These "Healthy" Foods Are Secretly Traps!

There has most likely been a point in your life when you've made the decision to eat a healthier selection of foods and cut out some of the processed, sugar-laden products that have caused an increase in not only waistlines but chronic health conditions as well. The chips and cookies on your pantry shelves are replaced, much to your family's dismay, with jugs of fruit juice, boxes of granola cereal, and sugar-free treats to enjoy. Trips to the supermarket are made easy by looking for the buzzwords on packing such as fat-free or diet. You can easily find healthy foods among the garbage, even though it seems that everything bears a healthy label. How do you know that your health food is as healthy as the packaging makes it seem? It may surprise you to know that many foods that are considered healthy are just the opposite and for some surprising reasons.

1 - Fruit Juice

Fruit is usually at the top of the list when it comes to eating more whole, natural foods. However, when the juice is removed from the fruit so is most of the fiber that comes from the skins or flesh. Fiber may contribute to heart health and is certainly useful in the digestive tract. The fiber can also act as a buffer, allowing your body to process the fructose at a slower rate instead of having an immediate impact on your blood sugar. Also, due to the concentration, the amount of fruit sugar is increased when you drink only the juice.

2 – Yogurt

Despite containing helpful probiotics that can assist with digestion, many yogurts are also full of sugar. This is sugar beyond what is already found in the fruit included varieties. The fruit is sometimes preserved in its own juices or a thick syrup before being mixed into the yogurt itself which is a source of more sweetener. Don't let low-fat varieties fool you either since they may have even more sugar to improve the taste that is changed when the fat is removed.

3 – Granola

If you look at the calorie count and sugar content of some granola bars or cereals, they can rival candy bars. They may use sticky sweeteners to keep the granola together and other flavorings to improve the bland flavors of oats and muesli. Granola may also contain enriched grains where all the nutritional value has been removed in the processing. Even bars and cereals touted as "diet" may still be made with artificial sweeteners that come with their own set of issues. Homemade granola might be a better alternative.

4 – Peanut Butter

Peanut are legumes, not nuts, and there are valid reasons why they are excluded on a number of eating lifestyles such as paleo and keto. They may be responsible for digestive issues and many people have allergies to it. Peanut butter is also processed with sugar, which kind of counteracts the good fat and protein that peanuts are known for. Other kinds of nut butter have the same texture and a similar taste. They are also made from actual nuts and may be less likely to cause your body to react.

5 – Sugar Alcohols

Sugar alcohols are chemicals that help make your treat still taste sweet but have little to no impact on your blood sugar. Sounds too good to be true, right? Substances like xylitol and erythritol may lower the sugar content but still affect your body in other ways. If you are trying to lose weight, your body will burn these sugar alcohols before anything else in your body. They may also cause gastric upset such as gas, bloating, and diarrhea.

Eating healthy is supposed to be easy: more fruits and vegetables and less sugar. That kind of eating is still possible to attain even while you avoid all the "healthy" traps you may find at the supermarket. Go for whole and unprocessed food. Your body will thank you for it.