There are many foods out there that may seem healthy at a glance, but when you get right down to it, they really aren’t! Today, we want to help you bust through some of these “health food” myths and give you some foods to avoid if you’re trying to eat (and drink) healthier.
“Weight Loss” & “Health” Drinks
You’ve got waters with vitamins and minerals, fiber-enriched drinks, and sports drinks that claim to hydrate better than water. The truth is, the best drink is still water. There are so many benefits to plain old water, that the others pale in comparison. To top that off, some of these so-called “health drinks” are really not healthy at all. With artificial sweeteners, a bunch of “natural” ingredients that aren’t really all that natural and artificial coloring, these drinks have a lot in them, yet much to be desired.
Frozen “Healthy” Meals
Three words: Preservative, preservatives, preservatives. (Okay… it’s one word, three times, but we wanted to get our point across.) They might not have as many calories, but the also don’t have as much nutrients, leaving your body craving what it needs.
Frozen Yogurt
Ah… Much better than ice cream… right? Well, maybe not. This “health food” choice is still ridden with simple sugars, which are harder for your body to process. Also – fun fact – sugar and fat (the bad fat, not the good fat) are actually addictive. This is why we crave sweets and fatty snacks. And it takes 2 weeks of not eating these unhealthy snacks to get all that out of your body so you’ll stop craving them.
“Fat Free” Snacks
Here’s the bad news… fat free does not mean healthy and it does not mean calorie free. These foods could still be high in simple sugars, carbohydrates and many ingredients that aren’t actually good for you.
“Multi-Grain”, “Whole Wheat” and Granola
Multi-Grain and Whole Wheat sound good. But what you really want in your carbs is Whole Grain. Anything else has been processed enough to strip most, if not all, the nutrients out of it. (And as we’ve said before, your body needs the nutrients, or it’s just going to crave more food to get it.) And then there’s granola… It sounds like a health food and for a long time it was considered a health food, but the truth is, it’s still full of the fats and calories we don’t want.
We know that we’ve listed a lot of foods here that you shouldn’t eat. So, what should you eat? Check out our February blog about Super Foods and remember, you want Whole Grain. And hey… there’s nothing wrong with splurging on an unhealthy snack every once in a while. Just keep in mind this key phrase to eating in general: everything in moderation!
For more information on nutrition and for a consultation to set up a nutrition plan that’s right for you, give us a call at 402-261-5766.