Below is a list of the Healthy Lives food categories. If you are used to a modern diet high in processed foods, we recommend you do a Fresh Start program first. The program eliminates most sugars and starches from your diet for 24 days to help you achieve a more naturally balanced metabolism. If you’re doing a Fresh Start, observe the exceptions below (*).
The green category contains common healthy foods and drinks. Include these in most if not all of your meals (vegetables and quality protein are a good basis for most meals). If you are using our app, these foods do not need to be earned and are always available.
Vegetables & mushrooms
Vegetables and mushrooms are full of important vitamins and minerals. Ideally, you include vegetables or mushrooms with every meal you prepare. To get maximum nutritional value, vary between:
And use onion and garlic for cooking. It’s healthy and tastes great.
Fish and seafood
Although fish are technically a hunted food, we include it in our green category. Most people should eat more fish, and we want to facilitate that.
Be aware that farmed fish are often fed corn and rice, so try to find wild caught fish whenever you can. Both canned and frozen fish are often wild caught and are cheap alternatives to fresh fish.
Try to eat fatty fish (like salmon, trout, mackerel or sardines) once a week.
Herbs & spices
Any diet is easier to maintain if the foods you eat taste delicious. Herbs and spices are a great way to make every meal delicious. When stocking up on spice mixes, check for added ingredients like wheat/corn starch or soy.
Some spices (like aniseed, vanilla and cinnamon) can be used to give your meals a sweet flavor without adding sugars to it.
Salt
Salt is an essential nutrient that has received a lot of bad press in the past decades. Recent studies suggest that if you have no medical conditions, you probably don’t need to watch your salt intake.
In the Western diet, much of the salt you eat comes from bread and ready meals, both of which you are (mostly) avoiding on the Healthy Lives system. As a consequence, getting enough salt is a bigger worry than getting too much of it. Season all your food to taste, and don’t worry about it.
Although there are many trendy salts available, we recommend using regular table salt. Table salt is often enriched with iodine, a mineral that most people don’t get enough of. It is also up to 25 times cheaper than the trendy alternatives.
Vinegar
For home cooking, we recommend:
If a product contains malt vinegar (or just vinegar), it is fine to use it. Although malt or distilled vinegar is ultimately made from grains, the double fermentation process and distillation ensure that the antinutrients from the grains are destroyed.
Healthy fats & oils
All cooking fats contain both saturated and unsaturated fats. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the best fats for cooking are fats high in saturated fats and monounsaturated fats. These fats are heat stable and don’t oxidize when you cook with them. Cook with:
Avoid fats high in polyunsaturated fats (like seed oils and some nut oils) because they oxidize quickly. Oxidized fats can cause inflammation in your body, potentially leading to atherosclerosis and heart disease.
Fruits *
Fruit is nature’s candy. Fruit tastes great, is a healthy snack and can brighten up most meals. However, selective breeding has made commercial fruits significantly sweeter than the fruits you find in nature. If you eat a lot of fruit, choose tart fruits like berries over sweet fruits like mango or pineapple. Eating 2-3 pieces of fruit every day fits a healthy eating pattern.
This category includes smoothies made from whole fruits and vegetables. Fruit juice and dried fruits cause your insulin to spike and are in our yellow category.
* Fresh Start Exception
If you are doing a Fresh Start, all fruits are in the yellow category (in the fruit group). Although fresh fruits are healthy and contain a lot of valuable nutrients, they are also rich in sugars. As long as your body is adapting to a more natural sugar intake, even fresh fruits are best eaten in moderation.
Condiments *
One of the principles of the Healthy Lives system is that you should make each and every meal as delicious as possible. Although condiments generally contain added sugars and sometimes other red ingredients, we allow condiments in moderation to liven up your meals.
If you find you are increasing the amount of condiments you eat with every meal just to get your sugar fix, we recommend to leave condiments off the menu for a week or two, then slowly reintroduce them.
