Nutrition is often regarded as the first form of medicine. Indeed, it plays a fundamental role in our health! This article presents 10 essential keys to adopting simple dietary habits that can optimize your health and well-being.
1. Have a savory breakfast!
Most of us eat cereal with milk or buttered white toast with jam alongside a tall glass of orange juice for breakfast. But that breakfast is far from ideal in terms of nutrition. Indeed, that kind of overly sugary meal encourages insulin secretion, which should be avoided — especially in the morning.
It’s best to opt for a savory breakfast. Eating protein in the morning promotes the production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that stimulates the mind and jump-starts your motivation. In addition to making you more motivated and alert, consuming protein at breakfast can also help you feel full longer and reduce snacking later in the morning.
Eggs are the perfect solution because they contain extremely high quality protein and are rich in vitamins and minerals. But there are other protein sources you can try for variety:
 | Animal protein: one ounce of cheese (preferably goat or sheep milk), a yogurt (goat or sheep milk), sardines or a slice of good ham (from time to time) |
 | Plant-based protein: soy-based vegan pudding packed with protein, chia seeds, nuts (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, etc.) |
2. Eat at least 2 to 3 fruits and 2 to 3 servings of vegetables a day
A daily intake of 28 to 32 oz of fruit and vegetables is ideal, i.e. 2 to 3 servings of vegetables (17 oz) and 2 to 3 fruits. For lunch and dinner, choose at least one raw and one cooked fruit or vegetable.
After all, fresh fruits and vegetables are very high in fiber, which has an essential role to optimizing our health. It contributes to satiety and therefore plays an important role in weight management, it helps regulate our blood sugar levels, and it also facilitates digestion and helps balance our gut microbiota.
Fruits and vegetables are also rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Getting the right amount of antioxidants is particularly important for preventing cancer, degenerative diseases and cardiovascular disease.
Vary the fruits and vegetables on your plate and their colors as much as possible to reap all their benefits!
Warning: fruit juice is not the same as fruit! Juice lacks the fiber that regulates the rate at which sugars are assimilated, so its glycemic index is much higher than that of whole fruit.
3. Eat good fat
The quest to eliminate fat has no scientific or biological basis. In fact, “good fats” are responsible for the proper development of eyesight, brain membranes and neural connections. In addition to being good for the brain, they help reduce cardiovascular risks. So good fat is a crucial ally for good health!
But not all fats are created equal! The problem is not that we eat too much fat these days, but that we eat too much bad fat.
Limit your intake of saturated fats and omega-6, which are currently over-consumed. These fats are found in animal products (meat, butter, cheese, etc.), in some vegetable oils (sunflower, coconut, palm, grape seed) and above all in many processed products (cookies, potato chips, etc.).
On the other hand, make sure you get plenty of omega-3 fatty acids! Omega-3 fatty acids occur primarily in fatty fish (tuna, salmon, mackerel, sardines, etc.), certain oils (canola, linseed, walnut), seeds (chia, flax, hemp) and in some vegetables in very small quantities (watercress, lamb’s lettuce, cabbage). Caution: do not consume tuna or salmon more than once a week, as they generally contain high levels of various pollutants, including heavy metals (mercury, PCBs, dioxins, etc.).
Choose products rich in omega-9 fatty acids. Omega-9 fatty acids occur in large quantities in olive oil, hazelnut oil, avocado, hazelnuts and almonds. In view of the environmental impact of avocados, we recommend eating them only occasionally.
4. Take the time to chew
Chewing may seem like a trivial step and is often neglected; however, it plays an essential role in our health.
 | Better nutrient absorption: good chewing transforms food into nutrients that reach our cells more effectively. |
 | Eating less and managing weight: chewing triggers various hormones that send a satiety signal to the brain during the meal. |
 | Improving digestion: insufficient chewing forces the stomach to produce more gastric juice to break down large pieces. This excess acid can irritate the digestive lining and cause acid reflux. |
 | Protecting teeth and gums: chewing helps prevent cavities by stimulating saliva production, which cleans dental plaque and protects enamel from acidity. It also exercises our gums, essential for good dental health. |
5. Fill up on antioxidants
Antioxidants are extremely beneficial molecules that are crucial to cell protection. They help guard against various afflictions, such as premature skin aging, cancer, degenerative disorders, cataracts, arthritis and cardiovascular disease.
The good news is that these miracle workers occur all around us in our food. Eating generous amounts of fruits and vegetables is usually enough to cover the body’s needs. Here are some foods with particularly high antioxidant properties:
 | Berries: blueberries, blackberries, goji berries, acai berries, raspberries, strawberries |
 | Other fruits: apples, plums, pomegranates, oranges, kiwis, grapes, figs |
 | Vegetables: artichokes, cabbages, broccoli, spinach, bell peppers |
 | Allium family: onion, garlic, shallot |
 | Spices: cloves, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon |
 | Herb: thyme, basil, oregano, parsley, chives, dill, mint, rosemary, bay leaf |
 | Hot beverages: tea and coffee |
 | Cacao and chocolate: pure cocoa powder, dark chocolate (at least 70% cacao) |
You should eat organic versions of these foods because organically grown foods have 20% to 70% more polyphenols (a type of antioxidant found in many vegetables) than conventionally grown foods.
6. Eat mindfully
In our busy lives, many of us eat breakfast at breakneck speed, or gobble up lunch in front of our computers to make the most of our time. We are completely disconnected from our relationship with food.
However, it is important to devote at least 20 minutes to each meal. Mindfulness is about considering a moment in its own right, and paying attention to what we eat.
Applying mindfulness to our eating habits will have several beneficial impacts. First, it enables us to listen to our hunger and satiety signals and ensure that our intake is adapted to our needs. This will reduce the quantities we consume and our cravings for snacks.
Mindful eating also helps develop a preference for healthier foods: when we eat impulsively and emotionally without listening to our bodies, we no longer feel the pleasure of eating, and we are more susceptible to fatty, sweet and salty foods.
Finally, mindfulness also contributes to mental well-being. It allows you to observe your feelings without judgment, and to listen to yourself. Thinking only of the present moment during a meal also helps to still the mind and lower stress and anxiety.
7. Limit your salt intake
Salt is essential to proper body function, but excessive consumption can lead to the development of certain diseases. Today, we consume more than twice as much salt than we really need!
Excessive salt intake increases the risk of high blood pressure. Hypertension itself can lead to heart disease and even stroke. Salt consumption also increases the risk of cancer and stomach ulcers.
There are simple ways to reduce salt intake:
- Limit foods high in salt: ready-made meals, potato chips, cold cuts, pizza, sauces, cheese, etc.
- Opt for alternatives to add flavor to dishes, such as garlic, onion, thyme, chives, basil, lemon, pepper, curry, paprika and all sorts of spices.
- Taste before salting
- Do not add salt to cooking water
- Remove the salt shaker from the table
8. Go vegetarian at dinner
It is recommended to prepare a vegetarian dinner, meaning no meat, fish or eggs. This type of meal will help pave the way for a good night’s sleep.
So, for dinner you should opt for plant-based protein rather than animal protein. Indeed, animal protein encourages the production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter responsible for alertness and motivation. While it is perfect in the morning to rev you up, at night the body needs to make serotonin, a neurotransmitter associated with soothing and sleep regulation.
Serotonin is made from tryptophan, an amino acid found in plant-based protein, such as legumes, soy, brown rice, sunflower seeds and chocolate. The carbohydrates found in legumes and grain products also help optimize serotonin production.
Some foods promote serotonin production, which optimizes sleep quality:
 | Walnuts and almonds: in addition to tryptophan, they contain magnesium, a lack of which can be linked to sleep disorders. |
 | Carbohydrates (from whole grains and fruits): thanks to insulin secretion, their amino acids will be directed to the brain rather than the muscles. That will make room for tryptophan in the brain, so it is more readily available for serotonin production. |
Furthermore, animal proteins and cooked fats are very demanding for the digestive system: they are made up of molecules that can take a long time to digest.
