My Staple Grocery List: Holistic Foods for Clear Skin

They key to having a holistic approach to clear skin, balanced hormones and a healthy gut starts with the food we eat! If you ever wondered where a Holistic Nutritionist and acne coach grocery shops, this is the post for you.

Is it important to buy organic?

Buying organic is a non-negotiable for me — pesticides are incredibly tough on gut health and our nervous system. Buying organic means less exposure to harmful pesticides like glyphosate, healthy farmers and a healthier me!

Pesticides = chronic disease, inflammation, hormonal imbalance.

“People who are directly and/or indirectly exposed to pesticides may contract acute toxicity effects and chronic diseases.” (study linked).

“Glyphosate also seems to exert a significant toxic effect on neurotransmission and to induce oxidative stress, neuroinflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction, processes that lead to neuronal death due to autophagy, necrosis, or apoptosis, as well as the appearance of behavioral and motor disorders.” (study linked)

“Some in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that glyphosate and its formulations exhibit estrogen-like properties, and growing evidence has indicated they may disrupt normal endocrine function, with adverse consequences for reproductive health.” (study linked)

If you feel overwhelmed with where to start, try shopping for the Dirty Dozen first! :) Buying organic can be a big investment, so making small choices whenever possible is great. If you aren’t able to buy organic, I still recommend consuming the food anyways. In my opinion, a sprayed vegetable will still be healthier than nothing!

Where Do I Buy My Groceries?

I love grocery shopping at a mix of different shops including my local Whole Foods and online at Spud.ca. I also love going to Farmer’s Markets when I can to support local farmers and because they are cute AF.

Fresh produce:

• Vegetables: zucchini, red bell peppers, sweet potato, tomato, cucumber, onion, garlic, ginger, broccoli
• Leafy greens: boxed spinach, arugula, salad Spring mix, kale
• Herbs: green onion, dill, cilantro, parsley
• Fruit: apples, avocado, berries, kiwis, oranges (whatever is in season)

Quality protein sources:

• Animal protein: free range ground turkey, ground bison, wild salmon, pasture raised eggs, organic free range chicken, grass fed organic beef
• Plant protein: tempeh & tofu

Fridge & Pantry:

• Beans
• Oils: coconut, avocado, olive
• Seeds like chia, hemp, flax, pumpkin
• Goat cheese
• Primal Kitchen sauces, tamari, sesame oil, Truff hot sauce
• Sauerkraut and kimchi
• Coconut yoghurt (plain) or kefir
• Dairy free milk (soy, almond, oat)
• Rolled sprouted oats
• White (jasmine) and brown rice (short grain)
• Gluten free pasta (brown rice, quinoa or chickpea based)
• Tomato sauce, coconut milk (canned)
• Gluten free crackers (Simple Mills, Mary’s Gone Crackers)
• Chomps sticks
• Protein bars: Aloha (US) or Hornby (Canada)
• Spices: turmeric, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom
• Blume latte mixes
• Raw cacao powder
• Manuka honey, maple syrup
• Almond butter, Valencia peanut butter (Kirkland, Maranatha, Trader Joe’s) – acne safe PB
• Wild canned tuna for “when there’s nothing in the fridge” meals

Looking for healthy meals to help clear acne? Get started with The Acne Protocol.