Ten traps of healthy eating!
Wednesday 09 November 2011
After having read countless studies, articles and books on the complicated subject of healthy eating, Closer thought we had diets sussed.
But oh, how wrong we were: just as understanding of calorie counting, good carbs/bad carbs and glycaemic indexes began to dawn, the wonderful science of nutrition throws us another curve ball:
There are foods out there that you think are incredibly healthy, but that can in fact prove disastrous for your health – and diet! And then there are some good old food myths that just need to be cleared up, once and for all.
Vitamin rich juices that are full of calories, brown bread that is just as bad as white- it’s a dietary minefield, but Closer’s got the lowdown for you.
We uncovered the most common food myths that might be ruining your diet…
Natural juices are mega-healthy, so you should drink lots of them
A glass of orange juice is a great way to fill up on vitamin c and counts as one portion of your five-a-day.
However, the serving size is crucial, as most juices are rich in calories and fruit sugars. Guzzling glass after glass will make your calorie levels rocket, and can sabotage your diet.
Tip: Keep an eye on how much you drink and try to keep your serving size between 6-8 ounces.
Margarine contains less fat than butter
Wrong. Although Margarine is made from vegetable oils rather than animal fats, it still contains a similar amount of fat to Butter. Margarine might be lower in calories, but most types contain hydrogenated fats that stimulate your body to create cholesterol. So really, you should use both butter and margarine carefully.
Tip: Try a margarine spread, like Benecol. They are lower in fat than butter and ordinary margarine and include components that can lower your cholesterol levels by up to 16% if consumed in the right doses.
Brown bread is healthier than white:
With bread, you should look at the ingredients, not the colour. Just because bread is brown, doesn’t mean it is wholegrain. If the label lists unbleached or enriched “wheat flour”, the bread still contains the processed stuff.
There are also many “brown” breads out there that contain only a sprinkling of whole grains just so they can put on the ingredients listing. Other types can also contain fructose corn syrup or partially hydrogenated oils, both of which are very unhealthy.
Tip: Read the ingredients list carefully. Look out for bread that only lists whole grain whole wheat and has plenty of fiber.
Baked Beans are a healthy breakfast option:
Beans are packed with fiber and release energy slowly into your bloodstream, which makes them a great addition to your diet.
Baked beans, however, swim in a sauce full of brown and white sugars – 1 cup can contain as much as 24 gramms!
Tip: Try other pulses for variety, like red kidney beans or butter beans, and serve them with a sprinkle of chili sauce for an extra kick.
Fresh fruit and vegetables are more nutritious than frozen foods
If you were to eat the product straight from the fields, than yes, your fresh five-a-day would be healthier than the frozen alternative.
But seeing as most ‘fresh’ groceries get packaged, transported across the country (or, in fact, the world) and then stored on a shelf until you come along to pick them up, by the time they end up on your plate there aren’t as many vitamins left as you might like to think.
Foods from the freezer, however, get flash-frozen straight from the field, so they don’t lose as much of the good stuff.
Tip: If you can, buy your fresh fruit and veg from a farm shop or local market.
Vegetarian dishes are the healthier option
Not necessarily, because a lot of veggie meals contain creamy sauces, cheese and pastry – so you might unknowingly consume loads of calories and fat with your ‘healthy’ veggie meal.
Tip: Read the nutritional information carefully before you buy vegetarian dishes.
Soy is a miracle-food
Soy has been much hyped as a health food and meat replacement, but it can be hard to digest if eaten in large amounts. Soy also contains hormones that can upset your body’s own hormone levels.
On top of that, the soybean is full of anti-nutrients, which bind themselves to vitamins and minerals, rendering them useless. Soy has been linked to conditions of the pancreas, cancer and thyroid problems.
Tip: Use soy products sparingly, as a condiment or flavouring. Good examples are soy sauce or miso soup.
Olive oil is low in calories:
It has many health benefits, but one tablespoon contains about 120 calories, so pouring it over your salad or covering the frying pan with it can quickly add to your daily recommended calorie intake.
Tip: Go easy on the ‘extra virgine’ or switch to an olive oil spray, which only contains five calories per spray.
Salad is always slimming:
Although it is full of healthy, raw vegetables, drowning your salad in dressing, cheese topping or croutons can quickly turn your virtuous meal into a calorie bomb: Caesar’s salad is one of the worst culprits!
Tip: Stay away from the creamy dressings and breadcrumbs and try to add protein to your salad like chicken, fish or seafood to make it more satisfying.
Sports and Energy drinks are essential during exercise
They are meant to keep our bodies supplied with essential minerals and vitamins during or after exercise, but most sports drinks are packed with sugars (sucrose, glucose and fructose) and salts (potassium and sodium), as well as artificial flavourings and colourings.
Tip: Drinking spring water or diluted fruit juices during exercise is a healthier option.
Sports bars are a good source of energy
The may say sport on the label, but a lot of these bars are little better than their chocolate counterpart. Many of them contain sugar, preservatives and synthetic nutrients – it might give you a quick burst of energy, but healthy it is not.
Tip: Look out for bars made with whole foods that fill you up slowly, but for longer. Oats and flax seeds, fruits and natural sweeteners are ideal.
For more information on a balanced, healthy diet and exercise regime, go to www.closerdiets.com