9. Opt for low-temperature cooking
Cooking at high temperatures erodes the nutritional quality of food: it leads to the destruction of certain vitamins and minerals. Some vitamins are very sensitive to heat, and foods can easily lose 50% of their initial vitamin content during cooking. The longer the cooking time and the higher the temperature, the lower the nutritional content of the food.
In addition, browning food during cooking is accompanied by the production of Maillard bodies, compounds which, in excessive quantities, can increase the risk of developing certain cancers.
Opt for low-temperature cooking, i.e. below 210°F. The most useful method is gently steaming your foods.
10. Eat raw foods and avoid processed foods
Raw food is a product that is sold in its original form and has not undergone any
processing: fruit and vegetables, legumes, eggs, fish, etc. Conversely, processed products
are those that have undergone some form of transformation in order to be sold and which do not occur in this form in nature: ready-made meals, fruit juices and soft drinks, cookies, etc.
Ultra-processed foods have problematic health effects: they are often low in nutrients with a high glycemic load. What’s more, they generally contain little fiber and their texture can be too soft to be satiating.
Finally, consuming processed foods throws the gut microbiota out of balance. As a result, the intestinal microbiota has fewer good bacteria, which are essential to proper body function since they fight pathogens (e.g. parasites and bacteria) and perform essential functions to prevent lifestyle diseases.
Here are some tips for avoiding processed foods:
 | Go with short ingredient lists, meaning no more than 4 or 5 ingredients. |
 | Avoid products whose ingredient list includes items with complicated names (glucose-fructose syrup, hydrolyzed proteins, modified starch, etc.). |
 | Choose products without problematic additives. Of course, you can use Yuka for this! |
 | Eat as many raw, unprocessed products as possible, that you have prepared and cooked yourself. |
- Hu FB, Stampfer MJ, Rimm EB et al. A prospective study of egg consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease in men and women. JAMA. 1999;281:1387-1394.
- Vorster HH, Benade AJ, Barnard HC et al. Egg intake does not change plasma lipoprotein and coagulation profiles. Am J Clin Nutr. 1992;55:400-410.
- Katz DL, Evans MA, Nawaz H et al. Egg consumption and endothelial function: a randomized controlled crossover trial. Int J Cardiol. 2005;99:65-70.
- Howell WH, McNamara DJ et al. Plasma lipid and lipoprotein responses to dietary fat and cholesterol: a meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 1997;65:1747-1764.
- Krauss RM, Eckel RH, Howard B et al. AHA Dietary Guidelines: revision 2000: A statement for healthcare professionals from the Nutrition Committee of the American Heart Association. Stroke. 2000;31:2751-2766.
- Swanson D, Block R, Mousa SA. Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA: health benefits throughout life. Adv Nutr. 2012 Jan;3(1):1-7. doi: 10.3945/an.111.000893. Epub 2012 Jan 5. Review.
- Nichols PD, McManus A, Krail K, Sinclair AJ, Miller M. Recent advances in omega-3: Health Benefits, Sources, Products and Bioavailability. Nutrients. 2014;6(9):3727–3733. Published 2014 Sep 16.
- Étude individuelle nationale des consommations alimentaires 3 (INCA 3) – Avis de l’Anses – Rapport d’expertise collective.
- Delgado GE, Krämer BK, Lorkowski S, März W, von Schacky C, Kleber ME. Individual omega-9 monounsaturated fatty acids and mortality-The Ludwigshafen Risk and Cardiovascular Health Study. J Clin Lipidol. 2017 Jan – Feb;11(1):126-135.e5
- Flood-Obbagy, J. E.; Rolls, B. J. The Effect of Fruit in Different Forms on Energy Intake and Satiety at a Meal. Appetite 2009, 52 (2), 416–422.
- Dagfinn Aune, Edward Giovannucci, Paolo Boffetta, Lars T. Fadnes, NaNa Keum, Teresa Norat, Darren C. Greenwood, Elio Riboli, Lars J. Vatten, Serena Tonstad. Fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer and all-cause mortality–a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. International Journal of Epidemiology, 2017; DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyw319
- Tavoularis G., Hébel P., «Fruits et légumes : les Français suivent de moins en moins la recommandation», in: Consommations et modes de vies, CREDOC, n°292, ISSN 0295-9976, Juillet 2017
- Etude NutriNet-Sante : https://info.etude-nutrinet-sante.fr/protectednew/pdf/DOSSIER_PRESSE_Nutrinet-Sante_22_11_12.pdf
- Feder D, Fonseca FLA. Chapter 2 – The Mechanism of Fiber Effects on Insulin Resistance. In: Samaan RA, ed. Dietary Fiber for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease. Academic Press; 2017:23-33.
- Patel S. Anti-Obesity and Anti-Diabetes Foods: High Fibre Diets. In: Melton L, Shahidi F, Varelis P, eds. Encyclopedia of Food Chemistry. Oxford: Academic Press; 2019:248-252.
- De Vadder F, Kovatcheva-Datchary P, Goncalves D, Vinera J, Zitoun C, Duchampt A, Bäckhed F, Mithieux G. Microbiota-generated metabolites promote metabolic benefits via gut-brain neural circuits. Cell. 2014 Jan 16;156(1-2):84-96.
- Threapleton DE, Greenwood DC, Evans CE, Cleghorn CL, Nykjaer C, Woodhead C, Cade JE, Gale CP, Burley VJ. Dietary fibre intake and risk of cardiovascular disease: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ. 2013 Dec 19;347:f6879.
- Imai S, Fukui M, Kajiyama S. Effect of eating vegetables before carbohydrates on glucose excursions in patients with type 2 diabetes. J Clin Biochem Nutr. 2014 Jan;54(1):7-11.
- BROWNLEE, Iain A., CHATER, Peter I., PEARSON, Jeff P., et al. Dietary fibre and weight loss: Where are we now?. Food Hydrocolloids, 2017, vol. 68, p. 186-191.
- Chandalia M, Garg A, Lutjohann D, von Bergmann K, Grundy SM, Brinkley LJ.
- Beneficial effects of high dietary fiber intake in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. N Engl J Med. 2000 May 11;342(19):1392-8.
- Kim Y, Je Y. Dietary fibre intake and mortality from cardiovascular disease and all cancers: A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Arch Cardiovasc Dis. 2016 Jan;109(1):39-54.
- Siri-Tarino, P. W., Sun, Q., Hu, F. B., & Krauss, R. M. (2010). Saturated fat, carbohydrate, and cardiovascular disease. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 91(3), 502-509.
- DiNicolantonio JJ, Lucan SC, O’Keefe JH. The Evidence for Saturated Fat and for Sugar Related to Coronary Heart Disease. Prog Cardiovasc Dis. 2016 Mar-Apr;58(5):464-72. doi: 10.1016/j.pcad.2015.11.006. Epub 2015 Nov 14. Review.
- Patterson E, Wall R, Fitzgerald GF, Ross RP, Stanton C. Health implications of high dietary omega-6 polyunsaturated Fatty acids. J Nutr Metab. 2012;2012:539426.
- Innes JK, Calder PC. Omega-6 fatty acids and inflammation. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2018 May;132:41-48. doi: 10.1016/j.plefa.2018.03.004. Epub 2018 Mar 22. Review.
- Simopoulos AP. The importance of the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 essential fatty acids. Biomed Pharmacother. 2002 Oct;56(8):365-79. Review. PubMed PMID: 12442909.
- Simopoulos AP. An Increase in the Omega-6/Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ratio Increases the Risk for Obesity. Nutrients. 2016;8(3):128. Published 2016 Mar 2.
- DiNicolantonio JJ, O’Keefe JH. Importance of maintaining a low omega-6/omega-3 ratio for reducing inflammation. Open Heart. 2018;5(2):e000946. Published 2018 Nov 26.
