MBG 7 Foods That aren’t as Healthy as You Think

Most of the things Americans have been told in the health arena have been completely wrong. We have been told that fat is the bad guy. That it was fat that was the cause of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and anything else that was wrong with us. Unfortunately, most Americans have swallowed this hook, line, and sinker. And we are fatter and sicker than ever, aren’t we? Here are the top 7 foods that we have been led to believe are good for us, thanks to this misinformation about fat, but that acutally are not. 1. Olive Oil Although you may have heard a lot of talk about how “heart healthy” olive oil is, and even though tons of research has been done on this, there is still no proof that olive oil has some special power over heart disease. Here’s another thing you should know, it’s NOT the ancient food that the Greeks and Italians have used. Yes, it’s been used since ancient times, but not as a food, rather, as an oil to anoint the body. Although pure virgin olive oil is a better choice than other processed vegetable oils, if you truly want some heart healthy oils, use coconut oil, lard, or butter. Save the olive oil for your salad or other foods that are served at room temperature. 2. Skim Milk The problem with skim milk is that you really do NEED all that fat in order for your body to properly digest the vitamins in the milk. Vitamins A,D,K, and E are fat soluable and can only be absorbed when accompanied by, you guessed it, fat. The same thing applies to calcium, it can’t be absorbed without fat and instead forms calcium soaps inside the intestine. 3. Fruit Everyone knows that fruit is healthy, right? There is a problem when you eat too much fruit, however. Fruit is high in fructose, especially very, very sweet fruits such as grapes, pineapple, and dried fruit. Eating a lot of fruit can have the same effects as the fructose in high-fructose corn syrup; it goes directly to the liver and can cause high triglycreides levels as well as heart disease and metabolic syndrome. We are certainly not suggesting you should stop eating fruit, just be sure it isn’t the only thing you snack on all day long. Try some cheese or nuts as healthy snack alternatives to fruit. Read more about perfect snacks to have at hand. 4. Low-Fat Foods in General Let’s be honest here, removing the fat from food makes them taste like crap. It removes most of the flavor and texture of the food. To compensate for that, manufacterers must use other compounds they call “fat replacements”. This is a nice phrase that generally means they will use chemical flavor enhancers or carbohydrates. This is why “low fat” products have more carbs and sugars such as salad dressings, yogurt, peanut butter, and ice cream. For example, one piece of low-fat coffee cake has as much sugar as two chocolate Hersey bars. Talk about a sugar bomb! Eat the pure, whole fat food. They will have less sugar, fewer carbs, they won’t make you fat, and they will taste great. Read more about 10 super cheap but super healthy foods. 5. Whole Grains Even whole grains are loaded with carbs, which, inside the body, break down and turn into glucose. Glucose causes your body to release insulin, which is probably the boss of all bosses when it comes to making you fat. There have been a multitude of studies showing that people who eat high carb diets, even if they are complex carbs, they are at a higher risk of diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. Skip the grains whenever possible and eat more fish, free range eggs, and organic meats. 6. Vegetable Oils More likely than not, you have grown up hearing about the “evils” of lard and butter, but nothing could be further from the truth. Vegetable oils are very recent additions to the human diet, only being used since the late 1950’s. Vegetable oils would include peanut, safflower, corn, soybean, and sunflower oil. These types of oils make toxic oxidation when heated, especially over long periods of time. Clinical tests have shown that people who eat lots of vegetable oil have much higher rates of gallstones and cancers compared to those who eat saturated fats, such as butter. Read aslo about canola oil. There is no evidence that lard, tallow, butter, and coconut oil cause any chronic disease or heart disease. Extra virgin olive oil is even a better choice than vegetable oils. 7. Chicken Like fruit, this is another food that really isn’t good for you to eat all the time. When compared to red meat, chicken is lacking in iron, folate, selenium, and vitamins B6 and B12. Organic, grass fed beef is a much more nutrient packed protein than plain old chicken. Don’t be afraid to try new foods, especially meats. Try liver, and sweetbreads. Remember, there is absolutely no evidence that the fats or the cholesterol in these foods have any connection to heart disease. Sources: Mindbodygreen.com

MBG 7 Foods That aren’t as Healthy as You Think

1. Olive Oil

Latest News