Many foods in our supermarkets have been heavily marketed as being “healthy”, when they are actually nothing more than junk foods!
Here are a few examples that are far less good for you than you’ve been led to believe :
1. Canned vegetables
Many leading brands of canned foods contain a toxic chemical called BPA. This has been linked to heightened risk of cancers, diabetes and heart disease amongst others. Stick to buying fresh fruit and vegetables or switch to brands that use glass containers instead.
2. Processed meats
Many processed deli meats like salami, ham etc are typically from animals raised in confined animal feeding operations. This basically means that they are given growth hormones, antibiotics and other drugs. These meats are also filled with nitrites, which are preservatives that add colour and flavour. These nitrites have been again linked with cancers.
Always check the food labels before buying and if the product has nitrites in it, put it back! Try to avoid processed meats and buy fresh organic meat or grass fed meats.
3. Margarine
Unfortunately, the result of the low fat diet craze, has been the shunning of healthy fats like butter.
There are many unhealthy components to margarine and similar products:
– trans fats
– free radicals
– emulsifiers and preservatives
Stick with good old fashioned butter! It does contain saturated fat, but as my earlier blogs have told you, there is no need to be scared of saturated fat in moderation, it is good for you.
4. Table salt
Salt is essential for life – we can’t live without it. However, regular “table salt” and the salt found in processed foods are NOT identical to the salt your body really needs. In fact, table salt has practically nothing in common with natural salt. One is health damaging, the other is healing.
Switch to a pure, unrefined salt. This contains no man made chemicals.
5. Artificial sweeteners
My biggest pet hate!
Contrary to popular belief, artificial sweeteners like aspartame can stimulate your appetite, increase carbohydrate cravings and stimulate fat storage and weight gain. In recent studies, saccharin and aspartame were found to cause greater weight gain than sugar!
These sweeteners are found in most diet fizzy drinks and juices, so be aware and check food labels before you buy!
In conclusion, don’t be fooled by clever marketing, check food labels and try and buy clean, organic produce wherever possible.