Spilling the Beans: “Health” Food you should be wary of

Granola Bars

Granola bars are loaded with fat and sugar! That is why they taste good. Check out the nutrition label because maybe the sugar and calories are about the same as a chocolate bar.   Most of them contain saturated fat, additives, artificial colors and flavors too.

Fruit Smoothies

Ok so it’s fruit but wait, check out the amount of sugar syrup they add to it.  You might as well drink soda. My rule: the sweeter it tastes, the unhealthier it is.  What you can do is ask them not to put sugar syrup in your smoothie.

Dried Fruit

Banana chips, dried pineapples or dried mangoes, you think these are healthier alternatives, right? Again, because of the drying, much of the sugar of the fruit is now concentrated (thus, higher in sugar than fresh fruit.)  Some of the fruits’ nutrients are also lost during the drying. Worst, most of what we have in our supermarkets have been further sweetened with sugar.

Commercial yogurt

Yes, yoghurt, the one you buy at the grocery with all those yummy flavors may not be as healthy as you think.  Again, they add too much sugar to make it more appealing.  Just make sure that when you buy your yoghurt, you check the ingredients and nutrition label (or maybe make your own.)

Frozen yogurt or yogurt ice cream

Most of the frozen yogurt you see is just plain sugar.  The ingredients? Fructose, dextrose, maltodextrin, non-fat milk, yogurt powder AND of course, probiotic! That’s sugar+sugar+sugar, commercial milk, powder and to make it yogurt, some probiotic in it.  It’s not at all a healthy snack but junk food. I think you’re better off eating ice cream. Really.

Vegetable Oil like corn, sunflower, soybean or canola oil

Well, first, it is because corn and soybean are among the most genetically modified crops. Second, these hydrogenated oils contain high levels of trans fat. The “hydrogenation” process is what allows these oils to be solid at room temperature so they can be sold as margarine or shortening. Hydrogenation is also what destroys the oils’ fatty acids, turning these acids into trans fat. Lastly, corn, sunflower and soybean oils contain over 50% percent omega 6 and small amounts of omega 3.

Tofu

The reason why I am so wary of tofu is that most tofu is made of genetically modified soybean (and I can never tell whether it is or not.) It is also not low in fat as most people think. In fact it is 54% fat, more than most meats.  I still eat tofu, but in very little amounts.

Commercial pasteurized milk

The modern milking cow has been injected with growth hormones and fed with soybean meal (instead of green plants.)  The soybean meal stimulates them to give more milk but has led to sterility, liver problems and shorter lives for these cows.  Aside from these, pasteurization destroys helpful organisms in milk (such as lactic-acid producing bacteria that protects against pathogens.)  It also reduces the milk’s mineral components (calcium, magnesium, potassium, etc.)  The heat also alters the milk’s amino acids and destroys vitamins (such as Vitamin C and B12.)  Lastly, pasteurization destroys ALL the milk enzymes.  Yes, because the test for a successful pasteurization process is the absence of enzymes! These are the very enzymes that help the body assimilate calcium.

Sugar-free

There is nothing natural in Nutrasweet! It is artificial sugar. Aspartame is a neurotoxin that has been associated with health problems and when it is digested, it breaks down into, among others, methanol.  Splenda is actually chemical chlorine. Then there is Stevia, the natural sugar substitute. However, did you know that this controversial natural sweetener has been banned in the EU? http://www.cspinet.org/new/200808281.html

Fruit juice concentrate and vitamin water

Always read the label. Concentrates, energy drinks and vitamin water are often loaded with sugar, almost as much as soft drinks. Check if there are additives in it.  Make sure there are no added high fructose corn syrup or other high-calorie additives. According to Sally Fallon, “there is as much sugar in a glass of orange juice as there is in a candy bar and most of it is fructose, more harmful than the sucrose of sugar.”

Some information taken from Sally Fallon’s “Nourishing Traditions”

*BIG Disclaimer: These are MY personal thoughts and opinion. I am not a medical doctor or qualified health care professional and not writing as such.  Please make your own health care and nutritional decisions.