10 Foods That Are Not As Healthy As You Originally Thought

Some people say that we are what we eat, and in all truth, this statement isn’t too far off the mark if one takes into consideration the incredible effects diet has on our body and brain. Of course, depending on what we eat, these effects can be either beneficial or extremely harmful. This explains why so many of our common diseases such as diabetes, heart problems, depression, and ultimately obesity have so much to do with what we eat and how we feed ourselves. After all, our body is our temple and should be treated with respect and love.

The problem today, though, is that the majority of people don’t know what’s healthy to eat and what’s not. Especially if you work a lot of hours and don’t have the time to cook a proper meal for yourself, you will often seek alternative solutions that you consider healthy such as eating at a nice restaurant that offers quality food. However, there are a number of foods that are not as healthy for you as you may think. For example, a prepared salad might have just as many calories and fat grams as a burger from a fast-food chain. Hopefully the 10 Foods that Are Not as Healthy as You Originally Thought that follow will help you restructure your diet and help improve your physical and mental health as well.

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10

Soy sauce

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Soy sauce contains high levels of certain antioxidants that are beneficial for your health, which makes it seem like a healthy choice, but it also has a lot of sodium, even the light versions, which can have a negative impact on various organs such as your kidneys.

9

Pasta

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If you enjoy eating spaghetti every week, then you might want to switch to spaghetti squash since it contains way fewer calories and fat than ordinary pasta. Despite modern nutritionists who insist that pasta isn’t so unhealthy for you, pasta with tomato sauce and cheese contributes a lot to weight gain.

8

Sport drinks

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Many people, especially those hardheaded gym lovers, incorrectly believe that sports or energy drinks are a good alternative to replenishing fluids and electrolytes lost during exercise. However, that’s not true at all. Many sports drinks contain as much as two-thirds the sugar of soda. They also typically contain high-fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, and food coloring, none of which is good for your health.

7

Peanut Butter

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Peanut butter contains high amounts of healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and a decent amount of protein. However, as with most foods it should be eaten in moderation because its health benefits will be quickly offset and cause an increase in body fat.

6

Sugar-free sweets (or any sugar-free products)

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Whenever you see a “sugar-free” product, especially sweets, you should stay away at all costs. It may be true and not have any refined sugar, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safe to eat without any consequences to your health. In these products, sugar is replaced with artificial sweeteners which are in fact worse, with deleterious effects on your system, especially your heart and kidneys.

5

Cereal

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Cereals are seen as a healthy solution for breakfast, but it all depends on the kinds of cereal you choose when you do your shopping. Many cereals have a lot of sugar, so they can contribute to weight gain and poor health if you eat too much of them.

4

Protein bars

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Another myth to be busted concerns protein bars. Actually, it all depends on the protein bar really. There are healthy protein bars, and then there are some that might be as fattening as a Twix, so whenever you crave one after working out, make sure to keep an eye on the amount of sugar in it.

3

Dried fruit

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If your choices are limited to candy or dried fruit, then without a doubt dried fruit is the healthier option. However, you should know that fresh fruit is the healthiest option of all because it is lower in sugar, higher in fiber, and higher in nutrients.

2

Frozen yogurt

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Even though it is viewed as a healthy dessert alternative these days, the fact is frozen yogurt usually has more sugar than ice cream. Also, the freezing process used to make it may kill some of the healthy gut bacteria found in regular yogurt, a fact that makes frozen yogurt an unhealthy choice for your body.

1

Packaged turkey

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Turkey is the ideal source of lean protein and a perfect choice for a healthy sandwich, but many packaged turkey slices are loaded with sodium. One two-ounce serving of some brands contains nearly one-third the maximum recommended daily sodium intake.