- de Lorgeril M, Salen P. New insights into the health effects of dietary saturated and omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. BMC Med. 2012;10:50. Published 2012 May 21.
- Bernard, Carole & Vanduffel, Steven & Ye, Jiang, 2019. « Optimal strategies under Omega ratio, » European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 275(2), pages 755-767.
- Dhaka V, Gulia N, Ahlawat KS, Khatkar BS. Trans fats-sources, health risks and alternative approach – A review. J Food Sci Technol. 2011;48(5):534–541.
- Iqbal MP. Trans fatty acids – A risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Pak J Med Sci. 2014;30(1):194–197.
- Mozaffarian D, Aro A, Willett WC. Health effects of trans-fatty acids: experimental and observational evidence. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2009 May;63 Suppl 2:S5-21.
- Shah B, Thadani U. Trans fatty acids linked to myocardial infarction and stroke: What is the evidence? Trends Cardiovasc Med. 2019 Jul;29(5):306-310. doi: 10.1016/j.tcm.2018.09.011. Epub 2018 Sep 19. Review. PubMed PMID: 31130187.
- Okubo H, Murakami K, Masayasu S, Sasaki S. The Relationship of Eating Rate and Degree of Chewing to Body Weight Status among Preschool Children in Japan: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study. Nutrients. 2018;11(1):64. Published 2018 Dec 29.
- Zhu Y, Hollis JH. Relationship between chewing behavior and body weight status in fully dentate healthy adults. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2015 Mar;66(2):135-9.
- Ashiga H, Takei E, Magara J, et al. Effect of attention on chewing and swallowing behaviors in healthy humans. Sci Rep. 2019;9(1):6013. Published 2019 Apr 12.
- N’gom PI, Woda A. Influence of impaired mastication on nutrition. J Prosthet Dent. 2002;87(6):667-673.
- Mann T, Heuberger R, Wong H. The association between chewing and swallowing difficulties and nutritional status in older adults. Aust Dent J. 2013;58(2):200-206.
- Furuta M, Yamashita Y. Oral Health and Swallowing Problems. Curr Phys Med Rehabil Rep. 2013;1(4):216-222. Published 2013 Sep 15.
- Furuta M, Komiya-Nonaka M, Akifusa S, Shimazaki Y, Adachi M, Kinoshita T, Kikutani T, Yamashita Y. Interrelationship of oral health status, swallowing function, nutritional status, and cognitive ability with activities of daily living in Japanese elderly people receiving home care services due to physical disabilities. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2013 Apr;41(2):173-81.
- Miquel-Kergoat S, Azais-Braesco V, Burton-Freeman B, Hetherington MM. Effects of chewing on appetite, food intake and gut hormones: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Physiol Behav. 2015 Nov 1;151:88-96.
- Crinnion WJ. Organic foods contain higher levels of certain nutrients, lower levels of pesticides, and may provide health benefits for the consumer. Altern Med Rev. 2010 Apr;15(1):4-12. Review.
- Barański M, Srednicka-Tober D, Volakakis N, Seal C, Sanderson R, Stewart GB, Benbrook C, Biavati B, Markellou E, Giotis C, Gromadzka-Ostrowska J, Rembiałkowska E, Skwarło-Sońta K, Tahvonen R, Janovská D, Niggli U, Nicot P, Leifert C. Higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues in organically grown crops: a systematic literature review and meta-analyses. Br J Nutr. 2014 Sep 14;112(5):794-811.
- https://presse.inserm.fr/moins-de-cancers-chez-les-consommateurs-daliments-bio/32820/
- Morillo Sarto H, Barcelo-Soler A, Herrera-Mercadal P, et al. Efficacy of a mindful-eating programme to reduce emotional eating in patients suffering from overweight or obesity in primary care settings: a cluster-randomised trial protocol. BMJ Open. 2019;9(11):e031327. Published 2019 Nov 21.
- Mantzios M. Editorial: Mindfulness and Eating Behavior. Front Psychol. 2018;9:1986. Published 2018 Oct 12.
- O’Reilly GA, Cook L, Spruijt-Metz D, Black DS. Mindfulness-based interventions for obesity-related eating behaviours: a literature review. Obes Rev. 2014;15(6):453-461.
- Warren JM, Smith N, Ashwell M. A structured literature review on the role of mindfulness, mindful eating and intuitive eating in changing eating behaviours: effectiveness and associated potential mechanisms. Nutr Res Rev. 2017;30(2):272-283.
- Godfrey KM, Gallo LC, Afari N. Mindfulness-based interventions for binge eating: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Behav Med. 2015;38(2):348-362.
- Friedman M. Analysis, Nutrition, and Health Benefits of Tryptophan. Int J Tryptophan Res. 2018;11:1178646918802282. Published 2018 Sep 26.
- Jenkins TA, Nguyen JC, Polglaze KE, Bertrand PP. Influence of Tryptophan and Serotonin on Mood and Cognition with a Possible Role of the Gut-Brain Axis. Nutrients. 2016;8(1):56. Published 2016 Jan 20.
- Troynikov O, Watson CG, Nawaz N. Sleep environments and sleep physiology: A review. J Therm Biol. 2018 Dec;78:192-203.
- Tavoularis G., Hébel P., «Fruits et légumes : les Français suivent de moins en moins la recommandation», in: Consommations et modes de vies, CREDOC, n°292, ISSN 0295-9976, Juillet 2017
- Aune et al, Dietary fibre, whole grains, and risk of colorectal cancer: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. BMJ 2011.
- Ötles et Ozgoz. 2014. « Health effects of dietary fiber ». Acta Sci Pol, Tech Aliment 191-202.
- Y. Zhu, W. Ling, H. Guo, F. Song, Q. Ye, T. Zou, D. Li, Y. Zhang, G. Li, Y. Xiao, F. Liu, Z. Li, Z. Shi, Y. Yang. Anti-inflammatory effect of purified dietary anthocyanin in adults with hypercholesterolemia: A randomized controlled trial. Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, Available online 17 August 2012, ISSN 0939-4753, 10.1016/j.numecd.2012.06.005.
- Lee S, Choi Y, Jeong HS, Lee J, Sung J. Effect of different cooking methods on the content of vitamins and true retention in selected vegetables. Food Sci Biotechnol. 2017;27(2):333-342. Published 2017 Dec 12.
- Jiménez-Monreal AM, García-Diz L, Martínez-Tomé M, Mariscal M, Murcia MA. Influence of cooking methods on antioxidant activity of vegetables. J Food Sci. 2009;74(3):H97-H103.
- Yuan GF, Sun B, Yuan J, Wang QM. Effects of different cooking methods on health-promoting compounds of broccoli. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B. 2009;10(8):580-588.
- Bastías JM, Balladares P, Acuña S, Quevedo R, Muñoz O. Determining the effect of different cooking methods on the nutritional composition of salmon (Salmo salar) and chilean jack mackerel (Trachurus murphyi) fillets. PLoS One. 2017;12(7):e0180993. Published 2017 Jul 7.
- Andlauer W, Stumpf C, Hubert M, Rings A, Fürst P. Influence of cooking process on phenolic marker compounds of vegetables. Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2003;73(2):152-159.
- Ferracane R, Pellegrini N, Visconti A, et al. Effects of different cooking methods on antioxidant profile, antioxidant capacity, and physical characteristics of artichoke. J Agric Food Chem. 2008;56(18):8601-8608.
- Carcinogens in Tobacco Smoke: Benzo[a] pyrene from Canadian Cigarettes and Cigarette Tobacco, M.J.Kaisennan, W. S.Rickert, American Journal of Public Health, 1992
- Analysis of 200 food items for benzo[a] pyrene and estimation of its intake in an epidemiologic study, N.Kazerounia et al, Food and Chemical Toxicology 39, 2000
- EFSA – https://www.efsa.europa.eu/fr/efsajournal/pub/4104
- INFOSAN – https://www.who.int/foodsafety/fs_management/No_02_Acrylamide_Mar05_fr_rev1.pdf
- Anses – L’acrylamide dans les aliments : https://www.anses.fr/fr/content/l%E2%80%99acrylamide-dans-les-aliments
- Parada H Jr, Steck SE, Bradshaw PT, et al. Grilled, Barbecued, and Smoked Meat Intake and Survival Following Breast Cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2017;109(6):djw299. Published 2017 Jan 5.
