Top 7 Health foods in disguise
Agave Syrup
This stuff is actually WORSE than HCFS - high fructose corn syrup, a known harmful additive. Yet, many people have switched to this sweetener in an attempt to have a healthier diet. The syrup is made by extraction from a Mexican cactus plant which then is industrially purified into basically what is a super-condensed high-fructose syrup, which is virtually devoid of all nutrient value. It is a sweet-tasting, almost clear, honey-like substance that is 1.5 times sweeter than sugar. Its fructose content can be up to 97% in some brands - which can be toxic for your liver and send your blood triglyceride levels soaring. It is marketed as being "diabetic-friendly" because it doesn't spike insulin levels, where in actual fact it increases insulin resistance, which is far more dangerous. Stick to organic stevia (you will find this in all our products), maple/rice syrup and honey in moderation - but try and keep all sweeteners to a minimum.
2.Salad dressings
I've seen so many people trying to be healthy by reaching for the salad option, but then sadly, they completely drown it all in a store-bought salad dressing from a bottle. These are usually filled with vegetable oils, sugar, and sodium. Not to mention the artificial chemicals. Make your own salad dressing with some olive oil and lemon, or some balsamic vinegar. It tastes amazing, and will be so much better for your insides.
3.Store-bought, Pre-made Smoothies/Juices
Even if it looks green, comes with a hefty price tag, and is from a reputable brand, it doesn't mean that the same bottle of juice is going to do you any good. Most of these pre-made smoothies and juices are primarily fruit based, with juices sometimes containing the liquid from 4-5 whole fruits! You have to ask yourself - would you eat all those fruits in one sitting? Chances are, probably not, because you would be so full and would likely have stopped after the first one. Juices especially can sometimes be loaded with calories from fructose and without the fibre, it is a dangerous dumping of sugar on your liver, most of which will get processed to fat, not to mention the crazy spiking your insulin levels - another message to your body to store fat. So even if these drinks have fruit and vegetables, they will often have sugar and other nasties to give them a better flavour and preserve their shelf-life. My tip is make your smoothiesand juices at home, or buy them freshly made, with no additives, and no more fruit than you could eat whole in one sitting.
4.Dried Fruit
These are basically little packages of concentrated fructose with some fibre, coated in preservative, but because the water has been sucked out of the fruit, it is very easy to OD on these, hence overloading on fructose and possibly added sugar that often coats the fruit. Simply swap to eating the whole fruit instead - you'll ingest fewer calories, and you will get full much faster because of the water in the fruit.
5.Health;Bars
Health bars are sold as convenience items on supermarket shelves and health food stores; they are marketed as a quick, easy snack on the go, touting claims such as high-fibre, high protein, energy snacks. But most of them really are just protein and vitamin-infused candy bars. They are quite energy-laden, with needless calories coming from huge amounts of carbs and fat. The sweetener is often huge amounts of honey (or agave!), which then translates to large amounts of hidden sugar. The best substitute is to make your protein balls, or health bars at home. That way you know how much sweetener is in each serve, as well as being able to limit the calories in each portion size to below 150 cals - the ideal number for a snack.
6.Low-fat Yoghurt
Most low-fat yoghurts are loaded with sugar and artificial flavourings and colours. When all the fat is taken out, something else has to be added in, to prevent it from looking like a watery gloop with no flavour. In comes sugar and colour, - most "strawberry" flavoured low-fat yoghurts are a prime example. You will usually find the actual fruit itself almost at the end of the list of ingredients (meaning it is lowest in quantity), far below things like added sugar and thickeners. When buying yoghurt, become a label-reading nazi. The only ingredients should be the milk itself, and added cultures. You can always add your own fruit and flavourings on top, but in general, plain, full-fat yoghurt is best.
7.Cereal
I'll let the folks over at iquitsugar.com take this one. They have a few great articles on some stats about how most breakfast cereals contain more sugar than your average dessert.
Sugar is the major culprit in why store-bought cereals are worse for you than downing a pack of tim-tams for breakfast. Check the amount of sugar per serve on the back of the box - if it is anymore than 5g per 100g, put it down and walk away. Better yet, make your own healthy granola at home - it's super easy, and so much better for you.