* Fresh Start Exception
If you are doing a Fresh Start, most of the above condiments will require a cheat to use. Exceptions are mustard (which is in the green category) and soy sauce and mayonnaise (which are both in the yellow category, in the nuts and eggs groups respectively).
Small amounts of added sugar (for cooking) *
Most processed foods contain some amount of added sugar. Although we recommend you cook from scratch, we understand that sometimes convenience will win out. As long as you cook most of your meals from scratch, the odd added sugar will not be a big deal.
Allowing a little of something is always a slippery slope. This allowance is for cooking products only (meals, soups, sauces, condiments). Candy, chocolate, cookies, cake and soft drinks are never OK (unless you spend an earned cheat on them).
* Fresh Start Exception
If you are doing a Fresh Start, you really should cook all your meals from scratch. You are only allowed processed foods if you spend a cheat on them (pro tip: are you sure you want to spend your hard-earned cheat on a ready meal?)
(Carbonated) water
Drink plenty of water. We recommend to start each day with a big glass of water and have a glass of water with every meal. It doesn’t matter whether you drink regular or carbonated water, so drink the one you prefer.
You are allowed to drink flavored waters, but check the ingredient list. The only ingredients you want to find on there are water and natural flavors.
Black coffee & tea
Drink black coffee and tea without sugar or sweeteners. If you have earned cream for today’s menu, you can add a splash of cream.
Coffee contains caffeine, a powerful stimulant which can interfere with your sleep patterns. We recommend you don’t drink coffee after noon. If you can do without it, it would be best to avoid caffeine altogether, but for most people this is a good start.
The yellow category contains principally healthy foods that are best enjoyed in moderation. Vary between these to make sure you get a good balance of nutrients. If you are using our app, these are the foods you need to earn from day to day.
Potatoes
Potatoes are a starchy root from the nightshade family. But potato starches are mostly resistant starch. This means they are not digested in the small intestine but reach your large intestine intact. There, your gut flora digest them, producing beneficial fatty acids. To get the most out of your potato starch, cool them after cooking.
Avoid bagged crisps and restaurant french fries, because most factories and restaurants used refined seed oils for frying.
Whole grains *
For many years, we have been taught that whole grains are a central piece of our daily meals. But the truth is you really don’t need whole grains in a healthy diet. Although whole grains provide fibers, they also contain antinutrients and there is mounting evidence that eliminating grains from your diet could have a positive effect on your health. If you eat a balanced, natural diet, you can get the fibers you need from vegetables and fruits. There is nothing in grains you cannot get from other foods.
We include whole grains in our yellow category because we believe allowing former staples in moderation helps you stick to your diet restrictions. But regard whole grains as an occasional treat (like nuts or dark chocolate). For example, have a slice of bread or a small but tasty pasta side to accompany your big salad. Your meals should always be centered around vegetables and quality proteins.
Make sure you buy whole grain bread and not just refined bread with added coloring. The healthiest option is to go for traditional sourdough bread.
* Fresh Start Exception
If you are doing a Fresh Start, you will need to spend a cheat to eat whole grains. Whole grains are starchy foods that spike your insulin levels. They are also firmly connected to Western food culture and don’t help you adopt new healthy habits.
White rice *
Rice is a processed starchy grain, which should put it squarely in our red category.
However, white rice is also a comparatively clean food, and it contains very few substances other than pure starch. You can of course eat whole grain rice, but feel free to use white rice from time to time.
Like with potatoes, the starches in rice improve if you cool the rice first (sushi time!)
* Fresh Start Exception
If you are doing a Fresh Start, you need to spend a cheat to include rice in a meal. Rice contains too much pure starch and spikes your insulin levels without providing much in the way of nutrition.
Quinoa *
Quinoa is not a grass, but related to leafy greens like spinach and lettuce. Its seeds are more nutritious than grains, and it is one of the few vegetables to contain a complete protein, making it a popular choice if you’re a vegetarian. It does cause your insulin to spike, so once again moderation is key here.
