REDEFINING COMFORT FOODS
When it comes right down to it, food fits into just two categories.
1) Foods that build you up, and
2) Foods that tear you down
In my book, FibroWHYalgia, I define these categories as Red Light and Green Light foods. They’re labeled by function. Green Light foods move through the body as designed by nature. They move efficiently and effortlessly. Red Light foods get confused. They don’t follow a map or design. They sometimes move sluggishly through the maze of other Red Light foods. They sometimes don’t move at all. Who wants that?
Green Light foods build you up and Red Light foods tear you down.
Now on to a few definitions. Green Light foods are whole, natural, nutrient-rich, often fiber-dense, and healthy. Pretty simple, eh? Red Light foods are processed, packaged, and serve little to no nutritional purpose. They’re not-so-simple.
Here’s the gist:
Green Light Foods:
Veggies
Proteins (either plant-based or animal-based)
Fats (include super healthy fats/oils such as avocado, olive, coconut, flax, sesame, walnut, grapeseed, etc.)
Nuts/Seeds
Fruits – especially berries (enjoy in limited quantities if yeast/candida/leaky gut/allergies or intolerances/immune system dysfunction is an issue for you)
Red Light Foods:
Sugars and foods that turn into sugar (processed dairy*, bread, cereals, most grains, crackers, chips, pasta, bakery items, snack foods, etc.)
Artificial sweeteners (can’t stress this one enough!)
Fake fats (trans fats as well as unhealthy, highly processed oils such as shortening, cooking sprays, vegetable oils, canola oil, etc.)
Sodas (neither sugar-filled nor sugar-free sodas are healthy)
Sweetened sports drinks and “vitamin/nutrient” waters
Energy drinks
Smoothies and blended drinks made with added sugars/syrups/dyes/chemicals
Power bars, snack bars, and food bars with added preservatives/dyes/chemicals
Foods containing MSG
Canned foods with added preservatives/dyes/chemicals
Frozen foods with added preservatives/dyes/chemicals
Bagged and packaged foods with added preservatives/dyes/chemicals
*You may feel that dairy belongs in the Green Light category, and there are a few dairy products that do. However, for the vast majority, typical grocery store dairy products are highly processed (read: pasteurized with added undesirable hormones and antibiotics, etc.).
To build up health, read food labels and comfort yourself with abundant varieties of foods from the Green Light list! Did you notice that most Green Light foods have no labels at all? Of course, we’re all going to sample foods from the Red Light food list once in a while. Just keep in mind that it’s not what we do once in a while that’s harmful — it’s what we do each and every single day. Build the majority of your meals from the Green Light food list and you’re well on your way to a healthy and renewed body.
Getting back to the bottom line — when it comes to foods that comfort, would you rather build yourself up or tear yourself down?
Tell me about your redefined comfort foods!
