Foods That Can Burden the Body

Most foods contain some nutrients. But certain everyday items can burden the body more than they nourish it, especially during illness or recovery. When you are actively trying to heal, it helps to notice which foods support you — and which ones you may want to limit or set aside for a while.

Inflammation

Fried foods, processed sugars, and certain oils may contribute to inflammation. Responses to dairy and eggs vary from person to person.

Gut & flora

Highly processed, low-fiber foods and certain additives may unbalance intestinal flora and crowd out the beneficial kind.

Hidden chemicals

Conventionally produced dairy and meat may carry traces of hormones, antibiotics, and pesticides — labels and sourcing help you choose.

Digestive burden

Rich, fried, and hard-to-process foods can pull on the liver, kidneys, and the body's resources — especially while healing.

Dairy

Cow's milk is the perfect food — for baby cows. It offers people protein and calcium, but many find its proteins, fats, and sugars harder to process: lactose intolerance, milk-protein allergy, congestion, digestive discomfort, and skin flare-ups are all common reasons families step away from it. For a child who is constantly ill, a break from dairy may be well worth exploring.

Meat & fish

Meat and fish contain nutrients — protein, iron, B12, and omega-3 fats — but they can also ask a lot of the body when the liver is already working hard. Eating high on the food chain concentrates whatever an animal was exposed to, so quality matters: buy organic when you can, choose varied protein sources, and skip heavily charred cooking. Many people find they feel better with less red or processed meat while healing, and processed meats are best kept as rare treats.

Eggs

Eggs provide protein, choline, and several vitamins and minerals — and they're also one of the most common allergens. Some people notice they feel better with fewer eggs while dealing with inflammation or working through a healing season. Let your own experience lead: if eggs seem to stir up symptoms, they're an easy one to set aside for a while.

Sugar

Glucose is the perfect fuel for the body's engine — in whole-food form. Fresh fruit can be enjoyed frequently and abundantly, and vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, and squash are also a good source of natural sugar. Processed, fake, and synthetic sugars are different: diets high in them may burden the liver and metabolic health, spike blood sugar, and contribute to inflammation. Concentrated sugars can be especially hard on the body when eaten alongside a lot of fat, which asks even more of the liver and pancreas.

Fat

Fat has many functions in the body: omega-3, 6, and 9 fats are essential for the brain and endocrine system. Fats are most beneficial in whole-food form — avocados, seeds, nuts, coconut, and other plant foods. When you do cook with fat, choose an oil suited to the heat: fried foods are hard for the liver to process, and high-temperature cooking can create undesirable compounds. Even good fats are easiest on digestion in moderation.

GMO foods

Corn, soy, canola, and sugar beets are the most common bioengineered crops in the U.S. If you'd rather keep them out of your kitchen, organic certification and non-GMO labels make that easy — many families choose organic for health reasons. It also helps to know where the sugar and oil in a packaged product come from, since corn and soy derivatives show up in many ingredient lists.

Food additives

Additives such as MSG, "natural flavors," artificial flavors, and hydrolyzed proteins are worth watching if you prefer food that's simply food. Read ingredient lists and make sure you recognize what each one is — the simplest path is choosing products whose ingredients you'd keep in your own kitchen. If you notice a sensitivity to a particular additive, trust your experience and leave it out.