* Fresh Start Exception
If you are doing a Fresh Start, eating quinoa requires a cheat. If you’re a vegetarian, you can allow yourself one meal with quinoa each week to help you get enough quality protein.
Nuts
Nuts have been part of the natural human diet for many thousands if not millions of years. Nuts are highly nutritious and provide a lot of value in a small package.
While eating nuts is generally healthy, it’s good to bear in mind that nuts are a pain to collect in the wild. You certainly wouldn’t be eating 16oz. bags of them. A natural portion of nuts would be a small handful once or twice a day.
Legumes
Legumes include peas, lentils, (hard) beans and peanuts. They also include soy, but we list soy products separately.
Legumes are not vegetables but seeds. As a consequence, they need to be thoroughly soaked and cooked before consumption. Additionally, most beans have a high starch content, so try to eat them in moderation.
If you’re a vegetarian, legumes can be a good source of protein, in addition to eggs, cheese, yogurt and a variety of vegetables (including mushrooms).
Green beans and garden peas are treated as a vegetable (these are in the green category).
Fermented soy products
Raw soy is especially rich in antinutrients and we recommend to limit their use as much as possible. But traditional fermentation techniques eliminate most of the antinutrients. As a consequence, fermented soy products are fine to use in moderation.
Fermented soy products include:
Unfermented soy products like tofu, soy milk and regular soy sauce are all in our red category. It’s also best to avoid products that contain soy as an additive as much as possible.
Some people are sensitive to soy proteins, with symptoms ranging from hives and swollen lips to shortness of breath and nausea. If you experience similar symptoms, you may want to leave soy out of your diet for a few weeks to see if they improve. If you do turn out to be sensitive to soy, avoid all soy products. And avoid cow milk products to be safe, because they contain similar proteins.
Dark chocolate *
Although chocolate is generally considered candy (not unjustified in the case of white and milk chocolate), cocoa beans are actually highly nutritious. They have a healthy fat profile with a high concentration of monounsaturated fats. They are also full of flavanols, micronutrients that have been shown to protect against cardiovascular disease.
The darker you like your chocolate, the better. Although really dark chocolate (70-85%) is an acquired taste, nothing beats it once you get a taste for it. We advise you to really try.
Think of chocolate more as a supplement than a food. Have a few squares now and then, but don’t eat entire bars at a time.
* Fresh Start Exception
If you are doing a Fresh Start, you will need a cheat to eat chocolate. The high sugar content in chocolate (even dark chocolate) may interfere with resetting your metabolism.
Dried fruits
Drying fruit makes the sugars in fruit more available. This means they cause bigger insulin spikes and puts dried fruits in the yellow category.
Eat dried fruits like you would eat nuts. At most have a small handful at a time and make sure you eat them to fuel an active life.
Fruit juice *
Juicing fruit makes the sugars in fruit more available. This means fruit juices cause bigger insulin spikes (like all sugary drinks).
We recommend you always dilute fruit juice, especially store bought juice. A ratio of 3 parts water to 1 part juice is best. You can use carbonated water for a refreshing drink.
Smoothies made from whole fruits and vegetables are part of the green category.
* Fresh Start Exception
If you are doing a Fresh Start, you will need a cheat to drink fruit juice. The high sugar content causes insulin spikes and interferes with the program.
Alcohol (1 glass) *
Although alcohol is on our red list, scientific consensus is that 1 glass of alcohol has a beneficial effect on health. Recent studies also suggest that beer, wine, cider and spirits may all have the same effect on health. Cocktails and other sugary mixes are counted as sugary drinks and firmly in our red category.
Drink a maximum of 1 glass of alcohol per day, and be sure to have alcohol free days as well. If you suffer from fitful sleeps, try having it with dinner instead of just before bed.
