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Hold on to your fresh pressed juice, or Starbucks holiday edition latte because what you’re about to read is going to leave you shocked. A group of nutritionists, together with a few health organisations, have rounded up the foods/drinks they suggest you try to stay away from in 2018- or at least, have in moderation. The top 9 are listed below- pray that your favourites are not included.
Fizzy drinks: Not only is the sugar in it bad for you, but so are the artificial sweeteners because they lead to your sugar tolerance becoming higher and as a result you find yourself craving sugar more and eating larger amounts of sugar all round.
Artificially-coloured foods: Okay, if you feel like these nutritionists are buzzkill nutritionists, you are not alone. However, the Food and Drug Administration says that the artificial colours can cause hives and itching for some people. In this case they suggest you use natural colouring found in fruits and vegetables.
Veggie Chips: Okay, no surprises here, but registered dietician Keri Glassman says most veggie chips have potatoes and other starchy root vegetables that are fried. making the chips no better than normal chips. Similarly, store-brought Kale chips are full of sodium and have the same amount of saturated fat as the usual potato chips.
Acai bowls: According to the National Center for Complementary and integrative Health, Acai berries are rich in antioxidants and protect against cell damage, but because they are made with sweetners like agave and honey and very sugary topping like granola and very sweet fruits. Keri Glassman says the amount of topping and sweeteners almost cancel out the healthy fats and protein.
Light ice creams: So, the less sugar-more protein ice creams apparently have to go too, because while they are lower in sugar than normal ice cream, they are packed full of sweeteners which can cause bloating because they are difficult to digest. Largeman-Roth says one should eat half a cup of real ice cream instead.
Protein-enhanced foods: Nutritionist Keri Glassman says that contrary to popular belief, adding protein to foods does not make it healthier because even with the extra protein, they are not healthier. ‘Chances are you’re already getting enough protein, so added protein might not be necessary. The protein label can skew your vision of what the food actually is.’
Seasonal coffee drinks: While these are delicious and earn you instagram points when you upload, they are full of sugary syrups. Glassman suggests that you order an unsweetened latte and ask for a flavoured spice mix.
Pressed juices: Juice made from fruits sounds healthy and like it is a smart way to contribute to your fresh fruit and veg intake, however, it is not. This is because when the pulp is removed in the juicing process-the dietry is lost. A second thing is that taking in a lot of natural sugars found in fruit and veg can cause cramping and bloating.
Cauliflower crust pizza: Many packaged cauliflower crust pizzas are in fact not healthier than normal pizza crusts and some even contain less fiber depending on the recipes followed. This is largely due to the fact that they contain a number of other ingredients such as mozzarella and different types of flower.
What are your thoughts about this?