When it comes to healthy habits, we all know the obvious: Drink plenty of water, avoid processed foods and eat more leafy greens.
But beyond that, things get complicated. We asked seven health and wellness experts to name the one thing you should drop from your diet — and the one thing you should start eating now. Their answers might surprise you.
Give it up: Eggplant
While they’re healthy for some people, those with sensitive stomachs should avoid them, says Josh Axe, a naturopath and author of the Amazon best seller “Eat Dirt.” “They contain alkaloids, which protects them from bugs and molds [when they’re growing in the field]. Unfortunately, these chemicals can trigger digestive issues.”
Eat it up: Broccoli rabe
“It’s like an amazing combination of broccoli and kale’s health benefits,” Axe says. “It’s packed with vitamins A, C and K, and also contains lutein, an antioxidant that protects your eyes from free radicals.”
Give it up: Coconut water
“It may be a little better for you than other fruit juices, but it’s still loaded with sugar and not enough actual fruit,” says Dr. Frank Lipman, a New York Times best-selling author of four books, most recently “10 Reasons You Feel Old and Get Fat.” “You’re better off just eating coconut meat.”
Eat it up: Kimchee
“This fermented food is loaded with probiotics that strengthen your immune system,” says Lipman, who is also the founder and director of the Eleven Eleven Wellness Center in the Flatiron District. “It also fights inflammation and bloating.”
Give it up: Farmed salmon
“If a salmon package says ‘fresh farmed,’ stay away,” says Gary Null, author of the new book “The Healing Foods Cookbook” and an advocate for alternative medicine. “They’re loaded with harmful preservatives and parasites. The sad thing is more than 90 percent of salmon sold in grocery stores are fresh-farmed.”
Eat it up: Watercress
“This overlooked leafy green is a cousin to arugula, and contains more vitamin C than oranges and more iron than spinach,” Null says. “They have a great crunchy texture. Add this to your salad to give it a pop.”
Give it up: Alfalfa sprouts
“While these greens are a popular condiment in salads and sandwiches, they contain natural toxins that could weaken your immune system,” says Dr. Andrew Weil, best-selling author of 16 books, most recently “Fast Food, Good Food.”
Eat it up: Black rice
“The pigments in this grain are packed with nutrients and have more antioxidants than brown or white rice,” says Weil, who also heads the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona. “It’s also got a richer, nuttier taste than other grains.”
Give it up: Almond milk
“I love almonds, but it’s better to eat them, not drink them,” says Keith Ayoob, a pediatric nutritionist at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx. “Store-bought almond milk is heavily processed and has only a fifth of the protein found in regular milk.”
Eat it up: Lattes with whole milk
“This shouldn’t be a guilty pleasure,” Ayoob says. “You’re getting an espresso with a glass of milk, which is packed with vitamin D and essential nutrients we don’t get enough of.”
Give it up: Soy cheeses
“Unless they’re properly fermented, they could contain toxins that could upset your digestive system,” says Jasmine Hemsley, who, along with her sister, Melissa, is a popular wellness blogger and author of the new book “Good + Simple.”
Eat it up: Chicken liver
“Generally, organ meats are between 10 and 100 times higher in nutrients than corresponding muscle meats,” Jasmine says. “It’s a storage organ for many important nutrients — vitamins A, D and E and folic acid.”
Give it up: Vitamin supplements
“They’re like expensive pee,” says Maggie Moon, a Los Angeles-based dietitian and author of the forthcoming “The MIND Diet” (due in November from Ulysses Press). “Because they’re water-soluble, your body doesn’t get to fully absorb the supplements’ nutrients. They simply go straight through you.”
Eat it up: Fava beans
“They’re the seeds of life,” Moon says. “They’re loaded with thiamin, which maintains a healthy nervous system, and lean protein. They also taste sweeter and smoother than other beans.”