetable oils results in inflammatory chemicals circulating in the body, which reduce the ability of our cells to function normally. Also, polyunsaturated oils oxidize easily, meaning they react with oxygen and form an oxide. When heated, vegetable oils can oxidize quickly and cause free-radical damage; at high heat they form trans fats that generate even more free radicals, which can damage healthy cells, trigger inflammation, and LDL (bad cholesterol) levels. Partially hydrogenated oils, such as in margarine, are equally as damaging.

The unhealthy oils are in most salad dressings, mayonnaise, packaged foods, and convenience foods. When you eat out, your food will most likely be prepared with these oils, unless you eat in a health-oriented restaurant or you order food that is grilled and get olive oil and vinegar for your salad.

Ditch the Dairy
Dairy (and wheat) are among the most irritating foods for our systems since they encourage the production of mucus (phlegm) in the body. In Chinese medicine it’s known as “dampness.” Mucus leads to inflammation and a host of common symptoms such as low energy, poor sleep, and impaired digestion. Dairy is also a common allergen that can trigger inflammatory responses such as stomach distress, constipation, diarrhea, skin rashes, acne, hives, and breathing difficulties in susceptible people. Dr. David Ludwig and Dr. Walter Willett from Harvard (published in the Journal of the American Medical Association) found no data to support the claim that the consumption of dairy leads to better bones, weight loss, or improved health. They also found some serious risks tied to dairy consumption, including weight gain, increased cancer risk, and increased fracture risk. It turns out milk does not build strong bones! They also found that dairy may cause other problems such as constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, bloating, gas, diarrhea, allergies, eczema, and acne.

Curb Caffeine Intake
A study published in 2004 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found a relationship between moderate to high coffee consumption andincreased inflammation, in both men and women who drank coffee. Interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein (inflammation markers) were significantlyhigher than with non-coffee drinkers. This relationship couldexplain, in part, the negative effect of increased coffee intake on thecardiovascular system. Note that caffeine is also found in black tea andsoda (an even more inflammatory beverage than coffee).

Beware of the Buzz on Alcohol
Beer, hard cider, liquor, liqueur, and wine promote inflammation. Regular consumption of alcohol has been known to cause irritation and inflammation of the esophagus, larynx, and liver. Overconsumption of alcohol can increase the body’s inflammatory response from head to toe. Chronic inflammation promotes tumor growth and cancer at the sites of repeated irritation. According to Dr. Mark Hyman, you should take a six-to eight-week break from alcohol; then don’t reintegrate drinking every day. He says two to three servings of alcohol is the maximum you should ingest per week. A serving size is:

• 12 fluid ounces beer
  
• 4- to 5-fluid-ounce glass wine (choose organic; grapes are heavily sprayed)
  
• 1.5 fluid ounces spirits

If you drink more than this in a week you are exposing yourself to serious health risks including dementia, depression, and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes that can contribute to a wide variety of health conditions including high blood pressure and heart disease.

Avoid Irradiated Food
Food irradiation has been taking place in conventional vegetables, meats, and other nonorganic products for years. It kills insects and other bugs that may have crawled into foods before being shipped to the grocery store. Conventionally grown produce, from apples to zucchini, is routinely irradiated. At first it may seem that food irradiation to kill bacteria and bugs on conventional vegetables and meat should be common practice. After all, spinach irradiated to kill salmonella is happy spinach, right? Not necessarily.

 Food irradiation involves exposing food to high levels of radiation to kill insects, bacteria, fungus, and mold, and to give food a longer shelf life. Although the idea of radiating food sounds quite unappetizing, it has been practiced in the United States since the 1960s, when the FDA approved irradiation of wheat and white potatoes. (Currently the eyes of white potatoes are painted with chemicals to keep them from sprouting.) During the 1980s they approved irradiation of spices and seasonings, pork, fresh fruit, and dried and dehydrated substances. Poultry received approval for irradiation in 1990 and red meat in 1997.

Purchase only organic produce. The only good thing is that in the United States, food growers and manufacturers are supposed to label food that is irradiated, so avoidance of irradiated foods is possible if one shops carefully. Since 1986 all irradiated products must carry the international symbol called a radura, which is a flower within a circle and is similar to the symbol for the Environmental Protection Agency. However, I have not seen a radura symbol yet on any produce where I shop.

Say No to GMO
What do tortilla chips, soy milk, and canola oil have in common? They are all made from the top GMO crops in North America. About 85 percent of the corn grown in the US is genetically engineered to either produce an insecticide or to survive the application of herbicide. And about 91 to 93 percent of all soybeans are genetically engineered to survive massive doses of Roundup herbicide.

Many of these products you would not want anyway, but when it comes to certain vegetables, unless you buy organically grown, it’s quite probable you’ll be eating genetically modified food. And that should cause you great concern. We are the human “guinea pigs” when it comes to genetically modified (GM) foods. Studies with rats have shown that GM foods promote tumors and indicate that we should be very concerned about eating GM foods. A French study—the most comprehensive GMO safety assessment ever conducted—highlights that concern. It involved two hundred rats and spanned two years, the life expectancy of the species of rat used. The researchers say their results show “severe adverse health effects, including mammary tumors and kidney and liver damage, leading to premature death” from Roundup-Ready corn and Roundup herbicide.

 Some estimates say that as many as thirty thousand different products on grocery store shelves are genetically modified, which is largely because many processed foods contain some form of soy or corn.

When trying to avoid these top GM crops, you’ll need to watch out for maltodextrin, soy lecitin, soy oil, textured vegetable protein (soy), canola oil, corn products, and high fructose corn syrup. Other GM crops to avoid include some varieties of zucchini, crookneck squash, papayas from Hawaii, milk containing rbGH, rennet (containing genetically modified enzymes) used to make hard cheeses, and aspartame (NutraSweet).

Move on From Microwaved Food
Cooking in a microwave oven is not recommend as it creates toxic byproducts such as d-Nitrosodiethanolamine (a well-known cancer-causing agent) in the food cooked. It also causes alteration in the breakdown of glucoside and galactoside elements within frozen fruits when thawed in a microwave oven, and cancer-causing free radicals were formed within certain trace-mineral molecular formations in plants, especially in raw root vegetables. I don’t even use a microwave to heat water; it’s that destructive. Such water can kill plants.

Cherie Calbom, MS, CN, is the author of 26 books, including the best sellers The Juice Lady’s Big Book of Juices andGreen Smoothies and The Juice Lady’s Turbo Diet. Cherie pioneered juicing in the home with her appearances on QVC and infomercials, and she and her husband conduct health retreats and healing conferences throughout the year. For more info visit www.juiceladycherie.com.