Do you want to improve focus, memory, and overall cognition as you age? In order to do that, it’s time to stop robbing your brain of the nutrients it needs. You can think sharp and boost brain function by eating leafy greens, whole grains, berries, nuts, seeds, beans, and olive oil. Instead of eating foods that nourish the brain, a high percentage of American adults tend to consume more unhealthy foods that sap their smarts. 

Some foods negatively impact the brain, increasing the risk of mood swings, impairing memories, and accelerating dementia. Experts estimate that about 65 million people worldwide will be affected by dementia by the year 2030. That’s only nine years away, people, but it doesn’t have to be the reality. There are many foods that can help reduce the risk of cognitive decline. You can click here to learn more about foods that boost brain health, but continue reading to learn about the foods negatively affect the brain.

Fake Meat

Despite how trendy it is, fake meat is one of the worst foods for your brain, according to several dietitians. There isn’t a lot of data to support this claim, but the reason it’s in this article is because plant-based meats encourage the consumption of highly-processed foods. Fake meats undergo serious manufacturing and contain numerous processed ingredients. Even fast-food restaurants serve these options, encouraging fried food consumption. If you want to eat less meat, simply focus on real vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. Don’t resort to foods that people make in a lab. 

Highly Processed Foods

To the point above, eating foods that are highly processed increases your consumption of sugar, salt, and added fats. Chips, instant noodles, ready-made meals, sweets, and store bought sauces fall into this category. One study found that people with larger amounts of visceral fat around their organs had a higher risk of brain damage. A different study observed a significant decrease in brain tissue in people going through the early stages of metabolic syndrome. Consuming highly processed foods exposes the body to unhealthy ingredients that can lower sugar metabolism and memory scores, according to several studies. 

Sugar-Sweetened Beverages

Sugar-sweetened drinks include sweet tea, energy drinks, diet drinks, or any beverage with high fructose corn syrup. Drinking a lot of sugary beverages can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, which can increase Alzheimer’s development. Several animal studies found that high fructose intake leads to insulin resistance in the brain. Additionally, high fructose intake can reduce overall brain function, which impairs memory and the formation of brain neurons. Drinking sugar beverages can also lead to obesity, high blood pressure, and high blood fats. All of these aspects heighten the risk of metabolic syndrome, which increases the chances of developing dementia. 

Alcohol

A 2019 study observed over 3,000 adults over the age of 72. The researchers noticed that people who drank more than 14 alcoholic beverages per week experienced mild cognitive impairment. Those same participants were also 72% more likely to progress to dementia than participants who had one drink or less per week. Some studies found that light drinking may be cognitively protective over time, but the key is the amount that a person drinks. The type of alcohol and what it’s mixed with also influences cognitive function or decline. 

Fish High In Mercury

Mercury is a neurological poison and heavy metal contaminant that animal tissues can store for a long time. Predatory fish tend to have the highest mercury concentration, carrying over one million times the concentration of their surrounding water. Fish that contain high levels of mercury include shark, swordfish, orange roughy, and ling. It does exist in other fish, but those species have the highest levels. Ingesting a lot of mercury can negatively affect the brain, liver, kidneys, and more. Mercury toxicity can disrupt the function of the central nervous system and neurotransmitters, increasing the risk of neurotoxicity and brain damage. Wild caught fish contain beneficial nutrients, including iron, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, and vitamin B12. Eating two to three servings a week can be beneficial, but steer clear of those high-mercury fish we mentioned. 

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The obstacle that prevents dietary change is not the consumption of different foods; rather, it is the notion that eating healthier is expensive. If you compare the price of a salad or vegan entrée to a combo meal at a fast-food restaurant, it is clear that it costs more to eat out if you are eating plant-based. That reality isn’t the same for buying plant-based groceries, though. In fact, you can save a lot of money on groceries by switching to a plant-based diet, provided you do it right.

