Nutrition Traps and What 'Healthy' Foods to Avoid

Salads, smoothies, granola bars, these are all healthy foods, aren't they? Not necessarily. Even though this might sound rather strange, a smoothie can become an unhealthy choice. Take a look at these 'healthy' foods to avoid and learn how to prepare smarter alternatives.

Nutrition is a tricky domain indeed and eating right has become lately a real challenge. A smoothie or a salad, unhealthy? This is not a joke, but a reality that might be rather frustrating and shatter all our dreams regarding healthy, balanced diets. Well, these next foods are generally thought as being healthy, yet the truth is that they can easily be transformed in enemies of your diet and can sabotage your weight loss plan. Beware of these nutrition traps! Here are some of the most common 'healthy' foods to avoid!

Smoothies

Smoothies seem like one of the best choices when it comes to balancing tasty and nutritional. Still, this delicious treat is not that innocent as one thinks. There is no doubt whatsoever that a fresh homemade smoothie is a quick, healthy alternative for breakfast or for a snack. But when does a smoothie become unhealthy? When you buy it. Keep in mind that many purchased smoothies contain some unhealthy ingredients such as sugar, random vitamins, sorbet, too much protein, which add calories to your drink. Besides, some producers even add high-fructose corn syrup and dairy that only increase the intake of carbohydrates. The best thing you can do is to use fresh or unsweetened frozen fruits, no-calorie sweeteners, low-fat yogurt or fat-free milk and make the smoothie yourself.

Salads

Synonymous with 'slender' and 'healthy' a salad was never thought as being a dangerous pick when it comes to dieting. Yes, a salad can be fattening! Imagine a salad loaded with fatty meats, croutons, cheeses, and dressings, which contain so many calories and unhealthy carbs and fats that are threatening not just for your silhouette, but also your health. Stay away from this type of salads and pick instead healthier versions by choosing a fat-free dressing or simply add some olive oil and a low-fat source of protein.

'Free' foods

Whether we are talking about fat-free or sugar-free foods, the idea is to always check the label and look for all the nutritional values as 'free' doesn't necessarily mean healthier. These products might contain different additives and preservatives in order to give taste and color. Besides, when it comes to fat-free or sugar-free, people often believe that they are allowed to eat more of these foods and end up overeating. Moreover, a fat-free product was usually made by removing the fat and adding sugar.

Yogurt

Yogurt should be a great source of protein, calcium and vitamins. However, purchased yogurt is mostly rich in unhealthy sugars and different gums. Besides, the fruit contained are processed and therefore full of sugars that only encourage weight gain. So, it is advisable to always read the label and see all the nutritional facts. Buy a plain, organic yogurt and add fresh fruits and a healthy sugar substitute.

Granola bars and cereals

Since breakfast is the most important meal of the day, most of those who respect this rule tend to have granola bars or cereals. However, keep in mind that these might be unhealthy food choices that are likely to top out even 600 calories. Why? Because most of the purchased granolas are packed-full of sugar and too much high-fructose corn syrup and very little fiber. And the correct, healthy alternative should be exactly the opposite. If you want to eat right, make granola bars at home. Choose some of your favorite nuts (almonds, walnuts), add fresh fruits, seeds (pumpkin, sesame, sunflower) and high-fiber cereal, and finish everything with honey or maple syrup, and one ripe banana. Put the mixture on a baking tray and bake for about 35-40 minutes.

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Understanding Basic Nutrition Terms

Nutrition can be a rather tricky business as it implies numerous unfamiliar terms. Therefore, it is impossible for us to make a difference between good and bad. So, understanding basic nutrition terms is essential when wanting to change your eating habits and start a healthy lifestyle.

We all want to be healthy and stay young. In order to achieve this, it's not just the outer beauty that counts, but the way we feel inside matters the most. An enviable, good health will be undoubtedly reflected on the outside, being visible both on our skin and figure. In all this process, diet plays a major role and we need to pay attention to what we eat. Still, if we want to distinguish dangerous ingredients on nutrition labels and bring balance into our diet, understanding basic nutrition terms is more than necessary.

Dietary fiber

Dietary fiber is not digested by our body, yet its health benefits are tremendous. It normalizes bowel movements, prevents constipation, reduces the risk of heart disease and diabetes, lowers blood cholesterol, and might even prevent colon cancer. There are two types of dietary fiber: soluble that dissolves into water and can be found in oats, beans, apples, peas, carrots, barley, and insoluble, found in whole-wheat flour, nuts, numerous vegetables.

Protein

Protein is vital. Why? Protein is used to build new cells, develop and repair tissues, it helps create the antibodies your immune system needs in order to fight disease, and is important in the process of blood clotting. We think, move, see and hear. Without these senses we couldn't enjoy life. And imagine that proteins are crucial when it comes to our ability to do all these things. A protein is made up of 20 amino acids, known as the building blocks of protein, of which 11 are non essential that can be created by the body and 9 essential that must be taken from food. Sources of proteins? Poultry, meat, fish, eggs, milk represent complete proteins, while veggies, fruits, nuts, grains, and seeds are incomplete sources.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates play a complex role in our diet being the fuel our body needs for proper function. They are not just the main source of energy, but they also protect our muscles, regulate the amount of sugar in our blood, give the necessary nutrients for the friendly bacteria in the intestinal tract that help digestion, assist in the body's absorption of calcium, and might even help regulate blood pressure and low cholesterol. Still, if they are so healthy, how do carbs take that unwanted shape of unaesthetic love handles? Well, when you eat more carbohydrates than your body needs, the excess will be stored as fat. Besides, when eaten in larger quantities, carbs can increase the risk for heart disease and diabetes and can encourage weight gain. Carbohydrates come in forms of sugars, fibers, and starches. Good sources of carbs come from fruits, vegetables, beans and whole-grains. Avoid refined carbohydrates from pastries, refined grains, white bread, and other processed foods.

