First off, let us talk about foods that are thought of as healthy, but are not as healthy as you might think.
Pseudo-Healthy Foods
- Diet Soda
There has been studies as to why diet drinkers actually weigh more than people whom drink regular soda. Some may believe that since they cut down on the calories from the diet soda, then they can eat more sweets and keep “even.”
This simply is not the case. Diet soda drinkers have a higher risk of becoming overweight or obese than those who drink regular soft drinks. There are also theories about diet soda actually making you crave more sweets, almost like a mild addiction. It also has been linked to appetite regulation, making your metabolism fluctuate and become varied.
- Pretzels
Although the label says ‘fat free’ and pretzels seem to be a great alternative to eating fatty, greasy chips, they are made with refined white flour. Refined white flour has been stripped of all of its vitamins and antioxidants in the refining process.
Pretzels are also extremely dense and pack an abundance of carbohydrate calories. In very small amounts, pretzels can pack a huge punch in your diet; for example, one fifteen-ounce bag contains the same amount of carbohydrates as 24 slices of white bread.
- Spinach Wrap
Although spinach is green and is also good for you, spinach powder is a trace ingredient. Spinach wraps are usually made with refined white flour and the green tint to them primarily comes from added food colorings.
In other words, the immune boosting vitamins A and C that are found in regular fresh spinach are mostly removed during the refining process. The spinach wrap is also much higher in calories than normal spinach. Studies show that one cup of cooked spinach provides about 65 calories which is about 105 calories less than that which is in a spinach wrap.
Also the thought that a spinach wrap is a vegetable serving is not correct. Making this an even worse choice when wanting something healthy are the usual ingredients or fillings, which often include unhealthy foods like ranch dressing, and fried chicken, not to mention bacon and cheese!
- Blueberry Scone
A single wild blueberry scone contains over four-hundred calories, which is the amount a whole meal should have, and is also over fifty percent of the recommended daily amount of artery-clogging saturated fat consumption for an entire day. They do not contain dietary fiber, nor do they count as a serving of fruit.
- Vitamin Water
This has become a hugely popular drink lately and although it does contain vitamins, vitamin water also has over 200 calories per bottle. Just one bottle a day can be responsible for a twenty-pound weight gain within a single year’s time. If these calories are not burned off, this will ruin a well thought-out workout plan.
Healthy Foods That Are Not Considered As Such
These are foods that are not considered healthy by the general public, but are in fact healthier than believed. These often-criticized foods do not deserve this stigma.
- Dried Fruit
Dried fruit is just fresh fruit with the water removed from them. Unsweetened dried fruit does not have any sugar added to it, therefore, other than shrinking in size, all of the fiber, vitamins, antioxidants, and such are still there.
There is a plethora of different dried versions of fruit these days, including bananas, berries, peaches, and mango. Some of the healthiest dried fruits are figs. Just two dried figs will provide you with one hundred calories and are loaded with nutrients, including twenty percent of the recommended daily dietary fiber, and disease-fighting antioxidants called polyphenols, which is what makes red wine and tea so healthful, and it also lowers the risk of both heart disease and cancer.
Also contained in them are potassium, iron, and calcium. The only drawback to eating dried figs is that you can easily eat too many of them. You must limit the amount that you eat to control your calorie intake. An amount about the size of a golf ball is a good amount for a serving.
- Frozen Vegetables
Studies have shown that the vitamin C content of a serving of fresh broccoli fell fifty-six percent in just seven days, but in the same amount of frozen broccoli dipped just 10 percent within a year when kept frozen before preparing.
Also, the levels of anthocyanins, a disease fighting antioxidant, and minerals such as potassium, which helps control blood pressure, actually increased after freezing. Make sure that the frozen vegetables that you buy do not contain additives, preservatives and sauces.
- Bananas
Although bananas are low in water content when compared to other fruits, and contain more carbohydrate and calories per bite when compared to watery fruits such as melon, it does not mean that you should avoid them.
Bananas do not contain cholesterol, fat, or sodium, and they are extremely nutritious. Surely you have heard that bananas are high in potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure, but did you know they are also a good source of the vitamin B6, which helps maintain your blood sugar and is needed when building protein in the body, and for nerves and immune cells.
Also contained is vitamin C, which helps with your immune system, and fiber, which is for cholesterol control and general digestive health. To keep your calorie intake under control, you should choose small or “baby” bananas. These are the ones that are about the size of a long finger and are naturally portioned. Just one of them provides only fifty to sixty calories.
- White Potatoes
USDA tests of more than 100 potato varieties showed that they contained sixty different vitamins and antioxidants. Potatoes are also loaded with resistant starch, which is a fibrous substance that helps you lose weight and burn body fat.
One cup of baked potato with the skin still on will provide over twenty-five percent of the recommended daily amount of vitamin C, as well as fifteen to twenty percent of the recommended vitamin B6, potassium, and copper.
Potatoes actually contain more potassium than a banana, and also contain kukoamines, which helps to control blood pressure. Potatoes also have three grams of filling dietary fiber per serving.
