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Health
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
11 Fake Health Foods
Remember Jessica and her previous post about eating healthy? Well as promised she is back and has a surprising list of fake health foods and how to replace or avoid these all together.
Below I have listed some foods that are commonly accepted in
the American diet. These foods are not “health” foods and should be avoided
whenever possible.
1. Soy – 91 percent (or greater) of soy is
GM (Genetically Modified). This means
that some of the genes of the soybean plant have been altered. American’s today
consume a lot of soy products and some don’t even realize it. Anything from ice
cream to cheese products are made from soy, so be careful about what you are
buying. I realize that for those who practice vegetarianism or veganism, soy is
in a lot of the foods that are available to you. Organic soy is okay if you
choose to eat it. But it should be fermented and you MUST be sure that it is
100% organic to ensure that it is non-GMO.
2. Artificial Sweeteners – Just because the
product you’re buying says “sugar free” doesn’t mean it’s “healthy.” Most of
these “sugar free” items contain artificial sweeteners that are more harmful
than the sugar itself. Avoid all artificial
sweeteners, especially aspartame which has been linked to very serious health
problems, such as headaches, migraines, nausea, abdominal pains, fatigue, sleep
problems, vision problems, anxiety attacks, depression, asthma, chest
tightness.
3. Peanuts and Peanut Oil – Some fast food
chains have recently claimed their fries are healthy because they are fried in
peanut oil. Well, they may be “healthier”
than the other oils used for frying, but they are far from healthy. Peanuts are commonly contaminated with
aflatoxins. This means that the oil is also contaminated. Avoid peanut oil and
all peanut products whenever possible.
This includes peanut butter. Organic peanuts are better, but still can
contain mold.
4. Margarine – I don’t know why some
people claim that margarine is healthier than butter. In moderation, like
everything else should be, butter is not this terrible thing that most people
claim it is. Butter has antifungal properties and can actually be good for you.
Margarine, on the other hand, is a chemical and is ONE molecule away from being
plastic. You don’t want that in your body.
5. Diet Soda – Diet sodas are NOT better
for you than regular soda, in fact, it’s probably worse. It has been shown to
cause damage to the heart. It contains the artificial sweetener, Aspartame,
which we talked about before. With that in mind, regular coke is bad for you as
well and should be avoided. Stick to herbal teas, water, or fresh, organic
fruit juices.
6. Alcohol (specifically red wine) – Some
people think that red wine is good for you because the resveratrol has been
shown to be “heart healthy.” Now, this is true. Resveratrol is very good for
your heart; however, wine can be made from moldy grains (or just straight up “Mold
Wine”) and contains traces of mold and yeast. Instead of putting this in your
body, why not avoid it altogether and drink some fresh, homemade grape juice or
take a grapeseed extract supplement? You still get the heart benefits without
the negative effects of the alcohol.
7. Fat-Free products – So many people
think that fats are bad for you. They think that they should always choose the
“fat free” or “low-fat” over whole fat products because they are the best, the
healthiest. I am here to tell you that
this is not true.
Fat free products are stripped of all their fats and it is
not uncommon for that fat to be replaced by high sugars to maintain
consistency. Choosing ‘whole fat’ products won’t make you fat (provided they
are healthy fats), but ironically choosing ‘low fat’ products could.
Your body needs fats to function. However, having said that,
it is important to know that IT DOES MATTER what types of fats you are
consuming. Avoid fats like Canola Oil, Peanut Oil, Trans Fats, [Partially]
Hydrogenated Oil. These are only a few of the fats that are harmful to your
body.
8. Enriched Flours – Chances are you have
products in your house that consist of “enriched white flour” or “enriched
wheat flour.” They try to tell you that, because these products are enriched,
you are getting the vitamins that you need. This is false. Flours are enriched
because they are originally stripped of ALL the nutrients contained in the
grains. However, only SOME of the vitamins are added back. Two problems with
this are that 1). The vitamins that are added back in are synthetic. They
aren’t real, whole food vitamins and 2). Only a small portion of these vitamins
and minerals are added back, even though all of the beneficial whole grains are
stripped. Stick to WHOLE GRAINS (organic, sprouted are best) and WHOLE FOOD
vitamins. Always avoid synthetics.
9. Corn Syrup –High fructose corn syrup is
a highly concentrated sweetener that is used in everything from hot dogs to
canned fruit. It is used to cheaply sweeten products. The truth is IT COMES FROM CORN and, like
peanuts, corn crops are contaminated with aflatoxins and should be avoided.
This means ALL corn products (also
includes high fructose corn syrup, corn sugar, etc.)
10. Energy Drinks – Yes, energy drinks give
you energy. No surprise there. They are loaded with sugar and caffeine. We all
know that consuming a ton of sugar isn’t good for you, neither is consuming a
ton of caffeine. Doing this will give you momentary energy and then a
guaranteed crash. Most energy drinks are loaded (and I mean loaded) with
(synthetic) B-vitamins. B-Vitamins in such concentrated high doses can cause
serious health and heart side effects. There are many natural, health food
items that can give you a boost of energy, without the ill effects of energy
drinks.
11. Milk –Non-organic milk that most people
get from the supermarket can have terrible effects on your health. It can cause
allergies (especially in children), upset stomach and a number of problems.
Regular, non-organic milk is loaded with antibiotics and steroids. Bacteria
that is in the milk is killed during pasteurization but they don’t strain the
milk…leaving YOU (the consumer) with loads of dead bacteria to drink (yum)!
However, raw and organic milk can be good for you, if you choose to consume
dairy.
Remember that you don't need to cut out all of these items at once and educating yourself is the first step. If you are feeling overwhelmed at all of this information pick one or two things off the list and do away with them. You can either cut them out indefinitely or phase them out of your and your familie's diet.
Personally I don't think I can give up my red wine all together, lol, but we shall see.
Jessica Campbell is a writer,certified Nutritional Coach, self
proclaimed fashionista and lover of the finer things in life, living in
Nashville, TN. I follow Jessica on Twitter and was excited when she
agreed to give us some insight on how to start eating healthy.
Jessica can be found on Twitter @jeskahoney or on her blog at Glitter and Gravel, you can find healthy eating tips, creativity and witty post on both. You can also email her at
JessicaCampbellNutrition@live.com
Jessica can be found on Twitter @jeskahoney or on her blog at Glitter and Gravel, you can find healthy eating tips, creativity and witty post on both. You can also email her at
JessicaCampbellNutrition@live.com