In the spirit of New Years’y type resolutions to eat better, today, I’d love to dispel a few super common food myths for you and hope that helps you on your journey to better health.

 

Most people believe the following:

1. Protein = meat (and only meat)

2. Calcium = dairy (and only dairy)

3. Vitamin C = citrus (and only citrus)

 

I propose some alternative options based off research and personal experience:

1. Alternate Protein Sources:

  • Whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, hemp hearts, and barely.
  • Beans like adzuki, pinto, kidney, garbanzo, and black turtle beans.
  • Bean bonus: Pour a little apple cider vinegar, brown rice vinegar or white wine vinegar into the water in the last stages of cooking.  This softens the beans and breaks down protein chains and indigestible compounds.
  • Leafy greens.

 

2. Alternate Calcium Sources:

  • Greens like kale, spinach, celery, okra, and collard greens.
  • Nuts/seeds like sesame seeds and almonds.
  • Recommended reading: The China Study – after reading this, you may never want to drink cow’s milk again.

 

3. Alternate Vitamin C Sources:

    • Some people actually have mild allergies to citrus and don’t even know it.
    • Too much citrus can flood the system with sugars (even though they’re “natural” sugars, too much is too much).  Trying an elimination diet to include eliminating citrus is worth a try. I’ve had clients try this and positive results.
    • Non-orange/lemon sources: Broccoli, red peppers, spinach, onions, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and cantaloupe (which is anti-inflammatory so that means it’s extra good for you).

 

Ultimately:
I’m not the boss of you and your body.  Meat, milk, and oranges aren’t always bad all of the time. I just want you to realize that meat isn’t the only place to get protein, milk isn’t the white gold that marketers will have you believe it is, and veggies have vitamin C, too.

 

The main point: open your mind when it comes to food and trust what YOUR body tells you.  Too much of anything clouds our systems and makes our body’s signals hard to read.  If we can “clear the fog” a bit, we’ll be more in tune with what actually works for us, versus feeling like we’re following every new diet that comes out with outrageous claims, and feeling deflated when it doesn’t work for us.

 

So, I encourage you to try one new food from each category and let the Semper Sarah community know how it goes in the comments section below.  We love when you post comments on my blog so everyone can benefit from your insights!  

 

As for me, well, I’ve been in Costa Rica for a few days, enjoying the start of week 1 of the two retreats I’m leading this month.  I’ll be posting some fun videos about food soon, but feel free to send me requests or questions.

 

Pura Vida, my friends!