Monday, August 30th, 2010 at
9:07 pm
Our society is constantly bombarded with mixed messages and marketing gimmicks that label certain foods as healthy. In some cases, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Here’s my top three picks of foods considered to be healthy but should be avoided if you are trying to lose weight.
Deceptive Food #1: Fruit Juice
Most of us grew up believing that a glass of orange juice is good for us. It’s packed with vitamin C and tastes great, right? It’s also loaded with a ton of sugar. Weight loss enemy #1. Although our bodies use up sugar for quick energy when we are active, the rest that is not used is converted and stored as fat. A healthier alternative is to either cut out fruit juice altogether, or try making your own cranberry juice by boiling unsweetened whole cranberries. Sweeten with a little bit of Stevia if you like, and drink it straight or diluted in water.
Deceptive Food #2: Breakfast Cereals
Although there are a select few cereals on the market that could be considered healthy, most breakfast cereals are packed with too much sugar. Sure, they may claim to have healthy whole grains, vitamins, and minerals; even plenty of fiber. However, be sure to check the labels to see what else is along for the ride. Pay particular attention to the amount of sugar added and unhealthy processed ingredients. Both are the bane to a healthy diet and will only sabotage your weight loss efforts. Stick with all natural ingredients and organic if at all possible.
Deceptive Food #3: Health/Protein Bars
Many grocery stores now have a special aisle for the most popular energy, protein, and various other health food bars. They claim to supply you with various combination’s of protein, carbs, and fats, and may also be tempting as a quick and convenient meal replacement. As great as all of that sounds on the surface, what else is packed into one of those wonder bars? Once again, plenty of high fructose corn syrup, sugar, and unhealthy oils. If you can’t resist health food bars altogether, try to select bars that contain all natural, organic ingredients.
Unfortunately, things are not always what they seem, even if the word ‘healthy’ is on the label. Become an informed consumer. Do yourself a favor and check the ingredients instead of just taking the labels word for it.
Read More
