Detox your Kitchen

If you’re wanting to improve your health, one of the most important things to look at is what you’re putting in your body: the food you are eating. With so much contradicting information, this can be a very hard and confusion task. What is healthy anyways?

This answer is actually quite hard to answer, as we all have individual dietary needs. Some foods, some of us will thrive on, while the same foods will cause severe discomfort for others. Tomatoes is a good example here. This fruit, which is part of the nightshade family, is high in lycopene, an important antioxidant for the prostate. However, tomatoes are also known to aggravate heartburn, IBS, Crohn’s disease, arthritis and eczema.

That being said, there are some foods that no one should consume regularly. These are the foods to purge if you want to detox your kitchen.

Things to eliminate from your kitchen

  • Anything containing High Fructose Corn Syrup.

  • Anything containing Artificial Food Dye or Colouring.

  • Anything containing Food Preservatives.

  • Monosodium glutamate (MSG).

  • Fake dairy substitutes (this does NOT include milk alternatives such as almond milk, coconut milk, etc.).

  • Vegetable oils, Corn oil (this does NOT include olive oil, coconut oil and avocado oil).

  • Margarine

  • Breads that have an extended shelf life (that does not get mouldy after a week of sitting on the counter).

  • Anything with artificial flavours.

  • Products containing Trans Fats.

  • Canned meals (this does NOT include canned bean or canned tomatoes).

Things to limit in your kitchen

  • Condiments (for example: ketchup, pre-made sauces, etc - these tend to be high in sugar)

  • Processed foods (can be convenient, but best to avoid)

  • Sweets, such as cookies and cakes - in fact, it is best if these aren’t available in your kitchen if you wish to decrease your sugar consumption.

  • Sugar.

  • Granola bars


things to emphasize in your kitchen

  • Fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables

  • Whole grains (oats, rice, quinoa)

  • Nuts and/or seeds and nut/seed butter.

  • Fresh or frozen meat, poultry and/or fish

  • Eggs

  • Fresh and dried herbs and spices

  • Dried or canned beans and legumes (lentils, black beans, chickpeas, etc.)

  • Maple syrup and/or honey

  • Plain yoghurt (if you tolerate dairy)

  • Butter, cheese (if you tolerate dairy)

Of course, this list isn’t exhaustive, but it does outline the principles of a healthy kitchen and pantry. The emphasis should be on natural whole foods rather than packaged and prepared foods. There is of course always room for exceptions. I encourage eating a healthy diet 80 or 90% of the time, which leaves room for exceptions! The trick is to not store these in your kitchen in order to decrease temptation and to promote healthy habits!