5 "Health" Foods I No Longer Buy
In 2018 I spent a lot of time researching adrenal fatigue and unexplained weight gain because despite being a very healthy eater I just could not lose any weight and it was making me crazy!
Through my research I discovered some “healthy” foods that were sabotaging my weight loss efforts. Eliminating them from my diet made a huge difference and now whenever I see my friends “eating healthy” and relying on these foods it makes me cringe. So I had to share!
Juice
This is a big one for me. I grew up drinking fruit juice as a healthy alternative to other drinks and I still see it in my moms refrigerator every time I open it . While fresh squeezed juice has nutritional benefits by the time it’s processed for distribution anything that was beneficial is gone by the time you get it. Even if the fruit juice you purchase says it’s not made from concentrate once it is processed it loses both its flavor and nutrients so then requires additives to make it taste better. It is no different at that point than any other processed flavored drink and your body sees it as sugar which then causes a whole other array of different physiological responses that are anything but good for your health.
Margarine
I grew up in the heart healthy 80’s and doctors recommended that we use margarine for heart health instead of butter. Even today Mayo Clinic claims that margarine is preferable to butter because it is made from vegetable oils and lower in saturated fat. However, many studies show that hydrogenated oils are chemically transformed from healthy unsaturated fats into unhealthy trans fats that your body cannot process and are linked to premature death. If you have been told otherwise I recommend doing your own research as I did. After I did I decided that for me hydrogenated oils were a no go and I no longer buy them in any form.
Canola Oil
While there are several reasons I personally choose to eliminate canola oil from my diet the biggest reason is because it’s highly inflammatory. Although on paper canola oil looks to be high in omegas and therefore good for you, the particular Omega 3’s in canola oil cannot be used as they are in the body and have to be converted and this causes high levels of inflammation. I do absolutely everything I can to avoid inflammation as it is at the root of most disease so I stay away from canola oil. You should know though that canola oil is one of the cheapest oils and therefore used in most processed foods, fried foods and convenience foods so keep that in mind when you are eating out. When in doubt it’s always best to assume that’s the oil your food is made with and choose something unprocessed instead.
Granola Bars
As a very busy person often on the go I lived on granola bars as a health food for a number of years. I ate them for breakfast, healthy snacks and even sometimes dinner and I really thought I was doing good for my body. Then I learned how inflammatory grains are and how they spiked my insulin levels and messed up my hormones - all completely sabotaging my weight loss efforts. In addition, most granola bars are FULL of sugars that work against any health goals you may have. Today I see them as no better than a candy bar and I refuse to eat them.
Whole Wheat Bread
It was my generation that the big switch from white bread to wheat bread as a health food became a big thing. Everyday I see well meaning friends choose “whole wheat” bread over white in an effort to make a healthy choice. I discovered through my research that it’s not the white or the wheat that is the issue - it’s the bread itself that is the problem. Unless you are buying a sprouted grain bread that has a very short shelf life your bread is FULL of harmful additives, preservatives and a bunch of other junk that is toxic to your body. Case in point. I have a teenager that eats bread and a loaf of bread in my pantry can sit there unchanged for weeks. That’s not health food - it’s processed junk my friends. The only bread I eat now is Ezekiel Bread and I have to keep it in the freezer until I use it (one piece at a time). Because grains themselves are so inflammatory one loaf of this bread can last months as I rarely eat bread at all anymore. As long as I am in weight loss mode I will eat very little bread or grains at all.
I hope you found this helpful and if you are struggling to lose weight despite your “healthy” eating habits I suggest you start looking at the things you regularly eat and see if they are sabotaging your efforts like I did.
Once I eliminated these foods from my diet, my body had less inflammation and was able to start doing the work of losing weight rather than constantly fighting the inflammation. My hormones started to balance out and then my body was able to do what it does best on its own.
I was so frustrated doing all the things that I thought were right and instead of losing weight I was gaining and getting more unhealthy. I am super passionate about sharing what I learned and how it changed things for me - I really hope this helps you too!
Peace and Blessings