- Uribarri J, Woodruff S, Goodman S, et al. Advanced glycation end products in foods and a practical guide to their reduction in the diet. J Am Diet Assoc. 2010;110(6):911-16.e12.
- Tamanna N, Mahmood N. Food Processing and Maillard Reaction Products: Effect on Human Health and Nutrition. Int J Food Sci. 2015;2015:526762.
- Trevisan AJ, de Almeida Lima D, Sampaio GR, Soares RA, Markowicz Bastos DH. Influence of home cooking conditions on Maillard reaction products in beef. Food Chem.
- Virk-Baker MK, Nagy TR, Barnes S, Groopman J. Dietary acrylamide and human cancer: a systematic review of literature. Nutr Cancer. 2014;66(5):774-790.
- Brownlee M. Advanced protein glycosylation in diabetes and aging. Annu Rev Med. 1995;46:223-234.
- Anne Moorhead, S.; Welch, R. W.; Barbara, M.; Livingstone, E.; McCourt, M.; Burns, A. A.; Dunne, A. The Effects of the Fibre Content and Physical Structure of Carrots on Satiety and Subsequent Intakes When Eaten as Part of a Mixed Meal. Br. J. Nutr. 2006, 96 (3), 587–595.
- Haber, G. B.; Heaton, K. W.; Murphy, D.; Burroughs, L. F. Depletion and Disruption of Dietary Fibre. Effects on Satiety, Plasma-Glucose, and Serum-Insulin. Lancet 1977, 2 (8040), 679–682.
- Flood-Obbagy, J. E.; Rolls, B. J. The Effect of Fruit in Different Forms on Energy Intake and Satiety at a Meal. Appetite 2009, 52 (2), 416–422.
- Gustafsson, K.; Asp, N. G.; Hagander, B.; Nyman, M.; Schweizer, T. Influence of Processing and Cooking of Carrots in Mixed Meals on Satiety, Glucose and Hormonal Response. Int J Food Sci Nutr 1995, 46 (1), 3–12.
- Lioger, D.; Fardet, A.; Foassert, P.; Davicco, M.-J.; Mardon, J.; Gaillard-Martinie, B.; Remesy, C. Influence of Sourdough Prefermentation, of Steam Cooking Suppression and of Decreased Sucrose Content during Wheat Flakes Processing on the Plasma Glucose and Insulin Responses and Satiety of Healthy Subjects. J Am Coll Nutr 2009, 28 (1), 30–36.
- Burton, P.; Lightowler, H. J. Influence of Bread Volume on Glycaemic Response and Satiety. Br. J. Nutr. 2006, 96 (5), 877–882.
- Bligh, H. F. J.; Godsland, I. F.; Frost, G.; Hunter, K. J.; Murray, P.; MacAulay, K.; Hyliands, D.; Talbot, D. C. S.; Casey, J.; Mulder, T. P. J.; et al. Plant-Rich Mixed Meals Based on Palaeolithic Diet Principles Have a Dramatic Impact on Incretin, Peptide YY and Satiety Response, but Show Little Effect on Glucose and Insulin Homeostasis: An Acute-Effects Randomised Study. Br. J. Nutr. 2015, 113 (4), 574–584.
- Bleiweiss-Sande, R.; Chui, K.; Evans, E. W.; Goldberg, J.; Amin, S.; Sacheck, J. Robustness of Food Processing Classification Systems. Nutrients 2019, 11 (6).
- Fardet, A.; Rock, E. Perspective: Reductionist Nutrition Research Has Meaning Only within the Framework of Holistic and Ethical Thinking. Adv Nutr 2018, 9 (6), 655–670.
- Louzada, M. L. da C.; Ricardo, C. Z.; Steele, E. M.; Levy, R. B.; Cannon, G.; Monteiro, C. A. The Share of Ultra-Processed Foods Determines the Overall Nutritional Quality of Diets in Brazil. Public Health Nutr 2018, 21 (1), 94–102.
- Moubarac JC, Batal M, Louzada ML, Martinez Steele E, Monteiro CA. Consumption of ultra-processed foods predicts diet quality in Canada. Appetite. 2017;108:512-520.
- Rauber, F.; Louzada, M. L. da C.; Steele, E. M.; Millett, C.; Monteiro, C. A.; Levy, R. B. Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases-Related Dietary Nutrient Profile in the UK (2008–2014). Nutrients 2018, 10 (5).
- Machado, P. P.; Steele, E. M.; Levy, R. B.; Sui, Z.; Rangan, A.; Woods, J.; Gill, T.; Scrinis, G.; Monteiro, C. A. Ultra-Processed Foods and Recommended Intake Levels of Nutrients Linked to Non-Communicable Diseases in Australia: Evidence from a Nationally Representative Cross-Sectional Study. BMJ Open 2019, 9 (8), e029544.
- Martínez Steele E, Popkin BM, Swinburn B, Monteiro CA. The share of ultra-processed foods and the overall nutritional quality of diets in the US: evidence from a nationally representative cross-sectional study. Popul Health Metr. 2017;15(1):6. Published 2017 Feb 14.
- Fardet, A. Characterization of the Degree of Food Processing in Relation With Its Health Potential and Effects. Adv. Food Nutr. Res. 2018, 85, 79–129.
- Costa, C. S.; Del-Ponte, B.; Assunção, M. C. F.; Santos, I. S. Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods and Body Fat during Childhood and Adolescence: A Systematic Review. Public Health Nutr 2018, 21 (1), 148–159.
- Srour B, Fezeu LK, Kesse-Guyot E, et al. Ultra-processed food intake and risk of cardiovascular disease: prospective cohort study (NutriNet-Santé). BMJ. 2019;365:l1451. Published 2019 May 29.
- Costa, C. S.; Del-Ponte, B.; Assunção, M. C. F.; Santos, I. S. Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods and Body Fat during Childhood and Adolescence: A Systematic Review. Public Health Nutr 2018, 21 (1), 148–159.
- Hall KD, Ayuketah A, Brychta R, et al. Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake and Weight Gain: An Inpatient Randomized Controlled Trial of Ad Libitum Food Intake [published correction appears in Cell Metab. 2019 Jul 2;30(1):226]. Cell Metab. 2019;30(1):67-77.e3.
- Vandevijvere, S.; Jaacks, L. M.; Monteiro, C. A.; Moubarac, J.-C.; Girling-Butcher, M.; Lee, A. C.; Pan, A.; Bentham, J.; Swinburn, B. Global Trends in Ultraprocessed Food and Drink Product Sales and Their Association with Adult Body Mass Index Trajectories. Obes Rev 2019, 20 Suppl 2, 10–19.
- Nardocci, M.; Leclerc, B.-S.; Louzada, M.-L.; Monteiro, C. A.; Batal, M.; Moubarac, J.-C. Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods and Obesity in Canada. Can J Public Health 2019, 110 (1), 4–14
- Chambers, Lucy. (2016). Food texture and the satiety cascade. Nutrition Bulletin. 41. 277-282. 10.1111/nbu.12221.
- Tremblay, A.; Bellisle, F. Nutrients, Satiety, and Control of Energy Intake. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab 2015, 40 (10), 971–979.
- Fardet, A. Minimally Processed Foods Are More Satiating and Less Hyperglycemic than Ultra-Processed Foods: A Preliminary Study with 98 Ready-to-Eat Foods. Food Funct 2016, 7 (5), 2338–2346.
- Fiolet, T.; Srour, B.; Sellem, L.; Kesse-Guyot, E.; Allès, B.; Méjean, C.; Deschasaux, M.; Fassier, P.; Latino-Martel, P.; Beslay, M.; et al. Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods and Cancer Risk: Results from NutriNet-Santé Prospective Cohort. BMJ 2018, 360.
