Guidelines for healthier living
1
2
3
4
5
6
get real
it’s your body
don’t stress
avoid added sugar
know your oils
Real, natural foods are better than
processed foods with harmful ingredients.
Try to eat fresh or frozen foods that are
close to how they originally grew. Keeping
food that is good for you in your kitchen
and pantry makes being healthy easier.
Our bodies have to last us for the rest of
our lives. What we eat and drink affects
us – in either a good or bad way. Choose
foods that benefit your body. Healthy foods
can keep the body working well while
preventing sickness and disease.
Healthy eating helps create a positive
relationship with you, food, and your body.
Focus on eating better instead of counting
calories. Once you are in the habit of
healthy eating, you can relax and enjoy an
occasional treat without worry.
Added sugar increases blood sugar, blood
pressure and cholesterol, and causes
weight gain. Artificial sweeteners have
many of the same effects and can increase
sugar cravings. Try using 100% natural
stevia or cinnamon as healthy options.
Choosing healthy oils like cold pressed
virgin olive oil, coconut oil, or macadamia
oil improves heart health. Oils like soybean
oil, canola oil, corn oil, and vegetable oil
are processed and increase the risk of
heart disease, so avoid these.
Many people think grains are healthy, but
they really make us hungrier, spike blood
sugar, and cause inflammation in our
digestive system, even when we may not
know it. All types of grains – white wheat,
whole or processed – do the same thing to
our bodies.
7
8
9
10
11
12
eat the yolks
toss the sack
don’t get fooled
Egg yolks are a great source of healthy
fat and contain important vitamins and
minerals. Egg yolks, butter, and other
animal-based items like milk, meat, and
cheese provide key nutrients. Only a small
amount of the cholesterol from these foods
is absorbed into the bloodstream, so don’t
worry about them raising your cholesterol
levels.
Foods purchased in a box, bag or sack
are usually processed. Processed foods
typically contain trans-fat, processed oils,
hidden sugars, sodium, additives, and
preservatives. Avoid high fructose corn
syrup, soy, corn additives, and food with
ingredient lists that are long and filled with
words not found in nature.
Food labels can be confusing. Don’t believe
all packages that say they are “heart
healthy,” “low fat,” “lite,” “all natural,”
“fat free,” “low calorie,” or “sugar-free.”
Be sure you can pronounce the ingredients
before you eat a food.
get a boost
Eat foods that give you energy, help you
stay healthy, and fight diseases. Some
examples are vegetables, wild salmon,
greens, strawberries, blueberries, sweet
potatoes, and macadamia nuts.
Notes
just move
Sitting can be as unhealthy as smoking.
Moving around gives us energy and makes
our muscles and minds strong. Take the
stairs, walk farther or use a standing desk.
grains can inflame
get balanced
You deserve a happy life, so make sure to
take care of your mind, body, and spirit.
Getting enough sleep, balancing life and
trying to stress less are keys to staying
healthy.
Glossary
Clean eating – the idea of eating fresh foods like fruits, vegetables, dairy and meat
Inflame/Inflammation – internal swelling and joint pain that can be caused by eating
certain foods
Processed foods – p re-packaged foods that may be made with artificial ingredients
For education and information purposes only. Before starting any nutrition or fitness program, please speak to your primary care physician or a Baton Rouge General healthcare provider.
Copyright 2015. Baton Rouge General Medical Center. All rights reserved. Authorization is given for personal use only.
Resell or commercial use is prohibited.
Healthy Foods
Foods to Avoid
Healthy eating means embracing foods like vegetables, fruits, proteins and healthy fats while cutting back on grains, starches, added
sugars, and unhealthy oils. This process is about moving your body closer to your original “default” settings and reducing the cravings
for unhealthy foods. Participants learn to appreciate food and food quality and cut back on processed and refined foods. This is not
intended to be another rigid, generic diet. Also, please note this list is not all inclusive.
These foods are considered inflammatory and often are intolerable. Foods in this category are often
highly processed and can lead to elevated blood sugar levels. Avoiding these foods has been proven
beneficial and can aid in a reduction of inflammation in the body. Be sure to read food labels carefully to
ensure your food doesn’t contain the ingredients listed.
