Choose Healing, Not Harm
In a world increasingly aware of health and wellness, functional foods have become a buzzword, often associated with juice cleanses and restrictive diets. Yet, what if the most powerful detox tool is already in your kitchen? Let us take a closer look at how functional medicine philosophy can help you navigate this intricate path. For example, paleo and high protein diets have toxins formed in cooking meats, lack phytochemicals for antioxidant activity, and have a higher content of saturated fat in general. On the flip side, vegan and vegetarian diets are often high in rice and thus have more arsenic exposure. They also have pesticide residues if the produce is not organic. Gluten-free folks beware: the high rice content hazard applies to you too. The takeaway message is that there is no perfect way of eating. Each path has its own pitfalls to be mindful of. In functional medical practice, we advise folks to be mindful of these nuances and to circumvent them. For example, aside from deciding to reduce the content of rice in your diet, you can also learn to cook rice properly to reduce arsenic content.
Here is how:
Boil four cups of fresh water (for every cup of raw rice to be added).
Add rice and boil for another five minutes.
Discard the water (because it has arsenic).
Add two cups of fresh water for every cup of rice.
Now cook rice with low to medium heat with a lid on until water is absorbed. This method was demonstrated to remove 54% of arsenic from brown rice and 73% from white rice in a large published environmental toxicity study in 2021.
For everyone: here are some foundational functional food recommendations:
Eat organically grown produce, especially “the dirty dozen.” The latter gets updated every year and can be found here: ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php Does organic mean no toxins? No, organic foods, especially animal products, are not completely free of toxins, but they are still a better choice in head-to-head comparisons.
Avoid canned food and processed food.
Eliminate sweeteners, colorings, flavor enhancers, and preservatives.
Ensure high-quality water in your diet. Drink filtered or glass-bottled water.
Buy local produce in season.
Remove surface pesticide residues, waxes, fungicides, and fertilizers by soaking the food in a mild solution of additive-free soap and using a scrub brush.
Avoid the use of plastic for cooking and handling hot foods, to avoid chemicals leaching into the food.
Do use high, moist heat for optimizing nutrient density in cooking your foods. Raw for lunch and lightly steamed for dinner is often the best formula for detoxing your menu.
A good rule of thumb is that for the food to be healing and balancing it needs to possess the following components:
Macronutrients like fiber, good fats, and quality protein
Micronutrients like vitamins and minerals
Phytonutrients such as colorfully pigmented foods which provide antioxidant support and microbiome fortification
For folks who need guidance in the kitchen, I refer to trusted local chefs and nutritionists. Functional medicine is all about balance – not deprivation. We choose to prioritize whole foods that nurture and sustain your body. By making mindful food choices you can reduce inflammation, support a healthy microbiome, heal the gut, reduce the toxic burden on your body, and emerge as a happier and healthier person.
The author of Diet Slave No More!, Svetlana Kogan, MD, IFMCP is a Board-Certified Internal Medicine, Holistic & Functional Medical Doctor with 25 years of experience. CustomLongevity.com | 239.676.6883
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