Opening a bottle of wine can give you the feeling you need to finish it, because it will not taste as good tomorrow. Buy a vacuum pump with special stoppers to keep your wine fresh for days.
* Fresh Start Exception
If you are doing a Fresh Start, any amount of alcohol you want to drink requires a cheat. If you can manage it, we recommend you avoid all alcohol during your program, as this will really help you reset your metabolism.
Eggs
Eggs are extremely nutritious and versatile in the kitchen. Unfortunately, for the last few decades, the official advice has been to limit your intake of eggs because they contain cholesterol. But evidence is piling up that cholesterol is not only harmless but an essential nutrient that contributes to many important bodily functions. High LDL can be an indication of health problems but limiting cholesterol intake is not the correct response. The correct response is to eliminate all factors that can induce inflammation, including smoking, stress and excessive sugar consumption.
It’s time to take eggs off the naughty step and recognize them as the superfood they are. Choose eggs from naturally fed animals when possible.
Beef, pork & lamb
Meat is a great source of quality protein and certain vitamins and minerals. Red meat, and especially processed meats, have been indicated in increasing the risk of bowel cancer. Although the findings are not without controversy, it is likely that the unnatural feeds and high stress of our modern food chain are not producing the healthiest meat.
Try to go for organic, grass fed meat whenever you can and avoid processed meats as much as possible. Vary your protein intake by sometimes replacing your meat with fish, eggs or legumes.
Poultry
Chicken and turkey are good choices for lean meat and an excellent source of high quality proteins.
Choose organic, naturally fed poultry whenever you can and limit your intake of industrially fed poultry.
Cheese
Cheese is a great source of fat and protein, making it especially valuable for vegetarians.
Generally speaking, aged cheese (like gouda, parmezan and emmental) has a lower lactose content and is the healthier choice. Fresh cheese (like cottage cheese, mozzarella and feta) has a higher lactose content and is best avoided or eaten in moderation.
Although milk consumption appears natural, cow milk is not human milk. Many people are sensitive to cow milk, with symptoms ranging from hives to shortness of breath and vomiting. If you experience similar symptoms, you may want to do a Reset to see if the symptoms improve.
If you do turn out to be sensitive, you can try goat’s cheese as an alternative. Or you can choose to avoid all dairy products. As long as you eat a natural diet with quality proteins (eggs, fish, meat) and plenty of vegetables (for calcium), you don’t need dairy products. Also avoid all soy products, because they contain similar proteins.
Yogurt
Although yogurt contains more than 2% lactose, the probiotics in yogurt help you digest it. As a consequence, yogurt is much healthier than unfermented milk.
Avoid sweetened yogurts and try to find full fat yogurt from grass-fed animals. Kefir is a healthier alternative that contains less lactose and is not based on cow milk (see the cheese section for advise on cow milk sensitivity).
Cream *
Cream contains many saturated and monounsaturated fats and only a few polyunsaturated fats. This makes it great for cooking and occasionally adding to your black coffee (as a treat, not a habit). It does contain some lactose, so use in moderation.
* Fresh Start Exception
If you are doing a Fresh Start, cream will require a cheat to use. The significant lactose content can cause insulin spikes but more importantly avoiding cream helps you build healthier daily habits.
The red category contains foods that have little or no nutritional value and should be avoided as much as possible. You can earn cheats that allow you one meal or snack with no restrictions.
If you are using our app, there are three ways to earn a cheat:
If you are not using our app, we recommend you introduce some other way to occasionally earn a cheat (preferably linked to a personal exercise goal). Or you can set yourself a weekly cheat allowance.
Refined grains
Grains, or more correctly cereals, are the seeds of grass plants. Uncooked, most grains are inedible. This makes them highly durable and easy to store, making them a profitable commercial crop.