* denotes best options
VEGETABLES
Alfalfa Sprouts
Acorn Squash
Anise
Artichoke
Arugula*
Asparagus*
Beets
Bok Choy*
Broccoli
Broccolini*
Broccoli Rabe
Brussels Sprouts*
Butternut
Squash
Cauliflower*
Chinese Cabbage
Collard Greens
Napa Cabbage
Carrots (raw*)
Celery
Celery Root
Cucumber
Eggplant
Fennel Root
Green Beans
Kale*
Kohlrabi
Leeks*
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Okra
Onions
Parsnips
Peppers*
Plantain
Pumpkin
Radish
Shallots
Snow Peas
Sugar Snap Peas
Spaghetti Squash
Spinach
Sprouts
Shoots
Squash
Sweet Potato
Swiss Chard*
Tomato*
Turnip Greens*
Watercress*
Yellow Squash
Zucchini
LEGUMES
Black beans
Broad/Fava beans
Butter beans
Chickpeas
Field peas
Garbanzo beans
Green peas
Peanuts
Note:
1/2 cup portions;
soak beans for
24 hours prior to
cooking
FRUIT
Apples
Apricots
Bananas
Blackberries*
Blueberries*
Cantaloupe
Cherries*
Figs*
Exotic Fruit
Honeydew
Grapefruit
Grapes
Kiwi*
Lemons/Limes
Mangoes
Melon*
Oranges
Nectarines
Papaya*
Peaches
Pears*
Pineapples*
Plums*
Raspberries*
Strawberries*
Tangerines
Watermelon
Herbs & Spices
Allspice
Basil
Bay Leaves
Black Pepper
Cardamom
Cayenne
Chili Powder
Chives
Cinnamon
Cilantro
Clove
Cocoa (100%)
Curry
Cumin
Dill
Garlic
Ginger
Horseradish
Lemongrass
Marjoram
Mint
Mustard
Nutmeg
Oregano
Paprika
Parsley
Peppermint
Spearmint
Stevia (100% leaf)
Rosemary
Sage
Sea Salt
Savory
Tarragon
Thyme
Turmeric
Vanilla
Vinegar
Wasabi
FAT SOURCES
Almonds
Almond Butter (natural)
Almond Flour
Avocado*
Avocado Oil*
Brazil Nuts
Cashews
Cashew Butter (natural)
Butter/Ghee*
Coconut Butter*
Coconut Flakes*
Coconut Flour
Coconut Oil (unrefined)*
Flax Seeds
Hazelnuts/
Filberts*
Walnuts/Walnut Butter
(natural)
Macadamia Nuts*
Macadamia Oil
Olives*
Olive Oil*
High Quality
Animal Fat*
Pastured Butter
Pecans
Pine Nuts
Pistachios
Pumpkin Seeds
Sesame Seeds
Sesame Oil
Sunflower Seeds
Sunbutter(natural)
Egg Yolks
PROTEIN
Beef/Bison, Buffalo
Beef Protein
Powder Eggs/Egg Whites
Egg White
Protein Powder
Fish/Seafood, Shellfish
Organ Meats
Other Meats (Wild Boar,
Ostrich, Lamb,
Elk, Venison,
Goat, Moose)
Pork
Poultry (Chicken,
Turkey, Duck,
Quail, Pheasant)
Bacon/Sausage/
Jerky (Preservative free)
BEVERAGES
Fruit Infused Water
Coffee
Unsweetened Almond Milk
Unsweetened Coconut Milk
Unsweetened Tea (plain)
Water (plain and sparkling)
DAIRY
Cottage Cheese
Cream Cheese
Heavy Whipping Cream
Goat Cheese
Greek Yogurt (unflavored)
Kefir
Natural Cheeses
Sour Cream
(225) 819-1175
For education and information purposes only. Before starting any nutrition or fitness program, please speak to your primary care physician or a Baton Rouge General healthcare provider.
2-2017
Avoid most foods sold in a box, bag, or can.
ADDED SUGAR
Agave Nectar
Barley Malt
Beet Sugar
Brown Sugar
Cane Juice
Crystals
Cane Sugar
Caramel
Confectioner Sugar
Corn Syrup Solids
Dextrose
Fructose
Fruit Juice
Fruit Juice
Concentrate
Glucose
High Fructose Corn Syrup
(HFCS)
Honey
Invert Sugar
Malt Syrup
Maltodextrin
Maltose
Mannitol
Maple Syrup
Molasses
Organic Brown
Rice Syrup
Raw Sugar
Rice Syrup
Sorbitol
Sorghum Syrup
Sucrose
Sugar
Table Sugar
GRAINS
Barley
Rice (any variety)
Graham
Wheat (any variety)
Corn
Millet
Gram
Flour
Maize
Bulgur
Durum
Fonio
Sorghum
Quinoa
Semolina
Cream of Wheat
Tapioca
Sago
Oats (Oatmeal)
Popcorn
Grits
Rye
Pumpernickel
Kamut
White Potato
LEGUMES
Baked Beans
Boston Beans
Edamame
SOY & ITS
ALTERNATIVES
Bean Curd
Bean Sprouts
Diglycerides
Edamame
Guar Gum
Hydrolyzed Plant
Protein (HPP)
Hydrolyzed Soy
Protein (HSP)
Hydrolyzed
Vegetable Protein (HVP)
Lecithin
Miso
Mixed Tocopherols
Monoglycerides
Monosodium
Glutamate (MSG)
Soy Lecithin
Soy Milk
Soy Protein
Soy Sauce
Soya
Soybean Paste
Soybeans
Tamari
Tempeh
Teriyaki Sauce
Textured
Vegetable
Protein (TVP)
Thickener
Tofu
DAIRY
Cow’s Milk
Goat’s Milk
Whey
Yogurt (non Greek)
Oils
Canola oil
Corn oil
Cottonseed oil
Sunflower oil
Hydrogenated oils
Partially hydrogenated oils
Peanut oil
Safflower oil
Soybean oil
Vegetable oil
Beverages
Juice (even 100%
concentrate)
Fruit drinks
Soft drinks
Diet soft drinks
Alcohol
Milk (cow/goat)
ADDITIVES &
PRESERVATIVES
Any preservative ending in
“benzoate,” “nitrate,” or
“nitrite”
Artificial Sweeteners
(100% stevia leaf
allowed)
Benzoic Acid
BHA/BHT
Biphenyl
Non-Dairy Creamers
Sorbic Acid
Artificial Stevia