THE

4 Foods To Avoid
IF YOU WANT TO

Live a Healthy & Energetic Life

Amy Weiler, DO

1. DAIRY
We've been telling kids to drink milk for decades, believing that it builds strong, healthy bodies.
And while there's no denying that cow's milk does have its benets, much of what we previously believed
has been based on outdated or faulty research. But perhaps more important is the fact that the milk we
drink today is very different from the milk that humans drank for thousands of years. That is perhaps where
many of the problems stem from.
Here's what we know:
Heavily processed
The milk you buy from the grocery store is often heavily processed and stripped of nutritional value,
even when the label would have you believe otherwise. Consider that 80% of the protein in milk is
casein, which is a polymer and glue used in everything from plastics to furniture. Used in milk as a
binder, casein is also a powerful allergen that creates unwanted mucus in humans. Laboratory
testing has also shown that a high intake of casein causes cancer in rats.
Hormones
Cows are often given hormones and steroids to increase the production of dairy products. This is
not naturally benecial for the cows, nor for us. These hormones make their way into our milk,
cheese and butter, and can have a negative impact on our health.
Fragile bones
Medical research has shown that dairy products, when consumed, cause our bodies to overuse their
acid-balancing mechanisms. This in turn can make our bones more fragile over time and thus
debunks the previous belief that milk makes our bones stronger. Some new studies have shown that
a high intake of milk can make your bones more prone to fracture. Additionally, researchers have
discovered that, in the countries where residents consume the most dairy products, those
populations also have the highest rates of osteoporosis.1
Potential links to other health problems
In other studies, milk has been linked to respiratory disorders, arthritis, heart diseases, diabetes and
resistance to antibiotics, among other negative effects.

Dairy

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2. GLUTEN
Gluten has received a lot of attention over the last few years. But if you're like most people, then you
probably still have some questions about what it is and why it's a health concern. Let's look at some of the basics and
what we now know about gluten.
In simplest terms, gluten is a form of protein found in wheat and related grains. As such, it's found in many
of our favorite foods.
Foods with gluten:
Breads
Wraps
Pasta
Cereal
Some sauces
Beer
Pizza
Cookies and baked goods
Recent research has shown that gluten is causing health complications for a large segment of the population.
And yet, an estimated 99% of people who suffer from these complications which can range from fatigue to
more serious health issues are not aware that gluten could be the culprit.
Here are some of the telling ndings:
A recent study 2 in the Journal of the American Medical Association of 30,000 patients found you don't have to have
to have full-blown celiac disease (an allergy to gluten) to experience the negative effects of eating gluten. In the study,
3 separate groups of gluten-sensitive individuals were shown to have a higher risk of death:
1) Those with celiac disease had a 39% increased risk of death
2) Those with those with gut inammation related to gluten had a 72% higher risk.
3) Even those with moderate gluten sensitivity but no celiac disease had a 35% higher risk of death.
A separate study in The New England Journal of Medicine listed 55 diseases that may be linked to
overconsumption of gluten, including cancer, osteoporosis, anemia, irritable bowel syndrome, fatigue,
multiple sclerosis, and even neurological diseases, such as anxiety, depression, dementia and schizophrenia.
Up to 1/3 of the American population may have gluten sensitivity and not realize it.
The easiest way to determine your sensitivity to gluten, according to medical experts like Alejandro Junger,
MD or Mark Hyman MD, is to eliminate it from your diet for 4 weeks. Then, eat it again and see what
happens. If you feel bad at all, it's time to consider eliminating it from your diet.

