Top 10 Healthy Foods That Are Not Really Healthy
Transformers: Unhealthy Foods In Disguise (Part 1)
Transformers: Unhealthy Foods In Disguise (Part 2)
Granola Bars
Most granola bars are made with sugar, high fructose corn syrup, chocolate, caramel, raisins, dried fruit, and/or candies. They are candy bars in disguise. They have little nutritional value and will lead to weight gain. If you have to have one, I would choose the granola bars made by Kashi.
Multigrain or Wheat Products
Do not be fooled by products that say they are multigrain or made from wheat. That does not mean that the product is healthy.
Multigrain simply means that the product is made from more than one type of grain. Corn chips and white rice are both made from grains, but neither is healthy and both can lead to weight gain.
Wheat products are not necessarily healthy either. White bread and most crackers are made from wheat, but they are not healthy.
You can eat multigrain or wheat products in moderation. However, do not fool yourself into believing you are eating well.
When choosing breads or crackers, look for products made from 100% whole wheat. Even better look for products made from 100% stone ground whole wheat. These products have more vitamins and fiber than their multigrain and wheat counterparts. For great bread, packed with protein and fiber, consider Ezekiel Breads (found in the freezer section). This line of breads is made with live whole grains and has a much higher fiber content than bread found on the shelf.
Fat-free Products
Just because a product says it is fat-free does not mean that it is healthy. Many of the fat-free products on the market were made fat-free by removing the fat and adding sugar.
You will eat more of these fat-free products and you will be less satisfied. This will lead to weight gain. If a product states that it is fat-free, look at the nutrition label and ingredients for added sugars and/or high fructose corn syrup.
Fat-free products can be healthy if they are removing unhealthy saturated fats and not replacing it with sugar. This is the case with most fat-free dairy products and lean cuts of meat.
Sports Drinks
You think sports drinks are healthy because you see athletes drinking them. However, they are not even remotely healthy.
Sport drinks are meant to replace the fluids and electrolytes lost from sweating. Unless you are exercising for over an hour in the heat, you are probably not sweating enough to need a sports drink.
Most sports drinks are high in sugar. High sugar drinks and foods lead to weight gain. Stay away from them.
If you think you need fluid and electrolyte replacement, drink the sugar-free sports drinks or fitness waters. Do not drink sports drinks as a beverage. That is not what they are intended for.
Transformers: Unhealthy Foods In Disguise (Part 3)
Weight loss can be enhanced and better maintained with strength training. For more information on my favorite strength training tool, read my review of the Bowflex SelectTech Dumbbells.
Photo by stu_spivack.
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