“Are you seriously going to eat that?”

Have you ever heard these words while pulling into a Krystal Burger or sheepishly reaching for that second, or maybe third doughnut? Was it someone who was with you condescendingly asking the question or was it actually your body crying out for help through your subconscious?

What we put in our mouths probably doesn’t immediately cross our minds at the point of, “I’m hungry and I need something fast and convenient,” but the long-term consequences, well, they’re not so far away after all. And some of what we once thought harmless actually may be contributing to some of our undiagnosed problems.

Diabetes is predicted to affect 1 out of every 3 Americans within the next 30 years.1  The incidents of obesity, cardiovascular diseases, cancers, osteoporosis, and dental disease have all risen and in many cases become epidemic. Our carefree food choices have actually proven to cause more than just mild cases of heartburn- they actually have pretty serious consequences.

So what do we need to know? Here at Chattanooga Integrated Medicine Center and Ocoee Wellness Center, we want to provide you with helpful information about potentially harmful foods and specific ingredients you should consider leaving out of your pantry and out of your life. Let’s begin with some items you might be surprised to learn have surprising potential consequences:

SOY (phytoestrogen) – Soy is in a large number of our foods like edamame, tofu, miso, vegan meat substitutes, soy sauce, soy milk, soy nuts; most of which are considered to be “health foods”. But soy has been shown to increase estrogen levels in women, potentially increasing the risk of breast cancer. In men, soy has been shown to block testosterone receptors and can have a negative effect by lowering testosterone levels. There is also evidence soy intake may interfere with thyroid function. Though the jury is still out, it’s best to avoid soy.

CORN OIL – Corn oil is found in  a huge number of food products. Corn oil contains a high amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which, according to the United States Department of Agriculture, accelerate the growth of cancer cells, such as prostate tumor cells, and tumor growth.2 Beyond that, corn oil is an inflammatory. Time to reconsider fried foods of all kinds.

We know this is a lot to absorb (pun intended). But if you have questions about how our integrated approach works, do not hesitate to give us a call: 423-499-0003. Next week we’ll look at several more foods to avoid.

1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Article: New CDC report: More than 100 million Americans have diabetes or prediabetes, July 28, 2017.

2 Traister, Jeffrey. Health Risks of Corn Oil. Livestrong.com, 2019.