Health Fitness

5 foods that are much less healthy than you think

There are several “healthy” foods that are not as good for you as you think. Food manufacturers advertise these products as effective in providing plenty of nutrition, helping you lose weight, keeping your mind sharp, and offering other physical and mental health benefits. Unfortunately, all the publicity gimmicks in the world don’t change the chemical composition of a food.

If something isn’t healthy for you, it’s just not healthy. Skip the following 5 foods that aren’t as healthy as you thought they were, and your mind and body fitness efforts will get a boost.

1 – High fiber protein bars and bars

The key here is to read the labels. There are some energy bars, protein bars and high fiber bars that are very good for you. Start reading food labels. Find the ones that are free of sugar, salt, added flavors, and a long list of ingredients ending in -ite, -ate, and -ose.

You also shouldn’t eat a full day’s worth of fiber, about 25g, in a single snack bar, as this can have a dramatically negative effect on your digestive system if you don’t eat fiber all day.

2 – Low-fat foods

I bet there are some low-fat foods that you really like. They taste delicious, don’t they? Well, think about this for a second. If the fat is removed and the fat provides amazing flavor, where does its flavor come from? The answer is, in most cases, incredibly high doses of unhealthy refined sugar. Your body needs healthy fats in moderation, which means enjoying guacamole or hummus instead of a fat-free food item.

3 – Orange Juice

Did you know that it could take 5 to 7 oranges to make a single glass of orange juice? Unfortunately, when you drink the juice, you get all the calories from all those oranges in one drink! That’s why even 100% juice is packed with tons of calories.

The natural sugar in all those oranges can also cause a blood sugar spike. The natural sugar in fruit (fructose), which gives many fruits their sweet taste, tricks your body into gaining weight by not letting you know when you’re full. Skip the orange juice and drink a glass of water instead.

4 – “Healthy” drinks

There are plenty of drinks that show amazing health properties. If they have more than 3 ingredients, you should probably skip them. No matter how the ingredients are disguised—and manufacturers are very good at disguising empty calories and simple carbohydrates like sugar—if there’s a long list of ingredients, your healthy drink is probably anything but.

5 – Store Bought Veggie Burgers

When you make your own veggie patties and black bean burgers, you know exactly what you’re putting into your body. Unfortunately, many of the frozen and processed vegetable patties you find in the frozen food section of your local grocery store have more fillers and binders than healthy vegetables. Many of the so-called healthy vegetable patties are also extremely high in sodium and sugar.