Unfortunately, the refined grains used in most commercial bread, pasta, pizza and bakery products contain very few beneficial nutrients. This means that what you are eating is mainly starch. This causes your insulin to spike and it pushes other, more nutritious food off your plate. If 40-50% of what you eat is based on grains, this means you are missing out on 40-50% of the micronutrients you could be eating.
You can earn whole grains by exercising, but eat them occasionally as a side dish. Healthy meals should always be based around vegetables and quality proteins, never around starchy foods.
Unfermented soy
Soy is naturally rich in antinutrients. During fermentation, enough of these antinutrients are destroyed that soy can be consumed safely. However, unfermented soy products like tofu, edamame and soy milk still contain many antinutrients and are best avoided.
Seed oils
Commonly used seed oils include sunflower oil, canola oil, soybean oil and rapeseed oil. These seeds are not naturally oily, and intense processing is often required to squeeze the oil out of them.
Added to this, seed oils are often rich in polyunsaturated fats, which are susceptible to oxidation. The high processing combined with the unstable fat composition means most seed oils are already oxidized when they arrive in your home. Cooking will oxidize them further.
Oxidized fats can cause inflammation in your body, leading to diseases like atherosclerosis, heart disease and even cancer.
Using oils that come from naturally oily crops like olives and avocados reduces the amount of processing necessary. The fat composition of these oils is also better, with less polyunsaturated fats and more monounsaturated fats. Alternatively, use animal fats or butter when you’re cooking.
Sugary snacks & drinks
Sugar is itself not poisonous or antinutritious. In fact, our brain normally needs glucose to be able to function. But glucose can be made in your body so there’s no need to eat big loads of it.
The problem with sugar is that eating it sets off a series of hormonal reactions, the most important of which is the production of insulin to help your body process the extra sugar input.
If you eat a balanced diet, this is fine. Sometimes you eat a bit more sugar and starch and your insulin level rises. Then your body digests it and it goes down again. But in an unbalanced diet (such as our Western diet), we eat so much sugar and starch that our insulin levels are always high. This can lead to insulin resistance, which can eventually lead to diabetes and worse. Short term, our high insulin levels lead to erratic energy levels, post lunch and dinner dips and an almost constant craving for more sugar.
Because the problem with sugar is mainly to do with quantity, we do allow some added sugars to be used during cooking. But stay away from pastries, candy, chocolate, soft drinks and other “empty” sweet foods. They are the main reason you are not feeling as great as you could feel.
And don’t let yourself be fooled that trendy sugar substitutes are better. Honey or agave nectar may be a bit more natural, but to your body it’s all sugar. There is some debate over natural sweeteners like stevia, which may be a healthier substitute to sugar. Our recommendation is to train yourself to like your food and snacks a little less sweet. If you constantly sneak in sweet things, you will never leave your old cravings behind.
Artificial flavors and additives
Many chemical compounds that were first found safe for consumption have later been shown to be unsafe. The prudent thing to do is to avoid artificial additives as much as possible.
We make an exception for the following additives, which can be used freely:
Milk
Although other dairy products are in our yellow category, milk contains more lactose and may cause reactions even in people that are not officially lactose intolerant.
In essence, milk is a sugary drink with some fat and protein in it. Like all sugary drinks, the liquid sugars are quickly absorbed in your body and can cause a significant insulin spike. Although there are also some beneficial nutrients in milk, there are healthier ways to get them.
Alcohol
Alcohol is mankind’s favorite poison. It impairs our judgment and lowers our inhibitions. It troubles our sleep and leaves us hung over in the morning. No wonder we love it.
Apart from its own high caloric content, alcohol triggers the munchies. And because it also lowers inhibitions, it is hard not to go on a fast food rampage when you are drinking alcohol. On top of this, alcohol impairs your sleep. When you are tired, you are also more likely to gorge on sugary snacks.
Scientific research suggests that 1 glass of alcohol per day could be beneficial to your health (which is why we allow 1 glass in our yellow category). That said, if you don’t need alcohol, it’s obviously best to avoid it.
