Did you know that what you eat not only influences your physical health but also has a tremendous impact on your mental health?
Most nutritionists will agree that the healthiest way to eat resembles the way our ancient ancestors ate: natural, whole foods with nothing removed from them (such as fiber). What most people do not yet realize is that foods that contain flavour enhancers—sugar and alternative sweeteners, as well as savourizers such as salt and MSG—carry a steep, hidden price: worsened moods (including depression, anxiety, and irritability), increased chronic pain, and becoming progressively more numb to the natural everyday pleasures of life (anhedonia).
The sudist diet does not prescribe ratios of macronutrients (i.e. fat, protein, carbs) nor portion sizes or eating times. As such, it can be combined with many other popular diets (e.g. paleo, keto, vegan, Mediterranean).
If you buy any prepared foods—whether from restaurants, vending machines, or the grocery store—one of the very best things you can do is to regularly check the list of ingredients and the nutrition facts panel. It only takes a minute but will benefit you greatly by making you keenly aware of the many hidden sweeteners, salt, and MSG that will negatively impact your mood within hours or days of consuming them.
Looking at the tables below, see where the foods you eat fall in the Worse, Better, or Best columns. To help alleviate any mental or physical health problems you may be experiencing, consider gradually moving away from the foods in the Worse column and towards the alternatives in the Better and Best columns. The more you switch to healthier foods, the better you will feel!
Where to get your food 
| Worse | Better | Best |
|---|---|---|
| Typical prepared foods from restaurants, street vendors, vending machines, or grocery stores | Prepared foods with reduced sodium, sweeteners, or MSG from restaurants, vending machines, or grocery stores Homemade foods with typical amounts of sweeteners or salt added by hand | Homemade foods with little or no sweeteners, salt, and MSG |
Beverages
| Worse | Better | Best |
|---|---|---|
| Sweetened soda / pop | 🡐 Mix these 50/50 🡒 | Water, sparkling water, unsweetened club soda |
| Juice | 🡐 Mix these 50/50 🡒 | Water |
| Sweetened milk (e.g. chocolate, strawberry) | 🡐 Mix these 50/50 🡒 | Unsweetened milk |
| Sweetened milkshake | 🡐 Mix these 50/50 🡒 | Unsweetened milkshake made with whole fruits, berries, and spices |
| Sweetened protein powder / beverage | 🡐 Mix these 50/50 🡒 | Unsweetened protein powder |
| Sweetened energy drinks | Plain coffee or tea | Water, herbal teas |
| Iced or sweetened coffee or tea | Plain coffee or tea | Water, herbal teas, roasted chicory or barley beverages |
| Sweetened hot chocolate | Milk with cocoa powder and less sugar | Unsweetened milk with cocoa powder |
| Alcoholic beverages | Dealcoholized beverages | Water, sparkling water, unsweetened club soda |
| Regular (salted) vegetable or clamato juice | 🡐 Mix these 50/50 🡒 | Low-sodium vegetable or clamato juice, or passata (strained tomatoes) with water |
Breakfast
| Worse | Better | Best |
|---|---|---|
| Sweetened cereals | Reduced-sugar cereals (e.g. plain Cheerios) | Unsalted / unsweetened whole grain cereals (e.g. Shredded wheat, Muffets) |
| Sweetened oatmeal | Reduced-sugar oatmeal | Plain oatmeal with fruit or spices |
| Salted eggs | Reduced-salt eggs | Plain eggs with herbs or spices |
| Bacon, sausages, and ham | Reduced-sodium bacon, sausages, and ham | Unsalted, unprocessed meats with herbs, spices or vinegar |
| Hash browns | Fried unsalted potatoes | Oven-baked unsalted potatoes with herbs or spices |
Snacks
| Worse | Better | Best |
|---|---|---|
| Salted / sweetened nuts or peanuts | Lightly salted / sweetened nuts or peanuts | Unsalted / unsweetened nuts, peanuts, or seeds |
| Salted or sweetened popcorn | Lightly salted / sweetened popcorn | Unsalted / unsweetened popcorn |
| Salted chips or pretzels | Reduced-salt chips or pretzels Low-sodium kale chips or seaweed crisps | Unsalted / unsweetened nuts, seeds, or popcorn |
| Salted crackers | Reduced-salt crackers | Low-sodium crispbreads (e.g. Ryvita Rye crispbread), homemade whole-grain, low-sodium crackers |
| Fruit leather, fruit roll-ups | 🡐 Mix these 50/50 🡒 | Whole fruit, dried fruit |
| Flavoured yogurt | 🡐 Mix these 50/50 🡒 | Plain yogurt with added fruit, cocoa, or spices |
| Sweetened/salted Energy bars, protein bars, granola bars | Reduced-sugar/salt bars | Unsweetened/unsalted bars (e.g. homemade bars, some bars made by Larabar). |
Meat-based dishes
| Worse | Better | Best |
|---|---|---|
| Butter-infused turkey (e.g. Butterball) | 🡐 Mix these 50/50 🡒 | Unsalted turkey or other meats |
