3 Foods to Avoid Year Round
Posted on 7 March 2009
There are some foods that are just plain nasty yet they get pushed to us like they are health foods. Check out the 3 main culprits which you should avoid to stay in Optimum health all year.
1 – Boxed Breakfast Cereal
99% of this stuff is junk, the only breakfast cereal worth considering out of a packet would be real oats which if you cook slowly can provide some nutrition (especially when consumed post workout). Any boxes of granolas and breakfast cereals are nothing more than glorified candy. Check out this article which shows the amount of hidden sugar and salt in today’s breakfast of choice. Many people will pour huge bowls of this stuff which end up being 3-4x the amount recommended in the serving size with a bowl full serving up close to 100grams of carbs mix that up with a bit of skimmed milk and you have a diabetics worst nightmare! Don’t be fooled by smart marketing or health claims on the packet. The fact they are in fancy packaging is half the clue that its junk.
Here are some more wise breakfast choices……
2 – Low Fat Dairy
I always say if your going to eat yogurt, cheese and other dairy products stick the the normal version’s. The low fat stuff is devoid of nutrition and essentially dead food which provides very little to your body. The fat found in cheese is actually very good for you in moderation, saturated fat is not the villain it is made out to be in our society today. Saturated fats are essential for our hormonal functioning and are a fat we all need in our diets.
If you can try and go for Raw Cheese and Milk, as its unpasteurized (Meaning it hasn’t been heated and stripped of its goodness) Raw dairy contains the most nutrients and is the way we were meant to eat dairy. I know it can be hard to get hold of but you will find most farmers markets have a selection of Raw Cheese which are delicious.
Another culprit I will mention (not dairy) is Low Fat Peanut Butter. Which is basically normal peanut butter but with added sugar and other syrups in place of the peanuts. Yes its lower fat but at the cost of higher processed sugar content. So make sure your nut butters have as few ingredients as possible (Usually just Peanuts, Palm Oil and Salt).
3 – Health Juices and Smoothies
Although these are touted as being healthy they are far from it for the following reasons; If your going to drink fruit juice it should always be freshly pressed as 90% of the nutrients are gone within 10 minutes of juicing. Meaning all the “healthy” fruit juices on the supermarket shelves are severely lacking in nutrients as they have been sitting there for a long time….
Morning Juice Idea: Juice of 1 Lemon, mixed with the juice of 2-3 fresh Oranges. Drink within 5 minutes of making and your in for a tangy nutrient filled treat!
Also make sure that any smoothies you drink are really fresh. As in jucied right in front of you rather than the one’s you can buy on the shelves.
Give them a Skip
By giving these foods a miss year round you will save yourself a load of trouble. The problem in today’s society is that foods which are touted as being healthy and “good” for us are actually just junk food disguised and marketed to be healthy as they are low in sodium or have 0% fat. Try and make most of your food intake come from fresh whole foods like; Meat, Fruit, Vegtables, Nuts and Seeds…..
Comment by Jeff
7 March 2009
Chris,
Thanks for the good advice. It is amazing how many people think that the low fat dairy stuff is good for you.
jeff
@ Jeff: Unfortunately the low fat era that preceded us has taken a huge effect and there is a huge stigma attached to fat making people choose “Low Fat” products by default. Hopefully things are set for change……….
Comment by Brett
7 March 2009
It’s amazing to think how much health in the U.S. would be improved if everyone had eggs and bacon, rather than cereal and skim milk for breakfast. The irony of it is quite ridiculous when you think about it.
@ Brett: Sad but true. The main problem is the cost as well as poor eating habits. A breakfast of Eggs, Bacon and Fruit costs about as much as a packet of cheap cereal which is a big part of the reason people eat junky granola’s and boxed goods……..
Comment by younes
8 March 2009
he chris,
I was wondering what kind of books you read,
You have a list? with like
your top 5 on:
-Training
-Nutrition
-Mental Wellbeing
and maybe your top 5 websites?
Would be great
you seem like a wise person
Comment by Terry
8 March 2009
Good suggestions. Yes, low fat cheese is horrible.
Comment by Gina from Diet Renegade
9 March 2009
Great post! I try my best to avoid man-made foods or anything out of a box.
If we all went back to foods that nature intended us to eat, I think we’d all be in better shape.
Comment by Son of Grok
9 March 2009
Agreed, agreed… and agreed!
The SoG
Comment by Nathalie Lussier
12 March 2009
I couldn’t agree more!
If you want to drink juice or smoothies, I recommend them you make them yourself fresh! I got myself a juicer, and I absolutely love drinking fresh vegetable juices.
I also make fresh smoothies with whole fruits. No preservatives or extra sugar and no loss of nutrients.
Cheers,
Nathalie
Comment by G
13 March 2009
Hi Chris -
Does organic skim milk fall under #2? I will stop drinking it if it devoid of any nutritional value. Thank you.
Thx
G
@ G: I would certainly drink the stuff in moderation. its fine having a cup here and there but its far from a nutritious food…Try and get some raw milk from your local farmers market if you want a milk that will do you good….
Comment by Tom Parker - Free Fitness Tips
29 March 2009
I was a little worried at first. I saw the picture of the banana and thought these were going to be on your list. I eat these on a daily basis so I’m pretty glad they actually weren’t.