Welcome everyone back to One Radiant Life!
Today I want to talk with you about Tricky Foods. By tricky, I mean foods that are often sold as so-called health foods, but are not really healthy at all. It can be so frustrating these days to eat healthy with all the marketing and disinformation out there. We may all know that a juicy double cheeseburger with bacon is no health food…. but what about a “natural” protein bar or “health” shake? The truth is that companies can for the most part say whatever they want about their products! Did you know a cereal that claims to have various fruits may not even have a single fruit included, for example? They can use sneaky buzz words like all-natural, natural, healthy, whole grain, and low-fat but still be marketing a very unhealthy product. Who gets to determine what natural and healthy mean exactly? What about all the sugar, all the processed foods, all the refined grains in breads and cereals, what about all the chemicals and soy isolates? This post is designed to address some of these issues.
What for sure is a healthy and natural food, can you guess? Foods with ONE ingredient that are plant based and unrefined! We may not always be able to just eat these items, and may revert to Frankenfoods that are more appropriately named “food-like products”, but lets at least start with an understanding of what something truly healthy looks like.
Our bodies were designed to eat fresh foods in their natural state. Bananas, apples, raw cashews, herbs, tomatoes, and kiwis! Even items that have to be cooked (traditionally) to enjoy like beans, lentils, brown rice, and quinoa. Our bodies can actually recognize these foods without having to look up Google to figure it out! The more refined and processed a food is, the more it becomes a “food-like product” instead.
So let’s get started here. Let’s take a stroll through some typical foods marketed as being “healthy” and see if we have had the wool pulled over our eyes.
Protein “Health” Bars. Interesting how these look awfully similar to candy bars. The food industry has been successfully able to make the general public feel as if they are protein starved and this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Everything we eat has some level of protein. A mother’s milk only has 5% protein to grow a strong baby and it does just fine. These bars are typically loaded with sugar, soy protein isolates, and addictive food additives. Both of which can lead to insulin resistance and hormone imbalances. I have always eaten a lot of soy via soymilk and tofu, but there are many studies linked to soy products (especially processed ones like soy protein isolate) that show they affect hormones, libido, and fertility in a bad way. Check out Dr. Mercola’s Article Here. If you need energy on the go and still want a bar then check out some of the actual healthy options that have a short list of recognizable ingredients that will give you sustained energy such as one shown below.
** Also try Lara bar, Nii Bars, and Organic Food Bars (<actual name of company)
Vegan Meat Replacements. I am not going to lie, I used to rely heavily on these before I knew what vegetarians and vegans ate. The first time I became vegan in 2002 I had no idea what to eat since I rarely ate vegetables at the time and had a very meat centric diet. It didn’t help that I couldn’t cook either, so ready-made vegan hot dogs, corn dogs, and Chik’n tenders helped a lot! So what’s the problem!? Well even though these products may be vegetarian or even vegan, most of them are still refined and processed with high sodium, fat (oils), and sugars. There is a reason that no-meat sausage and meat does not look like a piece of wheat or a soybean anymore. Yes they are filling and delicious sometimes, but can never replace fresh vegetables, beans, and legumes! They often still have GMOs and food additives that are addictive and unhealthy.
Vegan Yogurts, Fruit Juices, and Agave Nectar.
These products are in general what I like to call LIQUID SUGAR… Yes friends, these products may have even 100% natural ingredients but they are still loaded with sugar! When you separate juice from the fiber it becomes a fructose concentrate and it slams your system and skyrockets your blood sugar. And Agave syrup is processed and very high in fructose… even more than High Fructose Syrup! Read This I would like to add here that I have often used Agave syrup in the past thinking it was a lower glycemic index sweetener, but the science just does not support that.
Nut Butters.
Quick note on nut butters. There are many nut butters available today and I would just like to say that if it has more than two ingredients I would skip it! Most nut butters are loaded with extra fat, sugar, and preservatives. A raw organic almond butter would be the best option (as shown on the right side), but roasted or salted in moderation is alright if it is organic. Watch out for peanut butters because they often have molds and have less nutrition than other nut butters.
Whole Grain Breads, Pastas, and Cereals.
Now we are going to talk about grains. Nothing is as filling and delicious as carbs and luckily there are some options for healthfully indulging in carbs and starches which I will discuss. Unfortunately, many grain products that are marketed as healthy are not. Just because it says multigrain, whole grain, or “healthy” does not make it so! Unless a bread product says 100% whole wheat it has refined flours as well. Even a 100% whole grain bread, tortilla, pita or bun often has added ingredients like dairy, sugar, and preservatives. Sprouted organic breads and tortillas are a better option, even if they are a little more expensive.
An important issues to do with products that have grain flours in their impact on aging and blood sugar. Pulverized modern strains of wheat and other grains raise blood sugar very quickly! A piece of whole grain bread affects blood sugar more than other whole grains that have not been refined such as millet, quinoa, and wild rice.
Here is a quote from the link below:
“Research shows that a piece of whole wheat bread spikes your blood sugar just as much, if not more as a can of soda. The hybridization of our grain supply has created “super” sugars and increased the gluten content, both deleterious to your health. Even gluten-free grains like rice and oats can cause similar problems in people. Throughout history, when grains were consumed they were soaked, sprouted and fermented (and not hybridized or genetically modified for that matter). The solution: Use grain-free options made from coconut flour, arrowroot starch, tapioca flour, plantain flour and almond flour.”
Article on Grains and Flours HERE
Grains affect everyone differently, and often they affect the digestive system as well. You may have bloating and upset stomach problems for example. There are so many option these days to reduce or eliminate grains. But if you are like me and love the grains then try to stick with whole unrefined grains so you can have beautiful skin, less inflammation, and lower blood sugar.
Sugar-free Drinks.
I recently had a co-worker tell me that she shared my love of sparkling water. I told her that while it was an acquired taste, that it helped me over my soda addiction years ago and that now I love them. It wasn’t until she showed me one of the drinks shown above, that I realized she was not talking about sparking water at all. Drinking these fake sugar laden sparkling clear drinks is no better than having a diet sprite! They are soda period! My rule with drinks are this: if it has more than two ingredients then skip it! Here is what I drink:
- Good old fashioned H2o
- Unsweetened Teas (partial to English breakfast and Jasmine Green Teas)
- Sparkling water with only fruit essence oils (not juice)
Okay everyone, thank you for stopping by for this discussion! Good luck with your meals and I wish you all abundant health!
One Radiant Life 