It’s easy to associate plant-based eating with higher grocery bills. This is because people associate veganism or vegetarianism with Whole Foods, Sprouts, or other health food stores. It is our duty to let you in on a little secret: every grocery store has plant-based foods. From your local ethnic market to Ralphs or Winco stores, you can buy affordable foods from the essential plant-based food groups: vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains. In fact, if you are only buying within those four food groups, it is very easy to grocery shop without spending your entire paycheck. We have some great tips to help you shop smarter and healthier, all while saving you money. You can do this!

Find The Market With The Best Prices

The closest market to your home isn’t always the most affordable place to shop. It is often worth it to drive a couple extra miles to a grocery store that is kinder to your wallet. Produce can be expensive at health food stores, while ethnic markets and Trader Joes, for instance, offer great prices on the same items.

Buy Dried Legumes Instead Of Canned Varieties

It’s easy to grab a can of black beans or chickpeas, and it’s even easier to cook with them. Legumes are staples in the world of plant-based eating, but you can spend a lot on canned varieties. Not to mention, canned legumes are often loaded with sodium and other preservatives. Opt for dried beans when you can because you get more bang for you buck, and they are free of preservatives. You can always soak the dried legumes overnight or make them in a slow cooker or Instant Pot.

It’s All About Budget-Friendly Proteins

Fake meats are all the rage in this modern age, but the truth of the matter is that they are overly processed and expensive. Some Beyond Meat products or fake meats will cost a lot more than a bag of lentils or quinoa, which extend to several meals. The same goes for dried legumes (see the above tip). Add chickpeas to your salad instead of using mock chicken. Additionally, many vegetables are excellent sources of protein. Click here for some of the best plant protein options.

Try To Only Shop Once A Week

It is best to make a meal plan or gather a collection of potential recipes you’d like to make for the week. This allows you to stock up on items until your next trip. If you have to continually go back to the store, you will most likely spend more money than you need to.

Superfoods Are Great, But Don’t Focus On Them

When we refer to “superfoods,” we are talking about green powders, wheatgrass shots, acai packs, maca powder, and goji berries. All of those foods have their place, but not in your house if you are on a budget. Those items will lead to an extremely high grocery bill that you simply can’t stomach. Many fruits and vegetables contain similar nutrients and health properties to those trendy superfoods. Instead of acai packs, get a large bag of mixed frozen fruit. Add kale or spinach to your smoothies instead of green powders or spirulina. Cut back on these foods and it’ll save you lots!

Make Affordable Recipes

Cheap or affordable meals do not have boring or bland flavors. These meals are all about making frugal foods the stars of your dishes. There are many budget-friendly foods that can be transformed into delicious entrees. You can make lentil stew, black bean and sweet potato chili, vegetable stir-fry, or spiced chickpea tacos.

Don’t Panic If You Can’t Buy Organic

While it is a nice thought to only purchase organic produce, it can’t always be done from a budgetary standpoint. Our main advice: buy organic when it’s feasible to do so. Try your best to buy organic when it comes to the dirty dozen/clean 15 recommendations, but don’t feel guilty or bad if you can’t.

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Maybe you read that your favorite musician or actor went vegan, or perhaps you saw a vegan propaganda documentary that convinced you to give up meat. There are those who contemplated making the switch to a vegan or vegetarian diet, but didn’t want to give up the taste or texture of meat. Then, all of a sudden, fake meats skyrocketed to popularity, making it seem that giving up meat was easy.

People have become obsessed with faux meat options, thinking that they are making healthier food choices by ordering Beyond Meat or Impossible Burgers. What people fail to recognize is that these new non-meat options are heavily processed and often contain ingredients like expeller-pressed canola oil, natural flavors, gum arabic, succinic acid, refined coconut oil, maltodextrin, pea protein or potato protein, annatto extract, potato starch, xantham gum, and non-GMO modified food starch, depending on the product.

The Fake Meat Debate

In the heat of the fake meat craze, the ultimate question has become: Are fake meats healthier than real meat? Given that there is a processed food complex and unhealthy factory farming in the United States, there is no clear-cut answer to give. One study in the Journal of the American Medical Association noted that people should be aware of the risks of diets that are high in processed, antibiotic-rich red meat, but they should also be cautious of the effects of processed fake meat alternatives.

