We regularly hear many people start the day with the following phrase: ‘starting Monday, I’m going to eat healthier’. The objective is varied, whether it is to lose weight, have more energy or prevent some diseases, many people make the decision to avoid harmful foods and increase the consumption of more natural ones. The idea is not bad but the problem is that most of the time we do not go to a specialist to provide us with an adequate diet and we prefer to improvise it ourselves. That is when we get carried away by what advertising or popular wisdom says and we eat large amounts of food that we consider very healthy. However, appearances are deceiving. There are certain foods that have a reputation for being very beneficial to health, but in reality they are not so much.
1 Detox juices
Although they are very fashionable, they are not a good option to abuse them. To begin with, our body has its own system for eliminating toxic substances that are urine, sweat and feces. Also, if you have problems going to the bathroom, a detox juice will not be the complete solution, you should go to the specialist to find out what is happening, when it comes to health, a professional will always be the best option.
Juices in general have a very low nutrient intake and instead provide large amounts of sugar. It is best to eat fruits naturally, to take advantage of all their vitamins and minerals. Consume detox juices, but only as a supplement to your diet, not to replace certain meals.
2 Granola
Although it is very tasty and practical for breakfast, granola is not entirely healthy. Although the cereal mix gives us energy and nutrients, it also provides a large number of calories, due to the honey or sweetener that most brands add.
In 1836, physician James Caleb Jackson, a great advocate of good nutrition, created the first recipe for what would later become granola. His dish (which I call granula) consisted of dense, unsweetened bits of bran submerged in milk.
However, if Jackson were alive it is highly unlikely that he would recognize the modern version of his invention. Despite its reputation as a healthy breakfast, granola has become a dessert.
Commercial varieties of granola often come with so much added sugar that they rival a slice of chocolate cake. Cereals and granola bars are marketed as healthy and natural, or made with whole grains, creating a healthy aura around those products. But experts say it’s junk food in disguise. Even the US Federal Dietary Guidelines classify granola as a “grain-based dessert,” putting it in the same category as cookies, donuts and cakes.
3 Instant Oatmeal
If you want to get the nutrients and fiber from this food, it’s best to eat it naturally. Forget about the instant version, as they usually have a lot of sugar and preservatives. If you opt for this food when it comes to including it in your daily diet, it is best that you do it accompanied by milk or yogurt.
In other words, when having breakfast with oatmeal, let’s try not to add too much sugar, because the excess of simple sugars does nothing for the body. To do this, it is better not to exceed 3 teaspoons of honey or sugar, or use some already sweetened product to accompany, for example yogurt. Hydrate oatmeal in yogurt is a good option to save simple sugars and calories in the dish.
4 Fruit cocktail
Forget about canned fruits, these contain a large amount of sugar and preservatives, not to mention that the cans tend to rust inside which is quite harmful. To take advantage of the nutrients of the fruits, they must be consumed in a natural way, taking care to combine them correctly and without adding other ingredients such as whipped cream, powdered juices or sugars.
5 Flavored Yogurt
Many yogurts, especially low-fat ones, contain high-fructose corn syrup, sugar, and starch. Some even contain as much sugar as a candy bar. And the artificial sweetener in others can increase your insulin.
Those yogurts with added fruit tend to saturate the fruit with sugars. It is always better, in any case, to buy a natural yogurt and add the fruit yourself.
6 Nuts
Many people choose to eat nuts as a ‘healthy’ snack or snack between large meals of the day. Some nuts are coated with sugar, honey, or other high-carbohydrate coatings, which can significantly influence your blood sugar levels.
Some nut butters contain added sugar and could certainly affect your blood sugar levels as well. For example, 2 tbsp. of reduced-fat peanut butter contains 11.4 g of carbohydrates and 1.7 g of fiber, or 9.7 g of available carbohydrates.
Before consuming them, check the nutritional information on the package.
7 energy bars
They promise to give us more energy, adding protein to our body and essential vitamins, but they are nothing more than candy in disguise.
These energy bars are packed with sugar and high fructose corn syrup, which translates to trans fats and artificial sweeteners. Although they do have protein and sugar that will increase our energy, the rest will not do us any good.
These products contain 350 calories per 100 grams. To give you an idea, a hot dog has 290 calories per 100 grams. Energy bars? No thanks!
