You might be eating these 5 health foods thinking they’re healthy… but they aren’t.
1. Nut Butters
Okay don’t get it twisted. I eat nut butter all day errday. But where YOU might be missing the KEY health component here is in what KIND you’re purchasing.
First of all, nut butter is full of amazing, plant based, fat. Fat that our bodies NEED. The fat is not the issue here. It’s all of the additives like SUGAR and SYRUPS. Americans in general consume an OVERABUNDANCE of sugar. It’s in EVERYTHING including peanut butter and almond butter. If you’re going to have sugar… just have something sweet! There’s no use adding MORE sugar to our bodies unnecessarily!
Check the label and get all of your nut butters WITHOUT added sugar.
Trader Joe’s AND Whole Foods both have options that don’t break the bank.
Bought your Unsweetened Nut Butter? Hold your horses before you eat the entire jar. Although unsweetened nut butter is the perfect source of healthy fat, when eaten in excess it can lead to weight gain. Nut butters are very caloric… be sure to measure out your nut butters OR just eat in moderation.
2. Yogurt
Another questionable one. Yogurt offers so many health benefits including probiotics for gut health, but labeling can be a bit misleading on these guys too. Similar to nut butters, yogurt is often loaded with unwanted sugars which again, if you’re going to have sugar, JUST HAVE SUGAR. Try not to have sugar disguised as a health food.
Additionally, I would argue that any food item taken from another animals breast milk is probably not the best. Humans are the only species that drink milk into adulthood AND we’re the only species that drinks milk from A DIFFERENT animals’ breasts. #VEGAN
Curious as to why dairy is pretty much harmful to every human? Click HERE to read more.
Some of my favorite non-dairy, sugar free, probiotic included, yogurts are Cocojune, Anitas, Forager Project, and GT’s CocoYo.
3. Juices and Smoothies
Again… read the label. This is very dependent on which types of juices and smoothies you’re consuming. Noticing a trend?… READ THE LABELS. ASK QUESTIONS.
I am very much a smoothie/juice person. In fact, I have a smoothie pretty much everyday. But when your Naked Green Monster Smoothie contains majority pineapple juice… we got a problem.
Real quick- fruit is not bad for you, but fruit juice extracted from the whole fruit can spike your blood sugar the same way white sugar does. Therefore, consuming a juice made out of mostly fruit isn’t the best.
Opt for a veggie juice over a fruit juice. If you’re going for juice, make sure the majority of it is made out of veggies! Even better- opt for a smoothie over a juice! Smoothies are just ground up fruits and veggies. All of the fiber and water of the whole fruit is still there making it easier for your body to process and digest. The only thing to be mindful of in a smoothie is excess added sweeteners. In my opinion it’s not necessary to add agave or honey to a smoothie if you have whole, real, fruit in there sweetening it up. Honey is not bad for you, it does have health benefits, but in my opinion… it’s truly not needed in a smoothie. Again, more unnecessary sugar. JUST EAT A COOKIE IF YOU’RE GONNA HAVE SUGAR GD!
Make your own. It’s not that hard to blend up some fruit… AND you know EXACTLY what goes in it.
Confused about the difference between fruit sugar, processed sugar, and natural sugars? Click HERE to read more about sugar and how the different types may affect your body.
4. Granola/Trail Mix
You guessed it… added sugar. Listen, I’m not saying never have added sugar. I’m all for treatin’ yourself. BUT don’t go buying granola thinking you’re eating something healthy when you’re actually just consuming highly processed, sugar loaded, misleading labeled CANDY.
Granola is tasty. In fact, I think it’s a wonderful snack if you’re going for a hike and need some energy to refuel your glycogen stores. Eat that granola. Eat it as a healthy dessert instead of ice cream cuz although it does have added sugar, it has LESS added sugar than ice cream. Eat it after you lift heavy at the squat rack and you need extra carbs to refuel those muscles. Just please. Don’t eat an entire bag of granola and then wonder why you’re not losing weight.
K Thanks.
5. Coffee/Tea
You guessed it. It depends on how you take your coffee and tea! If you’re goin to Dunkin’ and asking for “light and sweet”… you’re having more of a dessert than a coffee.
Think about it. Coffee is probably the very first thing you’re consuming in the morning. You really want to subject your body immediately to heavy cream and white sugar? Not the best way to start your day. Breakfast sets the tone for the rest of the day. If you immediately spike your blood sugar, you’re probably going to be craving sugar and highly processed foods all day.
Try it black. Yup, I said it. If you can’t drink coffee black, then you probably don’t actually like coffee. And by black I mean NO sugar, NO milk. Black. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Without all that added crap, black coffee can actually be pretty good for you. It’s high in antioxidants and b vitamins for one!
In Conclusion,
read your nutrition facts, and don’t believe everything you read on labels. Just because it says “healthy” or “natural” doesn’t mean it actually is.
Feeling lost with your health and fitness? Have no fear, Amanda Jane here! Let’s chat. I offer free consultations to get you off on the right foot. Sign up for one, HERE!