One concern that many nutritionists have with these faux meats is that some contain glyphosate, which is an active ingredient in Roundup. In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified glyphosate as a probable carcinogen, and California followed suit in 2017, mandating that all products containing that ingredient have warning labels on the packaging. A 2016 review of human and animal studies linked glyphosate to kidney and liver damage, in addition to endocrine disruption. Nutritionists know that glyphosate disrupts the gut microbiome, but they are more concerned with the potentially harmful effects that haven’t been exposed yet.

The Bottom Line

If you want to make the switch to a vegetarian or vegan diet, it is recommended to focus on real foods that are nutritionally dense. Fresh is always best, and it’s best to avoid processed and refined food products as much as possible. But…we understand that some people want to eat foods that remind them of meat, which is why we post recipes of how you can eat meat-like meals on a plant-based diet. Check out the following meat-less recipes that are healthier and better tasting than faux meats.

Jackfruit “Chicken” Salad

Forget about the chicken because we have jackfruit! This “chicken” is filling, creamy, and will keep you coming back for more.

Click here to make the recipe.

Raw Mock “Chicken” Salad

This recipe doesn’t taste like chicken, but the different vegetables and bold flavors definitely make you think that you are eating chicken salad. Try it out and taste for yourself.

Click here to make the recipe.

Raw “Tuna” Collard Wraps

If you are tired of eating salads and want a meal that will make you appreciate the possibilities of raw food, or a meal that is reminiscent of a tuna sandwich, you need to try these wraps.

Click here to make the recipe.

Jackfruit Carne Asada

Flavors are not limited to certain diets. You can use seasonings with vegan ingredients to create dishes you know and love like this recipe.

Click here to make the recipe.

Raw Lettuce Tacos With “Chorizo” And Salsa

Skip the soy and make your “chorizo” out of nuts and spices! This recipe bursts with flavor in every bite! It’s a party in your mouth, a party to taco ’bout ;)

Click here to make the recipe.

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When it comes to starting a new diet, people are always worried about the cost. Will it cost me more money to eat healthy? Unless you are only buying the rarest fruits and vegetables known to man, you won’t break the bank when you become a vegan or vegetarian. Let’s say that it costs the same as your regular diet, or slightly more. Would you spend a few extra dollars on groceries to ensure a healthier body and future? Would you rather spend a little less on unhealthy groceries and more on hospital expenses later in life? That is the real question when it comes to dietary changes.

The recommended daily intake (RDI) of nutrients you are supposed to have is based on a 2,000-calorie per day diet. This model suggests 2 cups of fruit, 2.5 cups of vegetables, and at least 3 ounces of whole grains every day. On average, Americans consume about half or less than half of those servings. Most Americans are focused on getting too much protein and often leave healthy foods by the wayside. The kicker is that animal products like meat, eggs, and dairy can cost a lot more than fresh fruits and vegetables!

Here are some statistics about the Standard American Diet (SAD):

• The SAD has led to increased rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and premature death.
• Calories consumed have increased, not decreased.
• Complex carbohydrates in plants have been replaced by refined flours and simple sugars.
• Healthy fats in plant-based foods have been replaced with trans fats and oils.
• The percentage that you reduce your risk of heart disease by eliminating eggs, meat, and dairy products from your diet is over 90%.
• Women who eat meat are 4 times more likely to develop breast cancer than women who don’t eat meat.
• The average risk of heart attack for American vegetarians is less than 4%.

Is Going Plant-Based Expensive?

If you buy faux meat, produce, or packaged food that traveled half way across the globe to get to your local supermarket, chances are it’ll cost you a pretty penny. Instead, it serves you better to buy produce that is in season. Buying seasonal produce not only means that it will be less expensive, but it also means that it is the freshest produce. For example, peaches are in season during the summer months. If you try to buy them in the winter, they will be much more expensive, as they are not readily available.