Continue

Gluten

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3. CORN
It's important to remember that corn is a grain, not a vegetable. It does not have the
nutritional benets that many people assume it has. Additionally, the majority of corn we eat in America has been
genetically modied and is heavily processed into an alarming number of food products found in grocery stores.
GMO vs. Non-GMO Corn
While there's plenty of debate about the nutritional benets (and lack thereof) of GMOs, the key thing to remember
is that GMOs are inherently not natural. They are altered in a way that makes them fundamentally different from the
foods that have nourished human evolution for millions of years. That alone should be enough to make us question
their nutritional value.
When eating corn that has been grown from seeds that have been genetically modied, for example, you have to
question how that impacts the body. Sure enough, independent analyses have found GMO corn to be substantially
less mineral-dense than natural, non-GMO corn.
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Corn, processed into other substances, like high-fructose corn syrup, is found in nearly every processed food you can
buy at the grocery store:
Fruit drinks
Sodas
Cereals
Candy bars
Ketchup and other condiments
Granola and breakfast bars
Crackers
Lunch meats
Sauces
Frozen pizzas
Plus, hundreds of other popular food & drink products
Why It Matters
Food manufacturers use high-fructose corn syrup as a cheaper alternative to sugar but the two are vastly different.
For starters, sugar is natural, whereas high-fructose corn syrup is not.
In lab tests, researchers discovered that rats that consumed high-fructose corn syrup gained signicantly more
weight than those with access to basic table sugar, even when their overall caloric intake was the same.
High-fructose corn syrup is metabolized to fat in your body far more rapidly than any other sugar. 3
High-fructose corn syrup is produced with toxic chemicals that nd their way into our bodies and can make us
unhealthy in many different ways, from simple upset stomachs to major digestive problems.
The Grain Debate
Medical experts like neurologist and best-selling author, David Perlmutter, MD, have shown that eating whole grains-including corn, can contribute to a host of medical problems, including dementia, ADHD, anxiety, chronic headaches,
depression, and many others. Replacing corn (and other grain) products with healthier alternatives, he argues, can
help alleviate or even reverse signs and symptoms of some neurologic diseases. It can also eliminate brain fog
symptoms and improve memory and energy levels.

Corn

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4. SUGAR
For years, we were taught to eliminate fat from our diets. But the latest research shows that fat
is not the main culprit making Americans sick and overweight. It's sugar. The average American consumes about 152
pounds of sugar every year not just from sweets and sodas, but from a wide variety of food products that many
people eat every day, unaware of their high levels of sugar content.
Why to consider a sugar detox:
Sugars are added to thousands of everyday food products: spaghetti sauces, snacks, soft drinks and cereals, to
name a few.
Sugar is the root cause of obesity and chronic disease in America. Consuming too much sugar can also lead to
heart disease, cancer, dementia, type 2 diabetes, depression, infertility and impotence. A recent Harvard study
showed that a high sugar intake actually causes changes on the brain.4
Sugar has been found to be 8 times more addictive than cocaine. This is why you still feel hungry after a meal
that contains a lot of sugar (think pasta dishes with jarred sauce), leading to uncontrollable overeating. 5
Sugar is also linked to many of the "everyday" ailments that negatively impact our lives: bloating, gas, reux,
irritable bowel, joint or muscle pain, brain fog, memory or mood problems, and sinus/ allergy symptoms.

The effects of soda

Soda is the biggest source of sugar calories in our diet. One 20 oz. bottle has as much
as 15 teaspoons of sugar. Soda's liquid sugar calories are a direct cause of belly fat,
because they shut down a critical fat storage mechanism in your liver.
It doesn't help that the caffeine uses its own addictive properties to keep us coming
back for more and make it harder to give up. Still, even diet and caffeine-free sodas
aren't enough to stave off the health problems; and in fact those can even be more
detrimental when they're manufactured with even higher amounts of sugar or
articial sweeteners.
Two human studies have also shown that people who drink more soda are more
prone to weakened bones. In animal studies, researchers have found that
phosphorus, a common ingredient in soda, can deplete bones of calcium, making
them more porous and prone to fracture.6
1

Michelle Schoffro Cook,

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/11-reasons-to-stop-eating-%20dairy.html#ixzz32lLkQ8To
2
Ludvigsson JF, Montgomery SM, Ekbom A, Brandt L, Granath F. Small-intestinal histopathology and mortality risk
in celiac disease. JAMA. 2009 Sep 16;302(11):1171-8.
3
Dr. Joseph Mercola,
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/08/14/some-carbs-turn-to-fat-fast-in-your-body.aspx
4
Dr. Mark Hyman, http://drhyman.com/blog/2014/03/06/top-10-big-ideas-detox-sugar/
5
Dr. Mark Hyman, http://drhyman.com/blog/2014/03/06/top-10-big-ideas-detox-sugar/
6
Sally Squires and Dr. Joseph Mercola,
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2001/03/10/soda-pop-dangers.aspx

Sugar

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Get well, stay well, be well.

I hope this guide has helped you to better understand the roles that these 4 foods
play on our health, so you can make more informed decisions for yourself or your family. While none of these
ndings are intended to be alarmist, they are valid points to consider as you determine your own path to wellness.
Remember that the foods we eat are only one part of a larger picture. And achieving optimal wellness is so much more
than just being "not sick". By using your own symptoms and goals, you can take simple steps toward uncovering the
root causes of your unique health challenges and make initial changes that can help you to live a healthier, more
energetic life.
If you are ready tocreate a realistic, achievable and more complete plan for getting and staying well, then I
encourage you to take the next step today.

SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT

Dr. Amy Weiler

1-773-784-7000

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