Some foods are better than others, that goes without saying. And it is possible to prevent, and even cure some diseases that are predominant in this day and age just by eating healthy and choosing the right ingredients. However, if we decide to for a different scenario, we’ll get very different results, as expected. That being said, here’s a list of 8 foods you probably expected to be healthy when in fact they’re not.
Tomatoes are very rich in lycopene, a valuable antioxidant. It plays an important role in reducing the risk of many diseases like cancer, especially prostate cancer. However, there’s a huge difference in choosing fresh tomatoes over ketchup which is full of added sugar. Actually, one fourth of a ketchup bottle is pure sugar, and when you bring salt into the mix, you get one of the most harmful foods our bodies can come across.
More often than not we try to go for margarine instead of butter thinking it’s the healthier option but the truth is neither butter nor margarine do any good. Why? Because they’re rich in fatty acids, especially trans fats which are very dangerous for our health. If we have a habit of eating margarine, we’re significantly increasing the risk of heart attack due to all the artificial additives.
Some types of fruit yogurts are excellent for our bodies because they’re rich in proteins, and low in fatty acids. On the other had, fruit yogurts also contain a lot of sugars, artificial sweeteners and flavours that harm our bodies. By eating them, we’re simply increasing our own appetites as well as the risk of stroke and depression.
Salads are extremely healthy and rich in valuable nutrients if we take the time to prepare them ourselves. However, the problem here lies in pre-made salads we can purchase at supermarkets and large shopping malls, or to be more exact, in high-calorie, greasy and of course, unhealthy dressings. Most of the salad dressings that fill our store shelves feature mayonnaise as the main ingredient which is, as we all know, full of calories.
Nuts are known to be very healthy if we stick to reasonable daily intake. They’re very rich in fibers, vitamins, minerals, as well as Omega-3 fatty acids that protect the heart and arteries. However, the reason why eating a lot of peanuts can damage your health is the salt contained in pre-packaged peanuts we can find everywhere.There are a lot of different pasta types which are easy to make; however, regular pasta is everything but healthy. It almost has no nutritive value whatsoever, and it’s low in fibers, vitamins and minerals. So the next time you decide to purchase pasta, make sure you check the manufacturer’s declaration first. And go for whole-wheat pasta over regular pasta (whenever that’s an option).Fruit drinks, also known as smoothies have been described as healthy, nutritive and rich in vitamins and minerals, if prepared at home, that is. Mixtures of fruit and veggies are endless; however, fruit drinks we buy at stores are very unhealthy. The reason why this is so is that such fruit smoothies are added sugar friendly.
Cereals are extremely healthy and should be a part of a balanced breakfast because of their nutritive and fiber values. Still, we can come across cereals that aren’t healthy at all, and once again, the culprit is added sugar. In the long run, opting for these cereals can have damaging effects, that is, it can aid the onset of various diseases.
Regardless of what your aiming for – losing weight or leading a more healthy lifestyle, it’s very important to educate yourself when it comes to choosing the right foods. The next time you go grocery shopping, take some time to read the manufacturer’s declaration and try to pay more attention to fatty acids, saturated and trans fats’ content, as well as salt and sugar content, and of course, those ”tiny creatures that live in your closet and sew your clothes a little bit tighter every night” – calories.
L. Rađa