Food Waste

Americans are experts at wasting food. One of the best ways to save money and waste less food is to actually eat the food you buy. When you buy fresh produce, you have to learn how to store it so that it can last long. For example, a bunch of kale will last longer if you wrap it in damp paper towels, as opposed to suffocating it in a plastic bag in a drawer in your fridge. Additionally, you may buy a bag of spinach and it starts to wilt before you use it all. Try blending it in your smoothies, sautéing it with veggies, adding it to pasta sauces, or using it as a salad base to ensure that you eat the entire bag.

When you go plant-based, you can also save on the cost of medication, provided you are taking it. We aren’t saying that vegetarians get deals on medication. No, no, no. We are saying that eating a healthy plant-based diet can help get you off medication, which means you won’t need to spend money on it anymore. There are all kinds of ways to save on a plant-based diet, so try it out, or start small by doing meatless Mondays.

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Originally discovered in Southeast Asia, soy is a subtropical plant that can be found in many shapes and sizes. A member of the pea family, soy has played a major role in Asian countries.

Introduced to the United States in the 1800s, soy has become widely cultivated and produces large-scale food products. In fact, Mid-western states produce almost half of the world’s supply of soybeans.

Benefits

Low in fat and cholesterol, soy is a rich protein source that can be very beneficial to one’s health. Soy protein contains iron, fiber, magnesium, vitamin K, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Due to its healthy nutrients, soy protein is often used as an alternative for animal protein.

Disadvantages

Eating raw and vegan foods that do not contain soy is the healthiest option. Soy protein is a healthier alternative to animal protein, but should not be consumed excessively.

Soy, along with corn, is the most genetically engineered crop on the planet. It has been genetically modified for financial reasons, rather than nutritional reasons. Always make sure that the soy is not genetically modified. Modifying the genes of a food creates proteins that are not naturally found in its chemical structure. If the product is an organic certified food, it has not been genetically modified. Choosing an organic certified food is always the healthiest option.

Soy’s phyto-estrogen is also suspect. Many companies promote soy for its phyto-estrogen content. Plants and herbs are more natural alternatives to soy. These plants and herbs are also high in phyto-estrogens:

• Red clover tops
• Red raspberry leaf
• Black Cohosh root

Fermented Soy Products

Like most health products, soy can be very beneficial to one’s health if it is organic and properly treated. During the fermentation process, the “anti-nutrients” are reduced and its benefits become easily digestible.

Soy fermentation techniques were discovered over 5,000 years ago in China. Fermentation allows for easy digestion and can produce many varieties of soy. These are the primary fermented soy products that are commonly found:

• Tempeh: a soybean cake that has firm, nutty texture and tastes like mushrooms
• Miso: a soybean paste with a buttery texture and salty taste.
• Natto: soybeans with a sticky texture and a cheese-like taste.
• Soy Sauce: soybeans mixed with salt and enzymes.

Vitamin K2

One of the great benefits of fermented soy products is that it contains high sources of vitamin K2. Vitamin K2 helps prevent cardiovascular disease, dementia, osteoporosis and a variety of cancers. As a natural food source, fermented soy is particularly rich in vitamin K2.

Transition Foods

Many people are substituting their meat for soy products. If a person decides to stop eating meat, they may need a transitional product that gives them the feeling and taste of eating meat without actually doing so.

Transitional foods are not permanent. They are used during a period of change from one phase to another.

Transitional foods are great for changing the state of being a meat-eater to the state of being a vegan or raw foodist. It is easier to adapt to a vegan lifestyle if the transition is done gradually. It’s a process, sometimes fast and sometimes slow depending on the person and their circumstances. During the transition, they may need something to help them and this is where artificial meats, usually made from soy, may be helpful.

Most mock meat products are made predominantly from soy. Ultimately, the goal is to sparingly eat fake meat products made with soy and eat mainly raw and vegan foods.

