When we walk into a grocery store, we tend to pick up those packages that have a ‘health benefit’ listed on them. But in reality, how much of it is true?
This section helps you examine the health impact of diet foods. It will help burst the ‘myths’ that you come across regularly.
Diet Sodas
Myth: Diet soda aids weight loss
Fact: Diet soda is associated with an increased risk of obesity and metabolic syndrome.
Diet soda is essentially a mixture of carbonated water, artificial sweeteners, colours, flavors, and other food additives. As per studies, our bodies cannot break down these ingredients – instead, they stimulate hunger hormones, alter sweet taste receptors, and glucose metabolism – leading to an upsurge in chronic conditions like obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
Moreover, diet soda does not contain any nutrients. Numerous studies suggest that the ingredients used to replace natural sugar might be doing more harm than good, and that’s a scary thought. So, do not include diet soda in your healthy diet plan.
Baked Chips
Myth: Baked chips are healthier than usual chips
Fact: Baked chips aren’t as healthy as they are made out to be!
There is not much proof to support the belief that baked chips are any better than chips that are traditionally deep-fried.
Baked chips are also made with oil, excessive salt, and other additives. It’s only with advanced technology, that companies have found a way to bake them, rather than deep-fry them. Rest everything remains the same.
Excess salt increases the risk of hypertension and heart problems. Moreover, the chemicals used during processing and packaging these chips tend to build up toxins in the body.
Diet Namkeens
Myth: Diet Namkeem is safe and healthy
Fact: Diet Namkeen is not at all healthy!
You must know that ‘Namkeen’ isn’t exactly healthy. It contains lots of salt, sugar, artificial additives, and oil. Reducing some of the fat and labeling it as ‘diet namkeen’, doesn’t make it healthy! It still contains plenty of sodium, sugar, and other synthetic ingredients.
So, don’t fall into the trap of believing that you are eating something healthy. Be smart and ensure you exclude this food item from your healthy diet plan.
Quinoa/Amaranth Puffs
Myth: Quinoa/Amaranth Puffs are a healthy snack
Fact: Ready to eat or packed quinoa/amaranth puffs are truly unhealthy in nature.
Quinoa/Amaranth Puffs might seem like a better snack option, but in reality, they are unhealthy. Infused with artificial colours and flavors and high in calories, sodium, and fat, these ready to eat or packed quinoa/amaranth puffs can cause obesity and other digestive issues.
Moreover, most puffed and popped snacks, undergo some type of processing. They are made with a combination of heat and pressure, to acquire a desirable taste. All of this is not good for your health.
So if you think quinoa/amaranth puffs are immune boosting food items, get your thought process rectified.
Brown Bread
Myth: Brown bread is the quintessential healthy version of white bread.
Fact: Brown bread doesn’t do any good to your body
Brown bread often contains more whole wheat than white bread. However, in reality, most brown breads still contain refined flour (maida). So it is only marginally healthier than white bread.
The glycemic index of sugar in white bread is 71 whereas in brown bread it is 69! –which means, there is hardly any difference. Besides, brown breads undergo a lot of processing and contain a considerable amount of preservatives. As a result, by the end of it, the slices of bread do not have much nutrition to offer.
As a recommendation, if you suffer from diabetes, or if you have any gastronomical issue – brown bread or white bread is a strict No-No!
Nut Butters
Myth: Nut butter is a good option to include in your healthy diet plan
Fact: Nut butter offers no nutritional value.
This healthy-looking nut butter contains many unhealthy ingredients. Most manufacturers often add unhealthy oils, salt, sugar, flavorings, artificial sweeteners, and even trans fats to it – all of which are detrimental to our health.
Real peanut butter should contain only peanuts with no added oil or sugar. A pinch of salt is the only acceptable addition. So when selecting your snack, be sure to go for the most natural version you can, where the nut is the main, if not the only ingredient.
Multigrain Breads
Myth: Multigrain bread is healthier than brown bread or white bread
Fact: Multigrain bread is as bad a brown bread or white bread
Multigrain bread seems healthy since its name implies that it is made from many grains. However, the catch is that even multigrain bread may not be good for your health. Unless it specifies that it is 100% whole wheat or 100% whole grain, there is a possibility that the multigrain bread contains enriched flour or maida.
That’s not all, most refined grains lose 70-80% of their heart-healthy fiber, vitamins, and minerals during the milling process. As a result, your end product – meaning the bread doesn’t contain all the nutrients you actually need. All you are left with are additives and processed flour.
Oats cookies
Myth: Oats cookies are healthy cookie choices
Fact: Oats cookies can never do anything right to your body
Oats cookie is made of enriched white flour which ups the carbohydrate intake ten-fold. Moreover, a lot of cookies get their sweet and snappy nature from lots of sugar, oil, and artificial additives. These ingredients contain a medium GI (Glycemic index) – which means they make your blood sugar level shoot up if you eat too many of them.
What’s more? As per studies enriched white flour can further increase the risk of heart disease.
So before you plan to include oats cookies in your healthy diet plan – hold on a minute….. !!
Diet food items, despite their widespread popularity, are often unhealthy, harmful, and fattening. So be mindful of what you pick and consume.
Remember, the key to a healthy life is to have the knowledge of what you are eating. If you need guidance on how to choose healthier food options, get in touch with Kanupriya Khanna. A certified fertility nutritionist in Delhi, Kanupriya will make sure you get minimal additives and maximum nutrition through your diet.
You can also visit the website https://kanupriyakhanna.in for some healthy pregnancy diet plans and child diet plans.