1. Tea Bags
Parrish explains that while tea itself can certainly be healthy (green tea is packed with benefits!), the packaging can make all the difference. "I start every day with a cup of tea, but not these kinds. Because they come in these tea bags that are either made of bleached chlorinated paper or plastics and rayon," he says. When steeped in hot water, these materials can release "toxins, the nanoplastics and the hormone disrupting ingredients which is why infertility is at an all-time high," according to Parrish. His healthier swap? Loose-leaf tea.
2. Coffee Pods and K-Cups
If your morning coffee comes from a pod, Parrish says it might be time to reconsider. "No more pods and k-cups, because I don’t feel good about just boiled water going through aluminum tops, plastic bodies, and into your cup of joe and leeching out all of those toxins," he warns. Instead, he recommends sticking with ground or whole bean coffee for a cleaner cup.
3. Flavored Coffee Creamers
If you enjoy your coffee on the sweeter side, you might prefer to load it with flavored creamers. But Parrish warns that this could be harmful to your health. "Hazelnut, mocha, vanilla, caramel, how do they get those flavors in there without using any of the real ingredients? Artificial and natural flavors," he explains. According to him, artificial flavors are "derived from petroleum," while natural flavors can be misleading. "They have to start with something real like a hazelnut, and they add hundreds of ingredients and solvents to manipulate the flavor." Instead, he suggests, "Throw in some half and half, heavy cream, your favorite plant-based milk."
4. Seed Oils
Cooking oils are another culprit to be cautious of. "Seed oils, like canola, soybean, safflower, sunflower, they have to be avoided at all costs," he says, calling them "incredibly processed, refined, and inflammatory." Because they show up in everything from snack bars to oat milk, Parrish recommends reading ingredient labels closely. Stick to healthier oils while cooking.
5. High Fructose Corn Syrup
Finally, Parrish points to a concerning ingredient in condiments like ketchup: high fructose corn syrup. "The last thing you want to avoid eating is high fructose corn syrup in our good old American ketchup," he says. He notes that in the UK, Heinz ketchup uses cane sugar instead, since high fructose corn syrup is more heavily restricted there. In the U.S., it’s often used because it’s "cheaper than sugar, sweeter than sugar, and more addictive than sugar. Avoid it at all costs."