Some things should be common sense, but sadly, they are not, because of mainstream media brainwashing and altering your perception. Your body has probably asked for many of these simple swaps at one time or another if you were careful enough to listen. So read on, and find out what simple swaps your body is probably asking for!
1. Swap a low protein diet for a diet high in anti-inflammatory proteins that mimic eating the 'whole animal'
Anti-inflammatory proteins such as eggs, fish, gelatin (like this) and dairy help give the liver what’s needed to carry out detoxification efficiently. "Protein deficiency itself contributes to the harm done by toxins, since the liver’s ability to detoxify them depends on adequate nutrition, especially good protein." -Dr. Ray Peat, PHD.
Read more about how to determine your protein needs to support a healthy detoxification system.
2. Replace chemical-laden beauty products for cleaner alternatives
If you haven’t already done so, start transitioning to natural products. Swap perfumes for essential oils, drug store lotions and potions for natural oils mixed with essential oils, and toxic cosmetics for safer options.
The 30 day Detox your Home free e-course is a great place to start and makes this transition pretty easy!
3. Swap vegetable oils (PUFA) for saturated fats like butter and coconut oil
When was the last time your body had a craving for soybean or canola oil? Let me guess-- never? When was the last time your body craved cream or butter? I'll take a guess it's a familiar craving. This is one simple way your body asks for saturated fats and not for polyunsaturated fats (PUFA).
What's wrong with PUFA fats? They are harmful to all systems of the body, accelerate aging, slow thyroid function (metabolism), disrupt the immune system, and cause oxidative damage. According to Dr. Ray Peat, PhD, "Unsaturated fats cause aging, clotting, inflammation, cancer, & weight gain." PUFA fats are found largely in oils- including vegetable, corn, canola, peanut, flax, soy and fish oils. The cheapness of these oils makes them an essential ingredient for most processed foods (especially sauces, mayonnaise, candy). These fats are often highly processed, unstable, and oxidize very quickly in the body.
4. Nix fat-free milk for whole milk (or go dairy free for those with food allergies).
Did you know that if you choose reduced fat or fat-free milk, you are choosing synthetic vitamins? Since vitamins A and D are fat-soluble vitamins, they are found in the fat of the milk. When you remove the fat, it is required by law to add synthetic nutrients in! "We are required by law to add vitamins to all of our fluid skim / fat free / nonfat milk, fluid lowfat (1%) milks, and fluid reduced-fat (2%) milks. These vitamins are fat soluble and a certain amount of them are lost when the fat levels in milk are reduced." -Organic Valley
5. Stop suppressing your cravings, and start understanding them.
Who doesn’t have food cravings? Whether its cycle, pregnancy, or emotionally induced– your brain knows what your body needs! Mixed food marketing messages can brainwash your craving programming, reinforcing unhealthy paradigms that indulging in cravings is “sinful” and reflects poor willpower. This couldn't be further from the truth! Listening to your body is one of the most intelligent choices you can make. It’s common to think YOU know better than what your body is telling us. Your innate intelligence is trying to get a message across to about what it wants you to put in your mouth!
“Any craving is a good starting point, because we have several biological mechanisms for correcting specific nutritional deficiencies. When something is interfering with your ability to use sugar, you crave it because if you don’t eat it you will waste protein to make it.” -Dr. Ray Peat.
Because you live in a world of highly processed foods that does some trickery on your taste buds, sometimes these cravings need to be re-directed to unprocessed whole food alternatives.
How many of these swaps have you already made? Please share it in the comments!
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References:
Peat, Raymond. From PMS to Menopause: Female Hormones in Context. Eugene, OR, 1997.
Photo Credit: Depositphotos.com
JimLovasz
I have been radically changing my diet for some time and recently my body told me that the small portions I was eating were more than it needed. I attribute part of this to not being quite as active as I was, but more to some nutrition essentials.
These include eating fermented and raw meat and veggies every day as well as cooked meals. This helped so much in assimilation that I needed far less than I had become accustomed to and still feel satiated.
merle
Quit coffee and soda -- swap it out for kombucha, dandy blend, tea...etc...
LynnS
hello, i am new to your posts and have really enjoyed what i have read. i am wondering if you have some info on this site you could direct me to. my bowels have never worked throughout my life. before '06 they moved too slow and after the death of our granddaughter in '06 it was like a switch flipped and now they move too fast. i do have gluten and dairy issues and haven't always been great about respecting those boundaries. i also have adrenal fatigue/failure that i was diagnosed with in '07. lately i have had several times where my kidneys have begun to ache and this week i am fighting an infection. fortunately lauriciden is working. i want to get my gut better and have no idea where to start. at this point it seems nothing is making a difference. i appreciate anything you can share or direct me to. i don't want to take too much of your time, so just directing me to something that would possibly help is greatly appreciated. thank you, Lynn (i know that nothing you tell me is etched in stone, all bodies are individual and what helps one doesn't necessarily help another.)
K
Look into the GAPS protocol or Specific Carbohydrate Diet... they are intensive programs but it seems like they pretty much work wonders for the digestive system.
AlexaMucino
Try essential oils. They have change my life. Your body knows what to do with essential oils since they are not synthetic intruders.
I use Do Terra essential oils, this brand is one of the few you can trust taking orally as well as applying topically and breathing in. They are just wonderfull.
Nicole
Always have been in dislike of fat free. Thanks for telling me why 🙂
I just could never grasp the idea of why I should like that stuff.
My whole being was against it.
And the gravings part. So true!
In both ways. The body tells us what it needs, but it can also be tricked into wanting sugar after a meal with too much additives in it. The industry wants us to eat a 'snack' after their food. Makes them sell more, makes us fat and lazy and not questioning what they dish out to us.
Cooking meals for ourselves makes the gravings less and less every day and lets the natural gravings come to the surface.
Cindy M.
Perhaps learning how to manage your stress...one can put all the right nutrition in, stay active, and high quality supplements but if you're letting stress get to you, all that hard work goes down the drain. Remember, we are "too blessed, to be stressed". This is something I'm learning...
kevin
You are wrong on the entire premise about fats! Please fact check
Millisa
Thank you for all the information!!!