Five
"Health Foods" That May Be Making You Sick!
Written by Dianne Ronnow
There
are many of us who are dieting and trying to live a healthy lifestyle.
We exercise and go out of our way to eat the best foods we can.
Most of us already know that trans-fats, white sugar and white
flour are not the best health choices, especially if we want to
keep our weight down.
Unfortunately
some of the very foods that we think are healthy are ones that
can cause a lot of trouble for our bodies, and even make us ill.
Below is a list of some surprisingly unhealthy "health foods."
Artificial
Sweeteners
Many
people who are dieting, whether it is low calorie or low carb
diets, will opt for beverages with artificial sweeteners instead
of sugar. Admittedly sugar is certainly a troublemaker and should
be avoided, but artificial sweeteners are actually worse for you
and could even be dangerous to your health.
All
the artificial sweeteners are bad, but one of the worst sweeteners
for us is NutraSweet (Equal, aspartame). There are over 92 different
health related side effects associated with aspartame consumption,
including brain tumors, birth defects, diabetes, emotional disorders
and epilepsy/seizures. There are more adverse reactions to NutraSweet
reported to the FDA than all other foods and additives combined.
A much
better alternative to chemically derived sweeteners is stevia,
which comes from a plant. It has been used for centuries with
no know side effects. It can be purchased in most health food
stores in the United States.
Sports
Drinks
Although
marketers would have us believe that sports drinks are what the
body needs when exercising heavily, the truth is that sports drinks
are filled with sugar (sucrose, glucose, and fructose) and salt
(potassium and sodium) as well as artificial flavorings and colorings.
Add a little salt to Cool-Aid and you have about the same thing.
You would be much better off drinking spring water or diluted
freshly squeezed juices while exercising.
Most
Energy and Sports Bars
Most
sports and bars are also filled with things that are not the best
for our bodies, and are little better than candy bars. Many of
them contain sugar or artificial sweeteners, chemicals, preservatives,
and synthetic nutrients. Check the ingredients before you buy
an energy bar. Try to find one that is made with whole foods,
such as oats and flax seeds, fruits, and natural sweeteners.
Soy
Products
This
is one of the most surprising ones of all, after all soy has been
used for countless generations in Asia. But the way we now use
soy is very different than the way the Asians have traditionally
used it. The ancient Asians knew that the soybean was hard to
digest, so they had extensive fermenting processes that broke
down most of the indigestible components, making it much healthier
to eat. Examples of this would be products like soy sauce, tempeh,
and miso. These were used in small amounts as condiments and flavorings,
not as a meat replacement.
But
the way we use soy as a meat alternative (texturized vegetable
protein or TVP) can be very unhealthy, since soy contains large
amounts of toxins or anti-nutrients. Some of the problems the
anti-nutrients in soybeans cause are conditions of the pancreas,
cancer and thyroid problems. Soybeans also can block the body's
absorption of essential minerals.
Granola
(and Other Unprepared Grains)
For
the last 30-40 years granola has been synonymous with heath food.
But eating unprepared grains, or grains that have not been soaked,
fermented or sprouted, has only come about in the last 50-100
years. People who lived before our time understood that unprepared
grains could cause dietary distress.
There
are anti-nutrients in grains (like there are in soybeans), such
as phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors, that make them harder to
digest. These antinutrients can cause serious problems like Crohn's
disease, colitis, and even mental disorders. Our failure to prepare
our grains properly is one of the reasons that celactic disease
is so prevalent now.
So,
stay away from the granola. Oatmeal is an excellent addition to
our diets, but use whole rolled oats (not instant) and soak them
overnight before boiling them for breakfast. Go to our recipe
blog at http://coconut-recipes.blogspot.com for a good recipe
for coconut oatmeal.
Good
breads to eat are those that have properly prepared grains, including
whole grain sourdough and sprouted grain breads. You can usually
find these in specialty grocery stores and health food stores.
If
you are trying to lose weight and/or eat healthier, remember that
just because a company markets a "healthy" product well
or a health food store sells it, it doesn't mean that it is really
healthy for you. Do some research before you grab that sports
bar, or better yet, reach for an organic apple, cherries, or some
other natural (not processed) food. Your body will thank you and
reward you for it.
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