Options

Vegan food has become very accessible and is offered in many grocery stores, health stores, and specialty restaurants. There is a wide variety of vegan food so the consumer has many options. Especially in large cities, there are many vegan and raw food restaurants that make great tasting food. In fact, many people who are not vegans attend these restaurants or their tasty dishes.

It may be difficult to make informed food choices under difficult or inconvenient circumstances, but there are usually many alternatives available. When someone becomes committed to the vegan lifestyle, soy products may be necessary if there are limited options available, especially while traveling.

Dherbs Solutions

• Vegan Protein

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Faux, or synthetic meats and dairy products are manufactured from plant-based items such as beans, legumes, grains, seeds and nuts, rice, soy, wheat and almonds.

Faux meat and dairy products are great alternatives to animal products but should only be used occasionally. Many of these products are overly processed and contain unhealthy ingredients.

Benefits

Faux foods are often easier on the digestive system than animal meat and dairy. Eating faux meats and dairy products may help you feel and think better. When eating meat, there is a risk of developing several conditions including:

• Mad Cow Disease
• E.Coli
• Salmonella
• Parasites
• Worms
• Hormonal imbalance

Eating a plant-based diet may help improve behavior, mood, concentration, and energy. Though it is best to get nutrients from raw, live foods, herbs and other natural things, faux foods are great for its satisfying taste.

Unlike animal meat, processed faux food products do not contribute to the development of diabetes, cancer, obesity, high blood pressure or high cholesterol.

Transition

They are alternative products that help people make the transition to a vegan diet. Even though they are processed foods, they prevent harm and injury to the planet that is caused by regular meat and dairy consumption. Faux foods satisfies people’s desire to eat products that resembles meat but through safer methods.

Faux foods should be treated as transitional food substitutes. If the ultimate goal is to attain a completely vegan diet, then faux foods should be the first step.

Faux products are beneficial because they keep people from eating real meat and dairy. But these options, you need to be careful about ingredients such as soy and whey protein.

Soy products may cause hormonal issues but it is still a healthier alternative to meat and dairy.

Dairy Alternatives

The safest dairy and milk alternative is almond milk, especially for those who are lactose intolerant, diabetic, suffering from heart disease or have allergies to casein.

Almond milk is lower in calories compared to cow’s milk but still contains a high dose of vitamin E and calcium. It’s a great source of several important fat-soluble vitamins. Vitamin A and E are great antioxidants that protect the cells and tissues while also enhancing the body’s immunity. Also found in almond milk, Vitamin D helps strengthen bones and teeth.

Considering the low amount of calories, almond milk is very high in nutrients.

Soy-Based Protein

Most fake meat products are primarily made of soy products. Soy protein is an acceptable alternative while transitioning to a vegan or raw food diet, but DHerbs does not recommend long-term consumption of soy products in any form due to it’s genetically modified status and the fact that soy is a processed food.

Soy meat is typically made of soy flour and/or soybean oil. Most soy meats contain fillers such as flour, corn or other vegetables. These fillers are generally used to enhance the products taste and flavor. Soy meat is usually used to create burgers, tacos, burritos or other meals that normally use animal meat.

The healthiest options for soy-based proteins are ones that are fermented and are not genetically engineered. These include:

• Tempeh
• Miso
• Natto
• Soy Sauce

Dangers of Genetically Engineered Sources

Studies have shown that soy can harm the thyroid gland and prevent the body from absorbing minerals. Soy may even disrupt the body from properly digesting protein.

Most soy products are genetically engineered and do not have very natural sources of protein. Modifying the genes of a food creates proteins that are not naturally found in its chemical structure. In order to avoid genetically engineered foods, buy fresh organic foods.

Healthy Alternatives to Soy-Based Protein

Faux meat made with beans and legumes are great alternatives to soy or whey protein.

Lentils are very good sources of cholesterol-lowering fiber and can be found in many faux meat products, especially burgers.

Dherbs Solutions

Dherbs offers this formula:

• Full Body Cleanse

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