Simple carbohydrates

Simple carbohydrates include sugars such as fructose (fruit sugar), glucose, dextrose, galactose, sucrose (table sugar), maltose. Simple carbs are broken into glucose faster than complex carbohydrates and so they cannot provide sustained energy throughout the day. This type of carbohydrates is not highly recommended since many specialists have related them with a high risk of weight gain and obesity due to the fact that they can be found in numerous processed foods. Still, there are also natural sources of simple carbs such as apples, berries, pears, and grapefruits. Therefore, always go for a fruit rather than refined foods that might contain some of the aforementioned simple carbs.

Complex carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates are considered as being healthier than the simple ones. They are higher in fiber and provide a gradual, even stream of energy, give a feeling of being full for longer, and also balance the blood sugar. The best thing you can do is to consume foods in their most natural state. Complex carbohydrates can be found in brown rice, potatoes, beans, chick peas, pasta, barley, oatmeal, maize, buckwheat, wholegrain flours and breads.

Saturated fats

Saturated fats are found in many foods such as butter, ice cream, coconut oil, cocoa butter, palm oil, but they primarily come from animal sources, including meat and dairy products. These fats are usually solid at room temperature and are added to different fried and baked foods and have been related to an increase of LDL which is the bad cholesterol.

Unsaturated fats

Unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature and they are healthier than saturated ones. Still, don't forget that moderation is the key towards a balanced diet! Saturated fats contain the famous essential fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6) that can only be taken from food, especially oily fish. Sources of unsaturated fats are oily fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel), avocados, olives, nuts, seeds, olive oil, sunflower oil, canola oil.

Trans fats

More dangerous than saturated fats are the trans fats as besides increasing bad cholesterol they also boost triglycerides. They can be found in processed foods, margarine, ready meals and fast food. Trans fats are in fact an artificial fat that has no nutritional value whatsoever, its main purpose is to give products a long shelf life. You can spot them on the food label as 'partially hydrogenated vegetable oil' and 'vegetable shortening.' Studies have shown that trans fats might increase the risk of heart disease, strokes and fertility problems.

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Nutrition Science Focuses On White Vegetables In Supporting A Healthy, Well-Balanced Diet

Main Category: Nutrition / Diet
Article Date: 17 May 2013 - 0:00 PDT Current ratings for:
Nutrition Science Focuses On White Vegetables In Supporting A Healthy, Well-Balanced Diet

Potatoes and other white vegetables are just as important to a healthy diet as their colorful cousins in the produce aisle, according to the authors of a scientific supplement published in the peer-reviewed journal, Advances in Nutrition. Although green, red and orange veggies are often promoted as top nutrient sources, white vegetables are nutrient powerhouses in their own right and deserve a place on your plate.

"It's recommended that the variety of fruits and vegetables consumed daily should include dark green and orange vegetables, but no such recommendation exists for white vegetables, even though they are rich in fiber, potassium and magnesium," says the supplement's editor Connie Weaver, PhD, distinguished professor of nutrition science at Purdue University. "Overall, Americans are not eating enough vegetables, and promoting white vegetables, some of which are common and affordable, may be a pathway to increasing vegetable consumption in general."

The Advances in Nutrition supplement, "White Vegetables: A Forgotten Source of Nutrients," published by the American Society for Nutrition, features an executive summary and nine papers by leading nutrition scientists that explore the state of the science on white vegetables in supporting a healthy diet.

The supplement authors identify a substantial body of evidence that demonstrates how the inclusion of white vegetables, such as potatoes, can increase intake of shortfall nutrients, notably fiber, potassium and magnesium, as well as help increase overall vegetable consumption among children, teens and adults in the U.S. In addition, the papers detail the current and emerging science about key health benefits associated with consumption of potatoes and other white vegetables such as cauliflower, onions, mushrooms, turnips and kohlrabi. Some key findings are: Color does not necessarily predict nutritive value of a vegetable. In fact, white vegetables, including nutrient-dense potatoes, contribute important amounts of essential shortfall nutrients to the American diet across all age groups. Vegetable intake, including consumption of starchy vegetables like potatoes, is about half of what is recommended by the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Improvements in cooking oils, coatings, preparation methods and processing technologies are enhancing the nutritional profile of the white potato in all forms, making an already healthy package even healthier.Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our nutrition / diet section for the latest news on this subject. The journal supplement is the outcome of a June 2012 Purdue University roundtable on white vegetable nutrition. The forum was supported by an unrestricted grant by the Alliance for Potato Research and Education, a non-for-profit organization dedicated to expanding and translating the latest scientific research and information on potato nutrition, consumption and affordability.
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