Once Naughty Foods now on the Nice List

Food	Prior Blame	New Reality
Coffee	The caffeine contained in coffee has long been blamed for high blood pressure, heart disease, anxiety and growth stunting.	According to years of research studies at Harvard, coffee is no longer bad for you, but may instead be associated with a longer life span. [1] With up to six cups of coffee allowed per day, it is now shown to lower the risk of diabetes, heart disease and even reduce cancer risk! Although it is not yet completely proven that coffee consumption improves health, it has been proven that it does NOT hinder health. Beware: if you feel jittery or cannot sleep – you’ve had a few too many cups of joe!
Peanuts	An increased reporting of peanut allergies accompanied with the fact that peanuts are high in calories has given peanuts a bad rap.	Peanuts are calorie dense for sure, but those calories fill you up faster and stay with you longer than most other foods (they rank high on the satiety scale). Peanuts are also packed with magnesium, vitamin E, potassium, fiber and protein – all of which are very good for you. Yet, since they are more widely consumed than any other nut, more allergies have been attributed to peanuts. Doctors now recommend introducing peanut butter to infants much earlier in life in order to reduce the allergy risk [2].
Potatoes	Potatoes have taken a beating for being fattening and for having a high glycemic index. The bad rap here has largely to do with how potatoes are prepared, as in most of them are deep fried and served as french fries.	In reality, a baked potato has lots of vitamins and fiber plus more potassium than a banana – and with only about 160 calories (minus the fatty toppings of course!). Purple potatoes have the highest levels of antioxidant compounds. [3]
Corn	Corn has been scorned because of its high starch content and an association with high-fructose corn syrup.	Actually, corn contains high levels of lutein and zeaxanthin which are nutrients so good for your eyes that doctors are now recommending them as supplements. Corn is also high in fiber and low in sugar. A serving actually has the same number of calories as a peach, but wth less sugar. New studies have shown blue corn to be especially beneficial toward fighting many health problems. [4]
Milk	Saturated fat and intestinal problems have been blamed on this nutritious drink, and most dairy product in general, for the last several years.	Newer reduced fat dairy dairy products solve the saturated fat problem and contain just as much necessary calcium. As for the intestinal problems, it is the lactose content within milk that is to blame. Lactose supplements taken along with milk, or milk that has gone through a filtration process, now eliminate the lactose problem so that most everyone can enjoy milk. New research shows that milk substitutes do not provide children as much protein and fat as cow milk, producing shorter adults than those who drank cows milk. [5]
Eggs	The high concentration of fat in yolks had many folks requesting egg whites for years.	True, the yolk contains cholesterol, but it also contains lutein and zeaxanthin (like corn), vitamin D and all of the great egg flavor. Saturated fat and trans fat are to blame for raising cholesterol levels, and eggs have very little saturated fat (and no trans). [6]

Once Naughty Foods now on the Nice List

Additional Info

There’s a pattern here, basically to eat real food. All the above items that are on the nice list are natural foods, products of the land and not a machine. Many foods have been criticized over the years, but the natural ones always seem to bounce back after being put down.

To find out how long coffee lasts, see our coffee page.

To find out how long peanuts last, see our peanut page.

To find out how long peanut butter lasts, see our peanut butter page.

To find out how long potatoes last, see our potato page.

To find out how long corn lasts, see our corn page.

To find out how long milk lasts, see our milk page.

To find out how long eggs lasts, see our egg page.