Have you ever read a label that said it was low-fat, nonfat, sugar free, etc? Chances are you have if you've been into a grocery store of any kind in the past 10 years or so (at least). What you may not know is that just because something says it's nonfat, sugar free or whatever the case may be, does not mean that it is healthy. Actually, In most cases the product tends to be less "healthy". Generally speaking, when a company puts the words sugar free on their product it means that their is some sort of sugar substitute. One of the most common sugar substitutes used today is called aspartame. If you're not familiar with this, aspartame (aka Nutra Sweet and Equal) is made up of 2 amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine. You'll find this in many foods and beverages, all or most claiming to be "sugar free" or "diet" versions of a product. Aspartame is actually 200 times sweeter than regular sugar thus giving a desired sweetness level if you will, with using much less product and therefore giving an item less calories. Here's where it gets tricky; Most people don't know that food companies are trying to trick you into thinking that their product is healthier so that you will be more likely to buy it (and feel good about it). Diet soda for example says on the label that it has 0g of sugar, and while that may be true it does still contain aspartame, the ingredient that has been shown to have carcinogenic (cancer) causing agents. In my opinion soda simply isn't good for you whether it be diet or otherwise, but that is a topic that will have to have a post all to itself. Today I opened up a container of yogurt that my grandmother bought for me. It was Dannon's Light & Fit 80 calorie, cherry, greek yogurt. Although it was delicious, it said "fructose, sucralose and acesulfame potassium" right under the large print "NONFAT YOGURT" print. So let me get this straight... Dannon has managed to trick people into thinking that this 80 calorie yogurt is actually good for them? Come on!
Another topic I wanted to touch on was the importance of calorie counting and how, in fact, I think it's a terrible idea. A man named Jason (health and fitness consultant) I met that spoke at a seminar a few months back said that one of his friends was trying to start "dieting" and one day had 200 calories left to spare. Instead of taking an avocado offered by Jason, the man informed him that an avocado has too many calories as he proceeded to scoop out two full cups of the quirky candy hearts you can find around Valentine's Day to finish off his day. Because the avocado may have had more calories (which I can't exactly picture anyways) than the candy hearts, this man felt that the candy was actually a better choice in this scenario!
Long-story short, if you are constantly counting calories but not actually focusing on what you're putting in your mouth, you'll never reach your goals! I think we can all agree that it would be better for you to have a salad with a homemade or organic dressing as appose to eating a bowl or two of pasta. I'd also like to put a little note out there stating that eating salads online will not make you lose weight. If you're going to have tons of salads (and make them your meals) like I like to, you need to find ways to get protein and carbohydrate into it. For instance you can have a salad with romaine lettuce or mixed greens topped with grilled chicken strips or tuna and corn, along with any other toppings/veggies/fruits you'd like. For a dressing you can have apple cider vinegar with oil and salt and pepper for nice tangy bite. Instead of having fried chicken with a side of noodles, you can make a salad with you're favorite kind of lettuce, veggies, a few gluten free pasta noodles and baked chicken all topped with your favorite organic dressing. I am going to start giving you some recipes that I've tried and loved!
In the meantime, just remember that because one thing may say it has no sugar/fat and is healthier for you, doesn't mean there's not a better and more fulfilling option out there that won't weigh you down and bloat you.
Until next time
xoxo
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