- Zinöcker, M. K.; Lindseth, I. A. The Western Diet–Microbiome-Host Interaction and Its Role in Metabolic Disease. Nutrients 2018, 10 (3).
Co-Author
Anthony Berthou
Registered nutritionist, specialist in systemic food issues, teacher to healthcare professionals.
Greatly appreciated read
This may be the best, most concise, article I have seen on addressing the nutritional side of the healthy living equation. Thanks!
Thats for such an easy simple app that doesn’t require so many hoops to get the info and for listings suggestions in the same screen!
Given how easy it is to use I have found my self feeling like a secret shopper scanning almost an entire aisle to find the right shampoo lol
I’m really enjoying the Yuka app, it’s been a real eye opener! I’ve been on a whole food journey since reading Dr Michael Greger. I can highly recommend. You should get together with him!
Love your comments and suggestions. I think it’s an excellent app. When I first started to use it I ended up after my shop with a bottle of water & a Slice OF DRIED BREAD. (Joke) It does make one think is this what I have been eating (rubbish) whilst I was growing up!!!
Watch out for BIG BUSINESS when they discover someone is staring to tell the truth as to what we should be eating instead of their mantra of LOADS OF MONEY. Take care & lots more of the good stuff please.
Great app. Trying to change eating habits.
Interesting. I know these, but seldom see them in writing. I love your app. Have changed .any habits already. My grandson got me to try the app.
I only grocery shop now with your app.
And l am also saving money because of it. Because most of the supermarket products have rubbish in them.
Win win
really good advice thank you
This is great information. Thank you
Prior to using Yuka I’d spend 20-30 minutes shopping. Now it takes about a hour to do my shopping as I’m checking every product for nutritional value. Thanks Anthony.
Great app!!
This information is excellent. Written in a simple, understandable concise manner with actionable steps. I am printing it now! Thank you so much!
Awesome information
Love this app ! Yuka help my husband and I to eat better ! Find my self telling everyone one in the grocery store about Yuka😊! !!!
I am still learning my way around using the app but so far ….it’s great. I also appreciate this article. I normally would have passed on reading it as I am impatience 😂 but I clearly was supposed to read this one. I read the entire article and am trying out some of its recommendations. Thank you
Thank you so much! I found this very insightful in my mission to eat healthier.
Very helpful app thank you
Absolutely love this app. Realized that the word “organic” is used so loosely on products and having this app give me the information and alternatives has been amazing.
Love the app .It help me to eat healthy.Thank you!
I love the app and the way it identifies additives but I wish it would allow for different grades for different diets (keto for example). also, is it possible to highlight (and reduce the score of) seed oils?
It’s realy helped me when I got shopping I no what good to buy and what isn’t thanks
Thank you for sharing this information! It’s a great app!
All great information and ideas.
It is the best app I’ve ever ever ever used. I actually help me my mum my food shopping
Loved the article filled with great information thank you
I really enjoy the knowledge of great eating habits. I would like to join.
Thank you for sharing this information!
Tips are greatly appreciated!
You are misleading people by demonizing saturated fats .They are good for you .
Show the peer reviewed science proving it ,you can’t .
All seed oils are very harmful, except avocado and olive oil but be carefully
Overheated olive oil is not good.
Cook with talo fat.
Cheese that processed is no good.wheats ,grains and the like are no food.
And all carbs turn to sugar.
Quit following the mainstream sat fat is bad it’s not ,!
I agree!
Thank you so much , this is awesome!
Thanks for the article! Surprised not to see anything here on the harmful effects of seed oils? What is your stance?
I have Alpha-gal and can not eat anything with alphgalactos sugar molecules. Xanthan gum, gelatin, butter,milk,beef,pork,bison,venison and much more.450,000 people have this and the number is growing. An app to omit these things would be great.
Excellent information, some things I already know but a good reminder to ensure a balanced diet
Loved this article; full of common sense! Thank you
Excellent information. Love the vegetarian dinner idea!
Thank you.
Don’t use canola oil, it’s a frankenfood. Avoid seed oils all together. Animal fats would be better for you.
In view of the environmental impact of avocados, we recommend eating them only occasionally. Exactly what do you mean by this comment?
All foods can have an environmental impact….it’s not the food, but farming technique. Avocados are very healthy for you.
Love Yuka 🙌🏻
I appreciate how you wrote this article in an easy-to-understand fashion and how you formatted it. I never thought about having savory foods for breakfast and vegetarian for dinner.
Very helpful….
Thanks. A lot to take in but a lot learnt today. With thanks
Wondering if sardines escape toxins in the water that the bigger fish can get
Yuka has helped me immensely in my grocery shopping thank you
Tons of great information! Excellent article!
Really appreciate this information and app .
I think this is a great app, but I’m surprised seed oils are not highlighted as a hazard given their record of causing inflammation in the body
Agree! avoid seed oils
Thank you for your app it helps me in the grocery store & I share it with others.
It is a blessing to eat healthy. Thanks again!
I really love this app, it helps me find things that are good for me and also some bad things that I thought was good.
Have used this app for about 3 weeks and our shopping is very much more informed. I/we recommend the app to everyone. It is so easy to gather the information you need to make better choices when shopping. You don’t have to shop in expensive shops but you can make healthier choices so easily. Just because something purports to be healthy we have found it definitely isn’t.
THANK YOU
I bought the Yuka app and now use it to inform my food choices. We are both very heathy and I always cook from scratch but the app has enhanced my understanding of misleading advertising.
Really helpful info I changed my diet due to ill health and some if the items on your site are really helpful to maintain healthy lifestyle
Thank you so much for posting this article. A lot of these things I have heard of before. Today the article just resonated with me more.
Thank You for thinking of other people health enough to take time to provide much needed rescoures for us all. May God Bless You FOREVER
Hi, I thought the same thing as I was reading. I enjoyed this article.
This is the best site I have been on a friend of mine suggested it,
I downloaded Yuka as I am Type 2 Diabetic, mostly through my own ignorance
I now have it under control, and eating properly with the right foods.
In turn I also feel a lot healthier.
Thank you to Yuka
Worthwhile read!
Some really helpful info.
Thank you
Great information. Thank you.
A great read. Very informative. Thank you.
Excellent information thank you for sharing
Hi Julia
Your app is amazing. I’ve been using it at the supermarket. One thing puzzles me though. I zapped 5 types of mayo, including what is probably the market leader, as well as the supermarket’s own brand. Some of the mayos were full fat, some reduced fat. I chose the mayo with the highest rating (27/100 poor) which happened to be the supermarket’s own brand. On a closer look through all the ratings once I got home, I was disconcerted to find the best (although poor) rated mayo that I’d purchased contains 2 hazardous chemicals including nitrites. I’m puzzled why this mayo warrants 27/100 when for example, the so-called market leader warrants 5/100 presumably due to high fat content.
What is the price of your membership?
Found this very enlightening and have started to scan goods
What does this mean? “ In view of the environmental impact of avocados, we recommend eating them only occasionally.”
Thank you.
Deforestation, carbon footprint, water scarcity and biodiversity are all contributing challenges from avocados. But, they’re definitely delicious and healthy! 😊
I’m obsessed with this app and this article. Much love for all that you do!
Succinct and informative, thank you
Excellent article. Thank you
This is great information and easy to read and understand. I have a better understanding of the why behind the things that we’re supposed to eat. I’m going to share this with some important people in my life.
Thank you,
Thank you for putting it in writing and for going straight to the business.
I distrust the videos: they tend to start with the Genesis, trying to get the viewers’ empathy by offering details about themselves and 10-15 minutes later they are still talking your ears off with not one iota of true information.
