Labels often fool us into buying foods that seem healthy but are not, because they promise to have reduced fat, sodium and sugar. Lowered fat usually means higher sugar content and sugar-free usually means added chemicals, trans-fats or sodium. It's a deadly game the food industry plays with consumers, and for now, they are winning with faulty advertising and the continuation of old myths.
* Diet Drinks
It's true that drinking diet drinks will decrease your consumption of sugar, however, the sugar is replaced by something much worse: artificial sweeteners that wreak havoc in our bodies by stimulating insulin secretions and causing low blood sugar attacks as well as headaches, panic attacks, mood swings, enlarged livers and occasionally dizziness and visual hallucinations. Is it worth trading our health for a flat stomach?
* Fruit Drinks
The word "drink" is the give-away here. If, it contained a high percentage of fruit or fruit juice, it wouldn't say drink. They contain very little fruit or fruit juice, but lots of sugar, water, chemical additives for flavoring and of course preservatives that are unhealthy. Real fruit juice needs no flavoring and little, if any, sugar to sweeten it. Avoid these and drink water or tea. At least the tea has antioxidants in it.
*Kid's Cereals
Breakfast cereal ads are geared toward kids who will wheedle, pout, cry or beg until they get the cereal they want. As parents, it's our job to know what our kids are eating and this means reading the labels and knowing what each additive really is. Aside from the sugar, which is disguised by various names, there are food colorings added that have been proven to cause hyperactivity and are linked to ADHD.
*Whole Milk Dairy Products
What could be more healthy than fresh whole milk? Skim milk is. Where whole milk and its products such as ice cream and cheese were once considered healthy, they no longer are because of their high cholesterol content. There are now unhealthy additives added to some dairy products to extend the shelf life, texture or taste.
Check out the label and avoid these additives, which are unhealthy:
-Partially hydrogenated coconut oil is another name for heart threatening trans-fats.
-Sodium benzoate or potassium sorbate, which combined with vitamin C produces a carcinogen named benzene.
*Light or White Breads
The milling process for most bread removes the vitamin and mineral rich bran and wheat germ and keeps only the endosperm, which is mostly starch. So, breads are enriched by adding thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and iron back into the bread while still maintaining the lightness. The other vitamins and minerals plus the fiber are lost to our diet.
The healthiest breads are stone ground, whole-grain wheat (bulgur) breads that are heavy and contain the most nutritional value. Even bugs know this, as they will attack this bread and leave the white bread alone. The lack of fiber in white or light bread will lead to digestive problems in mid to late life.
*Microwave Popcorn
Always considered a healthy snack, popcorn cooked in a microwave no longer is, if it has any type of flavoring added. Plain popcorn popped in a microwave is safe to eat and you can always add your own butter. Butter-flavored microwave popcorn contains a chemical called diacetyl, which is grouped as artificial butter flavor on the label. It can cause a lung disease when the fumes of the popcorn are inhaled.
* Corn Oil
When you compare corn oil with solid shortening, it does seem a healthy choice, however when compared with olive oil or canola oil, it doesn't. This is because of the imbalance of omega-6 and omega-3 fats, which pose a risk of you developing cancer, arthritis and obesity.
Learning to read and decipher food labels will help you recognize foods that seem healthy but are not. Take the time when you shop to read the ingredients and if you don't know what one of the strange sounding names mean, put it back on the shelf until you know.