If You’re Looking to Eat Healthier, You May Want to Stay Away from These Foods

Did you ever pick up a box of food on the grocery store shelf and try and read the ingredients and wonder what exactly some of those ingredients were because you can’t pronounce them? Just because an item claims to be ‘healthier’ doesn’t mean you should be eating it. In fact, The US is full of foods that are banned in other countries around the world. Here are some foods that you might want to reconsider buying if you are looking to eat healthier.

Fat-Free Foods

People hear the word fat and get frightened. What they don’t realize is that fat doesn’t make people fat. Fat is a healthy part of a balanced diet. Fat is essential for the human body to function. It lubricates your muscles and tendons, and it promotes healthy brain function. The healthy fats that you eat are converted into energy to help you get through your day. Complex carbohydrates (refined sugars) are what turn into fat after they enter your body. Foods naturally have fat in them.

When you buy fat-free foods. You’re buying highly processed, modified foods. For example, if you buy fat-free salad dressing, the vinegar and healthy oils are removed. High fructose corn syrup and other chemical compounds are used instead to make it fat-free. Get over your irrational fear of fats and stop going for the fat-free options. They won’t make any difference in regards to weight gain. Look for foods with healthy fats, such as mayonnaise or other condiments with olive oil. Hamptoncreek Just Mayo is always a good choice.

Microwave Popcorn

Popcorn is a healthy snack with a low calorie and carbohydrate content. However, microwave popcorn is not a healthier option.  The problem isn’t with the popcorn, it’s with the bag that you pop it in. The bags have a special lining on the inside. You’ve probably noticed it feels a bit waxy. This lining is created to keep the popcorn from sticking to the bag and allowing it to pop evenly without burning. Scientists have found that the lining of the popcorn bag increases your chances of several different types of cancer.

Cereal

Counting out all cereal isn’t exactly fair. There are some healthy options to choose. Unfortunately, consumers often reach for the not so healthy options. Healthy options are cereals with no added sugar. A lot of the cereals in the grocery aisles are filled with added sugar. Many even have more sugar than candy or cookies. In fact, you can even buy cereal that is nothing but cookies.

Rice Cakes

Rice cakes are a go-to snack for dieters because they don’t have any fat and very few calories. Many people will eat them in place of toast to reduce their grain intake or their carbohydrate and fat intake in general. While these might seem like a great idea, they can actually cause you to gain weight in the long run. Rice cakes have a high glycemic index, which will skyrocket your blood sugar after eating them. Not only can that cause severe weight gain, it puts you at risk of diabetes. There is no protein or any other health benefits of eating rice cakes, so you’re better off just skipping them altogether.

Sugar-Free Foods

Sugar-free foods and drinks are worse for you than the fat-free ones. The reasons why people do eat them and the reasons why they shouldn’t are basically the same concepts. Just like fat, sugar is found naturally in foods. Removing the sugar makes foods even more processed. Plus, something has to be added in to make the food sweet without adding the calories that sugar adds. What is added in is usually artificial sweeteners such as sucralose or aspartame.

Aspartame has been linked to health issues. Some of those issues are headaches, stomach ulcers and more.  It’s a chemical compound that is not natural to the human body. While too much sugar is never a good thing, some sugar is better than risking your health. You should try not to purchase foods that are sugar-free. Look for items that say, “no added sugar.” This means that the foods have natural sugar in them, but no added sugar along with it.

Don’t just eat whatever you find on the shelf. If you can’t read the ingredients on the labels, chances are you don’t want those ingredients in your body either.  Learn what is in your food and how it affects your body. Avoid overly processed foods such as sugar-free and fat-free options. Make your popcorn in a popcorn maker and avoid rice cakes altogether.