Thank you for all helpful information I love this app
I love this app I been telling a lot of my friends and family about how can you get more items in the app if you live in Texas I guess my question is is there a option to scan items so they could get to you if so I’ll love to do it for free I worked at Walmart for 20 years being a comp shopper
I keep getting mailshots imploring me to ‘become a member & support Yuka’. I already subscribed via the iOS app. That’s my limit. The app itself, particularly after subscribing, provides mostly useful information in particular flagging harmful additives. The alternatives provided are also useful but have limitations, for example, a large tub of moisturiser for leg scar injuries could not, at least in my financial situation, be replaced by an astronomically expensive, tiny tub of Garnier offerings. There are some things best ignored, for example, the sermonising admonitions about alcohol in regards to long-standing confectionary favourite of ‘liquorice’.
I like reading Yuka because it not only recommends foods, it also explains why!
Such a helpful app and making better choices is easy with Yuka. Well worth paying for the extra features in my opinion, for easily finding alternative products.
I put a feedback out yesterday through the web site but I’ll do it again here. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in April this year. Without medication I reversed this in 3 months. Mostly it was thro eating better but I also had the help from Oviva, can recommend others checking them out. I also used the NHS food scanner app.
Recently tho I started using Yuka, don’t know how I found you but I think it was recommended. Can I say well done you guys. It’s an excellent scanner. The information you provide is fantastic. One of the item I scanned, because my wife and granddaughter likes it was Bovril. We were gobsmacked to find they use Ammonia caramel. An item currently being investigated by the EU. I used this information to contact Unilever, to ask why they used this. I’ve only had a response to say they would be in touch.
Again thank you guys and I’ll keep looking at your information.
Thank you 👍 My Husband already signed up with you! We are now both Retired and both share the App and it’s already very handy to scan different products for good health, Thank you for sharing a good shampoo I have been trying so many different ones and have now a good match 😊 all keep up the good work Fantastic 👍
There’s a change in me that took a long time coming. YUKA has been instrumental in my new health. I now cook fresh every day. No rubbish food gets through the door, let alone in my mouth.
Yuka has made a wonderful contribution to my everyday live and I love the way I feel thanks so much
Your articles are awesome! I’m a Yuka member and use my app daily. Thank you so much for caring about nutrition and environment and for sharing it in a simple way. Keep the emails coming.
Thank you for the wonderful advice and I thoroughly enjoyed your article. The Yuka App is amazing 🤩 too!!
Keep up the great content…. 🙌🏻👊🏻🫶🏻
Thank you cut your work!! ❤️
You’re amazingly doing such a great job 👏
May God bless you more.
Love Yuka app. I have cancer & changing a lot of products that I have used for years.
I love your app…. Thank you so much for the tips x
I love the yuka app. And use it all the time. Have learned a lot and had some surprises! Can you tell me if there’s an equivalent for checking supplements? (I’ve been looking at ones for arthritis) I tried one on the yuka app and it read the bar code, but just said it didn’t know what ingredients were in the supplement
This is so helpful and am pleased to see that the advice almost totally matches with my new diet App, for ladies around/ post Menopause, RH. I have used Yuka already to find safer make up and hair products and my young granddaughter was delighted that her water choice in a cafe scored 100/100. You are making the change happen thank you. I hope manufacturers also download this app.
This is awesome……………………..
This spell caster brought my ex lover back…
I Got rid of Hsv with his herbal med..
Good article. Keep them coming.
Fabulous advice- Yuka is a great resource for grounded , intelligent and honest information
I am recovering from a colon cancer op (which hopefully was successful) and have sifted through extensive dietary suggestions.
This info sheet and many others on YUKA have condensed the plethora of healthier dietary options into a bite size chunk of goodness. Thank you.
This is a great article, I will definitely incorporate these lessons into my eating habits! I also LOVE the Yuka app!
Love your APP!!!
Thank you for a great article,It makes so much sense!
Thanks for all the useful information
Thank you for the article some of these I wasn’t aware of
Thank you for all the helpful information!
I really appreciate most of your help in selecting healthy products. However, your suggestions promoting eating anything other than plant based foods is not on target…and definitely old thinking.
Why does Aspen Mills honey whole wheat bread (with only 4 ingredients including water) only get 78 when
Grandma Sycamore’s white bread gets a 72 with 16 ingredients including processed white flour and sugar (instead of honey in its original form) and added gluten, citric acid, and soy lecithin? What packaged foods get a significantly higher number?
Ps. Some people need added salt; do some need added gluten?
Yo estoy muy encantada con esta aplicacion ..por que ami encanta cuidarme. y cuidar de mi esposo .y mas si busca lo mejor de lo productos que Sean muy Buenos para nuestra salud. Mil bendiciones
Learned about Yuka a week ago from my daughter and I am in love with this. So helpful and informative!
I feel like I have a new best friend! The app guides my choices! This article gave sound advice! I am grateful for you!!!
A great article to read just before a visit to the shops. The app is invaluable.
A Vorverk Thermomix is a fantastic way to healthy way to incorporate all these healthy ways to eat clean food. No additives, e numbers or preservatives.
All very interesting but I believe that the idea that saturated fat being a contributing factor for heart disease, has now been shown to be false. Saturated fats (stable fats) have been shown to be healthy and not inflammatory unlike omega 6 seed oils. What are your thoughts?
Loved your article. Thank you.
Thank you so much I can’t tell you how much I love you Yuka App and I am steading the word!!!
This was a great read… than you for reminding us of the importance of good clean eating.
Having a hypothyroid condition undiagnosed for years led me down the path of how to use food to counteract Hashimoto autoimmune and what I have learned has shocked me. Many of your recommendations have been proven not true. Strawberries contribute to dementia. Plant fiber is NOT the best for losing weight, statins are hurting people more than helping, eating meat. Yes even burning that carcinogenic hamburger (without the hormones of course doesn’t cause cancer. Over 200,000 years our ancestors cooked meat over fires and their teeth were great, no cavities. What had happened are layer after layer of pesticides on the same farmland (not your great grandmother’s veggies) and feeding chicken and cows corn (which now over 26 countries ban). I love Yuka because you address the additives (we are being literally killed by BIG FOOD. I would suggest you look into reading Lies My Doctor Told Me by Ken D. Berry, MD, FAAFO and a book I shared with a friend The Big Fat Lie (title off) explain g how we arrived to this state and why everyone is overweight…Food is Medicine and it has been tampered with and so…Yuka is a guide but it is always what we don’t know that bites us!
I enjoyed this article. It was full of vital information.
Thank you!
Thank you for your information. I was diagnosed with hyperparathyroidism around 2018. I’m shocked because no one in my family ever had issues with their parathyroids. I personally believe my issue is related to HBP medicine. Of course no one is listening. on my last checkup, my endocrinologist said that they think now that it might be overactive. I can only pray!
I do love the Yuka app and will continue using it. I find it very informative. Thanks Yuka
If the MSM or Feds recommend something to consume, they are supporting their Ag complex. Do the opposite for your health probably holds true. Remember margarine ,,,,, yah, no thanks. less process the better.
Thanks for the information. It will be in my mind someplace to remind me to eat healthier.
Excellent article, Julie. You have summarized a lot of great information in a tight, well-written article. I write about food and nutrition as well as how the thermal properties of foods can affect women with hot flashes on Medium and on my website, http://www.hotflashdiet.com. I wish you all well.
I love the app for the nutrients and additives but is there anything Yuka has which is geared toward a renal diet? I have Stage IV CKD and, while Yuka provides much information, it would be nice to have something geared immediately to CKD.
You may want to check out the Medical Medium series by Anthony William. He details the cause of each disease and how to prevent or improve it. They all have a few common causes – toxins, heavy metals & viruses so by ridding your body of these you can avoid them all. (For myself I was rid of brain fog, memory problems, tinnitus, eye floaters, heart palpitations, hand tremors, acid reflux and more.) There are also specific supplement lists to help see improvements even quicker. The Life Changing Foods book tell which foods help what conditions the most and give an easy recipe for each. For kidney disease there are a dozen foods recommended.
