With diets like Keto, Paleo, Whole30, and myriad of others floating around health and wellness communities online, it can be difficult to sort through the facts to find out what foods are healthy or if an influencer is just trying to sell you something. We can often be fooled by products advertised as being "organic," "all-natural," or "low fat." Let's stop being tricked into buying food based on meaningless buzz words and start investing in our health!
1. Agave syrup
Part of a well-executed marketing campaign, it is the ultimate wolf in sheep's clothing. While it sounds nice and has a lower glycemic index than sugar, it has anywhere from 80-90 percent more fructose than regular sugar which can lead to insulin resistance and higher triglycerides if consumed in large amounts.
2. Gluten-free Products
Unless you have Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity – which are characterized by skin rash, digestive issues as well as other symptoms – eating gluten-free alternatives (such as gluten-free bread or pasta) is no healthier for you than eating the gluten-filled original. Gluten-free products often are no healthier than the original, not to mention they contain fewer nutrients such as folic acid and iron. Unless you need to go gluten-free for medical reasons, just stick to regular bread or pasta.
3. Fruit juice
Everyone knows that fruit is good for you, but fruit juices often contain just as much, if not more sugar than a can of soda. Just like soda, when consumed in excessive amounts, it can lead to a risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Although 100 percent fruit juices do contain more nutrients than soda, it's best to limit your intake to five ounces per day.
4. Products with reduced fat
While it seems like a healthy choice at first glance, products that claim to have reduced fat often increase their sugar, flour, or salt content to make up for the lack of fat (and flavor). It's just another marketing ploy to make consumers feel better about indulging in their guilty pleasures (I'm looking at you, potato chips). However, that feeling is just ignorant bliss. Unfortunately, "reduced fat" foods are unhealthier and less satiating in the long run, meaning that you won't feel as full and will want to eat more of it.
5. Boxed "veggie" pasta
When compared with regular pasta, vegetable enriched pasta differs very little in terms of health benefits. At that point, why bother eating pasta whose health benefits are limited to it literally being green? A better alternative would be to use spiralized vegetables like zucchini or squash in place of actual pasta, adding fiber and lowering carbohydrates to the meal.
6. Frozen "diet" meals
These meals are often focused on portion control rather than getting vital nutrients, hence their low calories. Often, the number of calories is so little that you'll wind up grabbing a snack not long afterward because the "meal" wasn't enough. They also often contain loads of sodium to help preserve them and add flavor which can lead to bloating. If you're looking for a quick alternative, try batch cooking or meal prepping in advance. You can freeze some of them for when you're in a pinch and need a quick meal.
7. Diet sodas
The concept of anything "zero-calorie" is tempting but diet sodas are, in some ways, just as bad as regular soda. While they don't have calories, they can still negatively impact your health with some studies finding that drinking diet soda can prime your brain to expect a surge of calories like it would with a normal soft drink, which triggers your appetite cues, leading to overeating and weight gain.
8. Coconut oil
It's fine to substitute coconut oil if you're trying to shake up your normal flavor profile for dinner, but let's not make up health benefits to make ourselves feel better about using it as opposed to olive oil. This oil is full of saturated fats, and while preliminary data shows it helps raise HDL (the good cholesterol), there's no conclusive evidence that it lowers the risk of heart disease. Coconut oil is not off-limits by any means, but let's only give credit where credit is due.
9. Fermented foods
Most people know probiotics to aid digestive health but sometimes it's not what we need. People who follow a high carb and high sugar diets, consume a lot of alcohol, have chronic stress, or take antibiotics regularly are at risk for developing a Candida (yeast) overgrowth in the gut. This overgrowth can cause digestive issues, fungal infections, and recurring UTIs. Prebiotics found in fermented food that feed the "good" bacteria also feed "bad" bacteria and yeast, therein lies the problem. So unless you've already got a low sugar diet in place and take care of your health otherwise, the effects of probiotics will be limited.
10. Dried Fruit
"All things in moderation" should be the motto when it comes to dried fruits. Dried fruit isn't inherently bad as it's packed with nutrients and vitamins, however, it's often smaller than the original fruit, thus making the sweetness extremely concentrated. This will make the snack less satiating, causing you to eat more than if you were just eating regular fruit. Sometimes it's better to just stick with the basics.
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