Is This Food “Good” or “Bad”?

Nearly every day, I hear this question.

Cheese, chocolate and coffee. Beef, eggs, farmed fish, chicken and butter. Throw in some rice, cereal, coconut oil, spinach, olives and salt, and you have a recipe for crazy-making.  

What if all these foods were bad? We’d be in a pickle. A salty pickle, indeed.

Good & bad labels keep things easy

In pursuit of easy – life is complicated enough – we want to put foods into neat categories, when the true picture of many foods is quite nuanced.

Of course, there are foods that obviously do zero for health, like soda and candy. But for now, I’m talking about the universe of whole, or minimally processed foods.

It’s logical to think of foods as “good” or “bad.” In fact, we see a food written up as “good” one day and “bad” the next, based on The Latest Research Study. (Or at least the latest research study headline. Oftentimes, writers don’t explore the full paper for context, sample size or study flaws.) 

Science conflicts aside, thinking about foods as “good” or “bad” is a trap. The value or detriment of a given food depends on the quantity, quality and frequency that you eat it. Also it’s relative to what other foods you eat.

If this makes you want to bury your head in the sand, I get it. But it’s my job to tackle nuance and help you choose foods that work for you.

Our relationship with food

There’s another very important reason to ditch the “good” and “bad” labels. Eating a food you see as “bad” can make you feel like you are bad, or that you lack willpower to resist it. It’s subtle, maybe unconscious even, but this type of thinking takes the joy out of eating and may lead to a negative relationship with food.

Food is food. Some food is nutritious. Some is not. Much of it is a mixed bag.

Even the most nutrient-rich of whole foods — organic vegetables, fruit, nuts and beans; grass-fed beef; wild salmon; shellfish; and pastured chicken, pork and eggs — have a few negative qualities along with many positive ones.

Some plant foods are high in compounds designed to ward off pests, which can bind up minerals (and as a result, our bodies can’t use them) and they may be hard to digest. Some animal foods contain inflammatory compounds, which can be problematic in excess or when veggie intake is low.

Whether these negative compounds impact your health comes back to things like quantity, quality, diet variety and individual factors such as food sensitivities or certain health conditions.

Often when someone wonders if a food is “good” or “bad,” they already know it isn’t working for them. Maybe it causes bloating, gas, a rash or low energy. But if they’ve read that the food is “good,” they keep eating it anyway! Funny the games our brains play. Our bodies indeed talk to us, and we need to listen. I can help you.

So where does this all this nuance leave us?

The big picture answer: Eat mostly whole foods (way more nutrients than in processed foods) that you enjoy and that feel good in your body, and you’ll tend to feel better and see health improve. Simple, not necessarily easy.

When it comes to foods that are obviously unhealthy, I encourage a reasonable approach. Aim for 90/10 nutritious to non-nutritious foods (and you’ll likely end up at 80/20), holding space for for a favorite treat or foods and drinks you desire in a social setting.

For some, it’s ice cream on a birthday or beer & nachos at a game. In these situations, please for the love of yourself, enjoy each bite or sip with a full heart. Smell the food, notice its colors, flavor and textures. Savor it… slowly. (If you inhale your ice cream and beat yourself up with each bite, that is a net loss!)

Nutritional nuance of select foods

Below I share some pros and cons of dairy, coffee and rice to illustrate nutritional nuance. As you consider whether a food does or does not work for you, don’t overthink it. Listen to your gut (figuratively and literally). And when you’re not sure, contact me. I can help.

Dairy

Dairy foods are nutrient-rich. Plain, full-fat yogurt, for instance, offers up a great protein source, calcium, potassium, selenium and probiotic cultures as well as vitamins A, B2, B5, B12 and K2. Unfortunately, many people are lactose intolerant, meaning their bodies don’t break down dairy sugars well. Others may react to dairy proteins like casein and whey. (Butter and ghee/clarified butter are comprised almost entirely of fat, so they’re easier to tolerate by most people.)

Most milk and the foods made from milk come from conventionally-raised cows. Sadly, this dairy is pro-inflammatory due to a grain-fed diet, issues around animal confinement, high-temp pasteurization and other factors. This can promote inflammation in our bodies and digestive issues - more so than dairy from cows that eat grass and spend plenty of time at pasture.

The upshot: If you like dairy foods and you digest it well, aim for high-quality. Fermented dairy foods like cheese and yogurt tend to be best tolerated, as they contain less lactose.

How much dairy is too much? Your body is probably telling you. See how your body likes dairy from other animals. Some of my clients who react poorly to cow’s milk do great with foods make from goat and sheep milk. (Manchego, anyone?).

And if you limit or avoid dairy, you may wonder if you can get enough calcium from other foods. Yes, you can. I can help.

Coffee

Coffee is a classic example of the “good” or “bad” debate.

Many of us love the smell and flavor, and the ritual of a steaming cup to start the day. But we vary widely on how we respond to coffee and caffeine. Genetics play a role — some people process caffeine quickly, and others slowly. So 1 cup for you may feel like 4 cups for someone else.

And if you actually drink 4 cups a day, well … it’s time to cut back, albeit slowly, to avoid headaches and zombie mode. Trust me, once your body adjusts, energy and focus return without coffee, or with a whole lot less.

Other factors to consider: Caffeine can disrupt sleep quality. Coffee is a diuretic and can lead to calcium loss. If you have gastritis, coffee is a no-go. (Let the burn be your guide!). And if you are stressed to the hilt, caffeine can make things worse. It can trigger cortisol (a stress hormone), which can interfere with insulin, which can impact blood sugar, which can impact mood … you get the idea. Oh yes, and if you have a mold sensitivity, coffee may be problematic there, too! 🙈

OK, now for the good news… coffee contains polyphenols with antioxidant properties. These polyphenols and/or caffeine have been associated with a reduced risk of diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, liver cancer and other maladies, in some studies. Plus, enjoying coffee with a friend is always a plus (OK, and sometimes I drink tea… )

For quality, I suggest organic beans when possible. As for mold, an increasing number of producers offer mold-free varieties. If you drink decaf, choose “water-processed” varieties to avoid potentially harmful chemicals.

If you like or love coffee, but it doesn’t work for you, don’t you fret. I have other tasty beverage suggestions that are nutritious, too. Just ask me!

Rice

Rice can really spike blood sugar, especially white rice. So… brown rice is the better choice, right? That depends.

Brown and wild rice varieties beat white for nutrients and fiber. But they also may contain more arsenic, a toxic heavy metal. Ugh. What to do?

When my clients have diabetes, or pre-diabetes, I suggest avoiding or limiting rice until blood sugar is under control. As it relates to arsenic, sadly this and other toxic heavy metals are also found in other common foods, including mushrooms, chicken and chocolate.

If rice is a staple in your household, I’d go with white, preferably grown in the United States. And organic. Don’t go crazy on quantity and pair it with protein and vegetables (fiber), both of which help mitigate a blood sugar surge.

You can also reduce the heavy metal load by cooking your rice “pasta style,” with extra water, then strain it before eating. The metals end up in the water instead of your belly.