Just got started on this app. Love it Check out the membership. Thank you.
Thanks
Do wish Yuka included supplements too.
I absolutely love this app it has helped me pick healthy choices. Fast and simple
We/You/all of us have a very serious problem with FOOD. Anything we put in our mouths. It’s like trying to teach everyone big and small, about trash. We are a society of consumers, in that vain everything is trash! Especially Cancer.
Thank you for Yuka, great word👀 ☮️
Good info. To the point. Easy to understand.
Thank you so much for this excellent article. I work for a functional medicine doctor. It is informative and well written.
I’m surprised that my diet fits closely to your recommendations, other than I need to adjust the time of day I should eat them. My biggest change is that I will be making salad dressings now. Thanks for sharing this. I’m glad to have Yuka’s help while shopping.
Fabulous app, so helpful when making food and cosmetic choices. This article helps to build on knowledge and give tips to stick to good choices. I just wish my family and friends were as bothered about it all as I am.
I have learned so much since uploading Yuka, thank you for the 10 tips , it was very helpful
Thank you! Simple and concise! That’s all I need!!
Very Helpful and not complicated. Well Done!
Thank you for the informative article. This was really helpful and easy to understand. And, the Yuka🥕 app is a Godsend!
Precise and informative article!! I’ll take note of chewing thorough and yes, be mindful of devoting about 20 minutes for each meal!!!
THANK YOU!!
I use this app at the grocery store all the time now. Choices I would have made thinking they are healthy turn out to be the worst.
This is awesome information. I am going to pass some of this information to my students! I love the information on chewing – who would have known taking the time to chew well could stimulate the brain and increase cognitive thinking!!
So very grateful for this App and all I am learning! God bless you guys!
Hi this is a great article! I have a good understanding of healthy food nutrition but I really learnt somethingsb in this article and found it easy to understand and user friendly with the way it was structured.
Yuka is great I helping me make choices. My diet is complicated as I am diabetic, gluten intolerant and low protein following kidney cancer. Yuka could help extra by showing carbohydrate content.
Yuka is great. As a diabetic and also gluten intolerant, my food choices are complicated. I would very much like to see carbohydrates included in Yuka statistics. Thank you
I am sharing this app with my friends it is very useful information and not just an app
Thank you so much , I use the app EVERY time I shop . Being pre diabetic and hating additives 🙁 yuka is now with me all the time :).
My wife and I very happy with this app I will recommend to friends and family
You had me till you recommended canola and grapeseed oils. They are over processed and very inflammatory….. breaks my heart you would recommend them
Amen! Soy products too are not good for us. My doctor has written an article titled “Death by Soy”.
Very informative
I love this app , my friends and relatives have it now .
I’m pinging away in the supermarket .
I’ve always been very food conscious , I’m a fit healthy 63 year old but this has taken me to another level . !!
So annoyed how all my expensive beauty products are full of demons .
Just bought a new moisturiser and it was 4x less expensive than my usual one .
I love it . Thanks Yuka
I figured if shea butter is what they add to moisturizer, then why not just use that and started ordering raw shea butter. Great moisturizing, but shiny, so I used coconut oil when I didn’t want shine. Eventually, I started making a blend of both, with cocoa butter (or mango butter, etc) and vitamin e. I’ll never go back!
Thank you for the app and all this wonderful information. I’m so tired of reading labels! Does your app address Non-GMO? I’ve got the full version of the app. I’m also wanting to eat only things that are not genetically modified and thanks for the Gluten Free labels too!
An excellent piece very informative and clarifies a lot of misinformation and breaks it down nicely.
very informative and clarifies a lot of misinformation about our foods and what’s truly healthy
This is lovely information regarding foods and vitamins. We’ll know for some healthy folks. But, it’s not easy to accomplish this 10 goals having so many distractions in this world. All food providers just filling with chemicals so it last longer and taste better. I really like what you do here by exposing bad things for the health in products. Not every people get it yet, but hopefully they come around to make world a better pace.
Great nutritional advice. Yuka really helps to determine the good from the bad, and there is a lot bad products out there.
Thanks for the info on meals
Absolutely amazing article, I’m going to be adding this to my diet because I am trying to have a healthy relationship with food and being the healthiest version of me. Thanks so much Yuka!!!
Fantastic information. Thank you
Very helpful and informative!¡
I printed the article called, “The Ten Keys to Healthy Eating,” so we can follow it starting August 1st. Preparing ourselves.
The Yuka app is so very helpful to have a better understanding as to what is healthy and not healthy. That app is contagious! A few of our relatives are now using it because they saw me using it! Thank you, Yuka!
I’m having to watch sugars and potassium and sodium for my husband kidney issues, definitely a struggle to eat the right things but can’t afford to join right now!
Great Article!
Soy? I don’t think so…..
If you are worried about soy and estrogen, newer research has shown that plant-derived estrogens are not the same as animal-derived estrogen. Organic soy products are healthful in many ways. For example, soy has been shown to reduce the incidence of breast cancer. And soy does not affect testosterone , as was once believed, based on a single, out-of -date study.
Here is the research on the benefits of soy, from NutritionFacts.org:
https://youtu.be/vltbg3NUSQs?si=5u6ov1aV1niTyNak
My friend told me about this app and I love it. Now I scan everything at the supermarket and make better choices. I have celiac and have to eat gluten free. I use to think because it’s GF it has to be good but now I’m finding that some of it has too much sodium & sugar. I do read the ingredients but the app really helps. Thank you.
This was a fabulous article lots of great information and I’m really enjoying The Yuka app it helps so much when shopping.
Fun and informative
Thank you for continuing to value nutrition and health in general by articles like this. More power Yuka!
Well, now days , all food is bioengineered. So it makes it even harder to pick and choose. Yes , I’ve bought bananas, zucchini, etc and others. The taste is certainly different, and the size, and weight, not the same as the real thing. I totally avoid them. When I can buy from a farmer I trust and does not used bioengineered seeds from the government. I really like your app. It is very helpful to me. But when the fruit and loose vegetables don’t have a scan code, I avoid those products. Thank you.
Great article! Very interesting and informative. I appreciate it.
Awesome article full of great advice. Thank you!
Does using a microwave pressure cooker help keep nutrients in vegis and chicken instead of stovetop cooking methods?
Thank you Excellent The very Best information for Health!!!
Thanks for your work in choosing excellent products. I am a big fan!
Good review of healthy foods… When cooked at home you have full control over the cooking time and contents. Not so if you are on the road and frequently eat in restaurants. You don’t know what type of cooking oils they use, (assume the cheapest), how often they change the cooking oil, how much salt they use, how long they cook the meat, how much and type of sweetners or sugars are included., farmed fish, caged chicken, etc. States should oversee the restaurants as it is the state/Government that gets stuck withthe major medical bills!
My grandson started me on this app I’m new to it. I started in May. I have learned a lot and will continue to follow good choices. Thanks for all you’re doing to make us more healthy. Continue the good work.
My grandson started me on this app I’m new to it. I started in May. I have learned a lot and will continue to follow good choices. Thanks for all you’re doing to make us more healthy. Continue the good work.
I use this app to teach
all of our visitors at chooselifeabundant.org, our lifestyle center to learn select best options at the shops! The disallowance of hazardous ingredients has a positive effect on our mental health. We love this tool! Kudos to Yuka!
Thank You so much for all the tips in eating healthy. I try to follow these as best I can😎
This was a great article. Concise and informative. I rarely read articles in their entirety but this one has gems that although are not foreign to me they were a great reminder to do what’s right. Kudos to the author!
Thank you for this article it is excellent!
I love your app. I find myself using it almost every time I shop. It has helped me save so much time and money!
Hi, my diet type is plant based. I think Yuka is very useful, informative and an overall great idea to help one another to live a healthier lifestyle. I have forwarded Yuka to so many family and friends. This is exactly what we all need, so thank you.
