The food industry capitalises on the consumer desire for more natural and healthier foods leading to cunning ways of advertising. Shopping for healthy food and making the right choice has now become confusing.
– #360fit: Top Organic Farmers Markets in the UAE
Here is a list by Chloe Moir Nutrition of foods that we're led to believe are healthy but are actually quite deceiving:
Vegetable Commercialised Oils
Store Bought Nuts
These nuts are roasted in commercial oils that I mentioned in the first point. Check the ingredients list when buying nuts and always choose the raw and unsalted varieties.
Sugar-Free
It is true that sugar is the culprit of modern health related diseases. Many sugar free products are made using artificial sweeteners such as aspartame. Studies have revealed the negative effects the food chemical aspartame has on the human body. When choosing drinks go for a natural juice or choose water jazzed up with sliced fruit and mint leaves!
Packaged and Processed Meat
While pre-cooked, processed and packaged meats might be convenient they are not as healthy as everyone thinks. Do you know how long your tuna has been sitting in that tin? Or, how many months or years ago it was caught? Not only this but also the amount of food chemicals that are added to these meats make them far from a healthy choice.
Low Fat
Fat is an important nutrient that a healthy body thrives on. It plays a vital role in brain health, cell function, hormones and is needed for the action of fat soluble vitamins. Food products that are labelled as low in fat usually have a lot of added sugar so beware! Choose full-fat natural yoghurt and sweeten it with your favourite fruit and a drizzle of honey!
Gluten-free Products
Gluten is inflammatory and something that I believe should be avoided in the diet. However just because a product is labelled GF doesn’t mean it is healthy. The GF craze has bought in a lot of “GF junk food”. A packaged muffin is still a muffin whether it is gluten free or not. Make your own healthy snacks where you know they are made with only natural and real ingredients.
Salmon
This is sad but true, salmon we buy in supermarkets are farmed unless the label states it is wild. Did you know the flesh of salmon turns pink from the river algae they eat in their natural environment? How do you think your farmed salmon turns pink?
Salmon are fed pallets containing two different chemicals that turn their flesh pink. Your best bet is to choose wild salmon varieties.
Food companies have become clever with their marketing, always check the labels and ingredients list and better yet buy foods that don’t have any labels at all! Play it safe by eating a variety of earth grown nutrients that are as close to their natural form as possible.
