We all assume we know what healthy food is, we see the word healthy on so many products, it’s easy to trust that it is indeed “healthy.”
The truth is, sometimes, it’s not healthy at all.
Unfortunately, there are many schemes that marketers use to play on healthy words and make consumers believe that they are paying for healthy.
Think about the fruit juice that you purchase from your local supermarket, it is fruit juice, so it must be healthy right?
Let’s compare that to what it is supposed to be, juice from the actual fruit. You don’t eat 5-10 oranges at once, but you wouldn’t think twice about purchasing a 500ml bottle of orange juice.
The problem isn’t that we are choosing the better evils for our health, it’s that we are choosing the wrong foods for particular purposes.
Here’s an example. You may come across “healthy dessert recipes”, yes! I finally found the perfect recipe for healthy chocolate cake.
Let’s put this in perspective, do you want to live on healthy chocolate cake because it’s healthy? No! You want to eat chocolate cake, because it tastes good. Even the healthy variety won’t have the necessary fibers and minerals nor the macronutrients needed to nourish your body. And if it did, it would not be cake anymore.
Lets say you eat 4-5 meals a day, in a week you will consume 28-35 meals.
If you stick to real whole foods, food that comes in natural packaging, that requires no studying of the labels. Take avocados, for example, you don’t need to read their nutritional information, you know when you eat an avocado it is good for your body, there are no low-fat or less-sugar avocados, they’re just avocados. The same goes for most vegetables, lean cuts of meat and many other whole foods.
If you decide to have 1-2 of these meals as treats (food that its good for your soul) it won’t probably effect your health that much, hey! it might actually help you to stick to those real foods during the week.
There is nothing wrong with choosing healthier versions of your favorite dessert; you just have to be conscious that this is a treat and not food that is going to fuel your body in the long run. Food that will fuel you’re body and help you perform throughout the day, those are whole foods.
An other way that marketers can get you is with “SALADS.” Don’t get me wrong, I love a good salad as much as the next person, but then again are we eating what we think its healthy? Or not.
A unique salad on the menu with many different layers doesn’t always mean it’s healthy. The salad could have croutons, which is fried bread; syrup laden canned fruits, creamy dressings; which may contain more calories than everything else in the salad. There may also be tons of cheese and fried noodles or meats. All of these extra yummy parts turn healthy salads into calorie dense meals that may not be the healthiest options.
Make sure that you are being mindful of everything that you are ordering, and if possible, customize your salads yourself, so that you know you are only getting the best ingredients to nourish your body.
Why is it important to know what is and isn’t healthy?
*You should always eat according to your current health condition, that way you can work your way towards a better health.
**Don’t fall into trends or follow someone else’s plans blindly. Do what works and feels good for you.
***Last, but not least. Take time to understand the food on your plate.
This is the only way you will develop a good relationship with food.
Life is too short to not eat that piece of cake you really love, as long as its once in awhile. Just don’t cut your life short by only eating the cake you really love.