| Salted hamburger patties or meatballs | Reduced salt hamburger patties or meatballs | Unsalted, pure meat patties or meatballs with herbs and spices |
| Seasoned or breaded chicken (e.g. chicken nuggets) | 🡐 Mix these 50/50 🡒 | Plain chicken with healthy seasonings and condiments (see Seasonings and Condiments section); use oats or other whole grains as breading |
| Seasoned or breaded fish (e.g. fish sticks) | Plain fish with reduced salt | Plain fish with healthy seasonings and condiments (see Seasonings and Condiments section); use oats or other whole grains as breading |
| Hot dogs, ham, jerky | 🡐 Mix these 50/50 🡒 | Unsalted meats |
| Deli meats | Reduced-sodium deli meats | Sliced unsalted meats |
Other savoury foods
| Worse | Better | Best |
|---|---|---|
| Salad with prepared salad dressings, cheese, croutons, or bacon bits | 🡐 Mix these 50/50 🡒 | Salad with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, passata, tahini, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, nutritional yeast, herbs and spices. |
| Standard (salted) cheese | Lower sodium cheese (Emmental / Swiss) | Unsalted cheese (paneer, bocconcini) |
| Prepared pizza | Prepared pizza with added vegetable toppings | Homemade pizza with low-sodium ingredients, including passata (strained tomatoes) instead of salted pizza sauce, and whole wheat low-salt crust. |
| Prepared white breads and buns | Prepared whole grain breads and buns | Homemade whole grain breads and buns with reduced sodium and sugar. |
| Prepared white pasta/rice dishes | Prepared whole grain pasta/rice dishes 🡐 or mix these 50/50 🡒 | Homemade whole grain pasta/rice dishes with healthy seasonings and condiments. |
| Prepared seasoned vegetable dishes | Reduced-sodium prepared vegetable dishes | Unseasoned frozen or fresh vegetables with healthy seasonings and condiments. |
| Prepared French fries | Fried plain potato fries | Oven-baked potato fries |
| Prepared soups | Reduced-sodium soups 🡐 or mix these 50/50 🡒 | Homemade soup with unsalted broth, vegetables, meats, herbs, and spices |
| Prepared sandwiches | See advice for breads, cheese, meats, and condiments | See advice for breads, cheese, meats, and condiments |
Seasonings
| Worse | Better | Best |
|---|---|---|
| Salt | Using less salt | No-salt seasons (no sodium) such as Mrs Dash or Nu-Salt |
| Garlic salt | 🡐 Mix these 50/50 🡒 | Garlic powder |
| Onion salt | 🡐 Mix these 50/50 🡒 | Onion powder |
| Seasoning mixes containing salt or MSG | 🡐 Mix these 50/50 🡒 | Homemade mixes of herbs and healthy seasonings without salt or MSG. |
Condiments
| Worse | Better | Best |
|---|---|---|
| Prepared mustard | 🡐 Mix these 50/50 🡒 | Turmeric and vinegar |
| Ketchup, salsa | 🡐 Mix these 50/50 🡒 | Passata (strained tomatoes) with vinegar |
| Prepared pizza or pasta sauce | 🡐 Mix these 50/50 🡒 | Passata (strained tomatoes) with herbs and spices |
| Pickles, olives | Reduced-sodium pickles, olives | Plain cucumbers, or homemade pickles and olives made with vinegar and salt-free substitute |
| Prepared salad dressings (e.g. ranch, caesar, vinaigrettes) | 🡐 Mix these 50/50 🡒 | Homemade unsalted dressings including balsamic vinegar (avoid those with added sweeteners or fruit juice), lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, tahini (sesame seed paste), and the herbs and spices of your choice. |
| Soy sauce, liquid aminos | Reduced-sodium soy sauce | Apple cider vinegar, toasted sesame oil |
| Sweetened/salted peanut or almond butter | Reduced-sodium or reduced-sugar peanut or almond butter | Natural (unsweetened, unsalted) peanut or almond butter |
| Hazelnut spread | 🡐 Mix these 50/50 🡒 | Natural (unsweetened, unsalted) nut butter with cocoa powder |
Sweets
| Worse | Better | Best |
|---|---|---|
| Sweetened chocolate bars and candies | 70%, 80% or 90% dark chocolate bars with fresh or dried fruit | 100% pure baker’s chocolate with fresh or dried fruit |
| Fruit pieces in syrup | 🡐 Mix these 50/50 🡒 | Cut up fruits or berries without syrup |
| Prepared cakes and cake mixes | Homemade cakes with half the sugar, or using applesauce in place of sugar | Unsweetened homemade cakes |
| Candies | 🡐 Mix these 50/50 🡒 | Whole fruits and berries, dried fruits |
| Cookies | Homemade cookies with reduced sugar or sweetener | Whole fruits and berries, dried fruits |
| Regular (sweetened) chewing gum | 🡐 Mix these 50/50 🡒 | Plain chicle (natural gum without sweetener) |
If you can’t find low-sodium or unsweetened versions of your favourite foods, don’t hesitate to ask your grocery store manager or food manufacturers if they can provide these for you. The more we ask for these healthier options, the more they will make them available for everyone to benefit from!