Love this App
Love your Ap Thank you so helpful!!
Why do you say only eat avocados occasionally? I eat a 1/2 one almost every day
Because of calories?
Also what oil for baking could you recommend
Instead of canola oil ? Thank you
I use avacados oil when I bake or fry
Seed oils are supposed to be pretty bad. I read from Dr. Gundry’s books about foods. I take some of his supplements and have noticed a big improvement in my digestion….
I believe that not all salt is bad for you. Table salt is pure sodium and therefore to be avoided. However genuine Celtic sea salt from France and pink Himalayan salt contain (95+ and 65+ respectively) essential minerals for the human body which should be consumed in small doses in our meals. This information is rarely shared within nutritional advice, but feel that it should be. Not all salt is created equal.
I am enjoying the app and find it very useful.
Kind regards
Thank you for this interesting article. We need people like you to enlighten this world that is going to a scary place
You had me until recommending a vegetarian dinner.
Love my Yuka. It’s shocking to my family that friends and family do not know about this yet.
Reading this was no waste of time. Very helpful, and great tips!😀👍
Thanks for all the information on food. Think about high EOS count and offer some foods that are so popular but harsh on high eosinophils counts on blood test
Thanks for informing me about healthy food restrictions.
I can’t eat the nuts because I’m allergic to all nuts
I only eat sunflower seed just like protein. That’s all.
VERY INFORMATIVE INFORMATION. THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING THESE USEFUL INFORMATION.
10 Tips was much appreciated. Cooking temperatures is tough. Searing is delicious.
Oh well..
I love this app. It has greatly helped me in selecting healthy foods and cosmetics items when I go for shopping. Reading through this article has broading my mind on how to eat healthy foods and steps to take in preparation of the food to optimize the foods nutrients. Thanks so much Yuka team.
Yuka is a game-changer! Just when you think you’ve heard or read it all – learned something new this morning. Keep the last meal vegetarian to promote a restful night. Thank you!
This App has changed our lives! My husband had a recent heart episode causing him to be airlifted to a hospital where a Cardiologist performed surgery with a stent and he was back on his feet within 24 hours!! Wow! What a wake up call! Now we pay closer attention to saturated fats AND “Heart Healthy” foods/meals. LOVE THIS APP! The first night we downloaded it, we went through our entire refrigerator AND cupboards!! We dumped about 1/2 our “food” and didn’t even want to donate these toxins to other people, they went into the trash!! Thank you for your due diligence, your passion, your pictures, and your comparisons. We are so passionate about this App we actually predict “Bad, Poor, Good, Excellent” an have made it a game. We have enlightened all of our friends and family with this App hoping they will make smart choices too! This is a Game-Life-Changer!! We think its crazy how some of these foods can even be legal to sell?!! Thank you for making us more aware and wiser!!! Thanks for your commitment! I’m a member and happily donated to the/our cause/life!
This article has opened my eyes in so many ways! I have been making changes to what I eat since 2019 when I was diagnosed with Systemic Limited Scleroderma.
I thought I was doing a good job keeping with a sensible diet, as I am trying to slow down the progression of Sclerodermas debilitating changes. But I know now that I have some more “tools in my tool chest” to use in my battle with this disease!
My daughter is the one who told me about Yuca. She is an amazing person, packed full of kindness and generosity to all. She became a vegetarian when she was in high school, and has helped me break out of the “programmed mindset” of my generation. I I have so much optimism for the future of good health and mindfulness, because of people like her and your team!
If you have any recommendations specific to Scleroderma, I’d love to know. The section in your article about “chewing” really opened my eyes!
Thank you for what you are doing!
Janet 😁
if you have not discovered Nutrition.org , do so. Dr Greger and team are evidence based, and thourogh
Yes, love nutrition.org and Dr. Greger.
I would check out the info by Anthony William in his Medical Medium book series. All diseases are a result of viruses, heavy metals and toxins. Your issue is discussed in his Liver Rescue book and is caused by an EBV strain along with mercury. He teaches how to rid the body of these causes, which is easily done and luckily solves the issues for all diseases at once. It is done with foods, though supplement lists are given and can speed healing. Every book has many recipes as well. It has healed every issue I had and changed my relationship with food. Truly life changing/saving information!
CANOLA OIL IS NOT HEALTHY!
Canola stands for Canadian Oil Low Acid and is a highly processed INDUSTRIAL oil made from RAPESEED!
The Canadians thought they could process it many times at very high Temps to make it food grade. I will not put it in my mouth!
On the other hand, coconut oil is very healthy, as is avocado oil and extra virgin olive oil.
I agree with you!!! I’d never touch it.
what about cold pressed rapeseed oil? would that be considered less processed and therefore not canola oil? thanks
I have read the same thing , and I will not buy canola oil , also I am staying away from all Geo engineering foods , also farm raised fish , buy only wild caught,
Canola oil is in SO MANY processed foods…yuk.
Thanks so much.
I need and appreciate these practical reminders on getting back to the basics of what I refer to as “clean eating” and how to do it. This encourages me to commit to it.
Great information. There’s a lot of information in the short read. And the “Chewing” part is super interesting!! I have been working on staying away from the processed foods. It’s a process of making good choices and taking time.
Great news and I’ll pay attention now what not yo eat.
It is fantastic. It is amazing and there’s lots of knowledge on here and I love reading about all the food health. And I’ll pay attention to what I will not eat I’ll pay attention to the healthy food I will eat I Pay attention to the vegetables that I eat
It is fantastic. It is amazing and there’s lots of knowledge on here and I love reading about all the food health. And I’ll pay attention to what I will not eat I’ll pay attention to the healthy food I will eat I Pay attention to the vegetables that I eat and I love the app
Thank you so much! Love this app💌
What about frozen fruits and veg? How much do they degrade during freezing and after?
I have read in multiple credible sources (including several PhD’s and MD’s) that canola oil is very bad for you, as the canola seeds become toxic at the high temperatures necessary to extract and refine the oil. But you have it listed here as a good source of Omega-3 fatty acid?
You are so right!
I agree too!!
Those of us that have been diagnosed with AMD are told how our lifestyle is important to slowing the process of the disease and our diet is so important. All information I have seen encourages us to include salmon in our diet. They do warn to eat salmon with the least amount of pollutants.
Even salmon is now farm-raised. It’s flesh is not coral colored like it should be , but is gray and colored by Red pellets. Look for wild caught with no coloring added.
Thanks for the information. Very helpful love this app.
Great information 👍🏻
Thank you for information. Love this app.
Since I found about the Yuca app for buying healthy products make it so easy.Love this app.Thank you
Thanks for the info
I am allergic to eggs so instead I eat blueberries and snack pack of chocolate covered almonds or espresso beans.
I have just started YUKA and love using it while grocery shopping. I just have the “free” app and it is educational to me. Thank you.
I have a question about salt..
I have started taking a small amount of Celtic salt and then drinking water, as I read on instagram that our cells can’t pull the water inside without it…is this true?
I believe this to be correct… genuine French Celtic sea salt has approx 95+ essential minerals for the body and genuine pink Himalayan salt about 65+. Not all salt is created equal, so to just talk about “salt” is misleading….common white table salt should be avoided at all costs as it is purely sodium which is harmful in large amounts and used in many ready meals, fast foods etc etc because it’s cheapest.
Ps I also take a small grain of Celtic sea salt with a glass of water for hydration 👍🏻
I am a big proponent of raw; however, as we age I have found lightly steamed vegetables are more friendly in my gut
Very good read. Its good to know there are educational articles that help point us in the healthy right direction. Thank you for the information. I really enjoy the Yuka ap. Things that I thought were “better” to consume turn out not to sometimes be not the best option.
Thank you for informing me.
Good advice. Accords well with the Zoe programme which I am following. I need to tweek your advice a bit because of pre-diabetic blood sugar readings. Also probably need more protein as older and active!
I’m really enjoying the Yuka app, it really makes me think about what i’m buying/consuming.