Pseudo-Healthy Foods
- Diet Soda
There has been studies as to why diet drinkers actually weigh more than people whom drink regular soda. Some may believe that since they cut down on the calories from the diet soda, then they can eat more sweets and keep “even.”
This simply is not the case. Diet soda drinkers have a higher risk of becoming overweight or obese than those who drink regular soft drinks. There are also theories about diet soda actually making you crave more sweets, almost like a mild addiction. It also has been linked to appetite regulation, making your metabolism fluctuate and become varied.
- Pretzels
Although the label says ‘fat free’ and pretzels seem to be a great alternative to eating fatty, greasy chips, they are made with refined white flour. Refined white flour has been stripped of all of its vitamins and antioxidants in the refining process.
Pretzels are also extremely dense and pack an abundance of carbohydrate calories. In very small amounts, pretzels can pack a huge punch in your diet; for example, one fifteen-ounce bag contains the same amount of carbohydrates as 24 slices of white bread.
- Spinach Wrap
Although spinach is green and is also good for you, spinach powder is a trace ingredient. Spinach wraps are usually made with refined white flour and the green tint to them primarily comes from added food colorings.
In other words, the immune boosting vitamins A and C that are found in regular fresh spinach are mostly removed during the refining process. The spinach wrap is also much higher in calories than normal spinach. Studies show that one cup of cooked spinach provides about 65 calories which is about 105 calories less than that which is in a spinach wrap.
Also the thought that a spinach wrap is a vegetable serving is not correct. Making this an even worse choice when wanting something healthy are the usual ingredients or fillings, which often include unhealthy foods like ranch dressing, and fried chicken, not to mention bacon and cheese!
- Blueberry Scone
A single wild blueberry scone contains over four-hundred calories, which is the amount a whole meal should have, and is also over fifty percent of the recommended daily amount of artery-clogging saturated fat consumption for an entire day. They do not contain dietary fiber, nor do they count as a serving of fruit.
- Vitamin Water
This has become a hugely popular drink lately and although it does contain vitamins, vitamin water also has over 200 calories per bottle. Just one bottle a day can be responsible for a twenty-pound weight gain within a single year’s time. If these calories are not burned off, this will ruin a well thought-out workout plan.
Healthy Foods That Are Not Considered As Such
These are foods that are not considered healthy by the general public, but are in fact healthier than believed. These often-criticized foods do not deserve this stigma.
- Dried Fruit
Dried fruit is just fresh fruit with the water removed from them. Unsweetened dried fruit does not have any sugar added to it, therefore, other than shrinking in size, all of the fiber, vitamins, antioxidants, and such are still there.
There is a plethora of different dried versions of fruit these days, including bananas, berries, peaches, and mango. Some of the healthiest dried fruits are figs. Just two dried figs will provide you with one hundred calories and are loaded with nutrients, including twenty percent of the recommended daily dietary fiber, and disease-fighting antioxidants called polyphenols, which is what makes red wine and tea so healthful, and it also lowers the risk of both heart disease and cancer.
Also contained in them are potassium, iron, and calcium. The only drawback to eating dried figs is that you can easily eat too many of them. You must limit the amount that you eat to control your calorie intake. An amount about the size of a golf ball is a good amount for a serving.
- Frozen Vegetables
Studies have shown that the vitamin C content of a serving of fresh broccoli fell fifty-six percent in just seven days, but in the same amount of frozen broccoli dipped just 10 percent within a year when kept frozen before preparing.
Also, the levels of anthocyanins, a disease fighting antioxidant, and minerals such as potassium, which helps control blood pressure, actually increased after freezing. Make sure that the frozen vegetables that you buy do not contain additives, preservatives and sauces.
- Bananas
Although bananas are low in water content when compared to other fruits, and contain more carbohydrate and calories per bite when compared to watery fruits such as melon, it does not mean that you should avoid them.
Bananas do not contain cholesterol, fat, or sodium, and they are extremely nutritious. Surely you have heard that bananas are high in potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure, but did you know they are also a good source of the vitamin B6, which helps maintain your blood sugar and is needed when building protein in the body, and for nerves and immune cells.
Also contained is vitamin C, which helps with your immune system, and fiber, which is for cholesterol control and general digestive health. To keep your calorie intake under control, you should choose small or “baby” bananas. These are the ones that are about the size of a long finger and are naturally portioned. Just one of them provides only fifty to sixty calories.
- White Potatoes
USDA tests of more than 100 potato varieties showed that they contained sixty different vitamins and antioxidants. Potatoes are also loaded with resistant starch, which is a fibrous substance that helps you lose weight and burn body fat.
One cup of baked potato with the skin still on will provide over twenty-five percent of the recommended daily amount of vitamin C, as well as fifteen to twenty percent of the recommended vitamin B6, potassium, and copper.
Potatoes actually contain more potassium than a banana, and also contain kukoamines, which helps to control blood pressure. Potatoes also have three grams of filling dietary fiber per serving.
