When starting any diet, the instinct is to shift towards a healthier lifestyle and better food. We begin to exercise more while going out of our way to select better nourishment for our diet. We begin eliminating foods such as white sugar, trans-fats, and white flour.
The issue then becomes that some of those “health” foods that we think are good for us, actually aren’t, as some can have a negative effect on our health. What we don’t realize is that they may be causing damage to our bodies, even potentially making us sick.
So if you’re attempting to lose weight, become healthier, keep in mind that those who are producing these foods, especially the manufactured type, along with the stores that sells them, won’t necessarily tell you if they’re really healthy for you or not.
So it remains up to your diligence to do research before you grab that sports bar, thinking it will do your body good. The best is to reach for certified organic food products such as an apple or vegetables, or some other natural and not processed or preserved food. Otherwise, your exercise and diet efforts can become completely counterproductive.
Certain Soy Products
Soy may be one of the most deceptive “health” foods, as it’s been branded as a dietary source. It’s a food source that’s been used for generations, especially in the Asian countries.
But the way that soy is now manufactured and consumed is radically different from how they prepared and consumed it traditionally. What was known back then was that soybean is extremely difficult for the body to digest.
So as a result, they performed extensive fermenting processes which broke down and stripped out most of the indigestible components of soy, making the food healthier to eat.
Examples of healthy soy includes soy sauce, miso, and tofu. These are used in small amounts as condiments sources and flavorings, and not as a meat replacement.
The most common use of soy in North America is as a meat alternative, or as a textured vegetable protein, which isn’t that healthy, this because what soy contains are large amounts of toxins and anti-nutrients.
The anti-nutrients which are found in soybeans can cause serious health problems, in areas such as the pancreas and the thyroid. Raw forms of soybeans are also known to block the body’s ability to absorb essential minerals.
Unprepared Grains Such As Granola
Over the past 50 years, granola became synonymous with being a heath food. But what’s found is that consuming unprepared grains, or grains which hasn’t been soaked, sprouted, or fermented, this similar to soy, can be unhealthy and cause dietary distress.
There are also anti-nutrients which are found in most grains, such as enzyme inhibitors along with phytic acid, which makes them more difficult for the body to digest.
What these anti-nutrients can cause are serious health issues such as Crohn’s disease, colitis, and certain mental disorders. If we don’t refine and prepare our grains properly, it’s one of the biggest reasons for the prevalence of celactic disease.
It’s recommended that you avoid granola. Oatmeal is an excellent alternate, provided you consume whole rolled oats instead of the “instant” variety. It’s recommended that you soak them overnight before boiling the next morning.
Also stay away from the store bought variety of breads, as the most nutritious are the naturally baked breads which contain the properly prepared grains. This group includes sprouted grain and whole grain sourdough breads. You can find them at specialty bakery or health stores.
Those Artificial Sweeteners
This perhaps the most obvious, as most who are dieting, already know to stay away from artificial sweeteners, but others still think that they’re cutting out sugar by doing so.
These sugar substitutes are found in low carb low calorie products, or beverages which contains artificial sweeteners instead of sugar.
Although white sugar is bad for you and should be avoided at all costs, it’s found that artificial sweeteners can potentially be worse for you, and be more dangerous to your health.
Every known artificial sweetener is considered bad, one of the worst being aspartame. There are over 90 different health related side effects which are associated with aspartame consumption.
The list includes birth defects, brain tumors, epileptic seizures, diabetes, being the worst. There are more adverse reactions to aspartame consumption which are reported to the FDA, than any other type of food or additives combined.
A better alternative to these chemically derived sweeteners is a plant source known as stevia. It’s been used as a sweetener for centuries with no known side effects, and are available in most health stores.
Sport And Energy Bars
The majority of sports and energy bars that are packaged contains ingredients which aren’t beneficial for our bodies. Some are just fractionally better than eating a chocolate bar.
What most contains are sugar or artificial sweeteners, preservatives, chemicals, and synthetic nutrients. So make sure that you check the ingredients label before eating any energy bar. Just eat the ones which contain whole foods such as fruits, oats, grains, flax seed, and natural sweeteners.
Certain Sports Drinks
Although the sport beverage manufacturing industry would have you believe that their sport drink is exactly what your body needs, this when you exercise and are wanting to replenish lost fluid.
What most contains are high amounts of unneeded sugars such as glucose, sucrose, or fructose, as well as too much sodium and artificial flavoring and coloring.
It’s found that if you add a bit of salt and white sugar to the traditional “Kool-Aid” powder crystals, you’ll basically get the same drink. What’s recommended is just drinking clean crisp water with a squeeze of lemon.