6 Health Foods that Are Anything But Healthy
I’m not sure if it’s good or bad that in this day and age I have to write an article about health foods that are anything but healthy.
Back in the day people didn’t really have to question how healthy their food was.
That’s because they could tell you exactly where their food came from and they could tell you what was in their meal.
Now, with most meals coming in packages bought off of a store shelf, the difficulty in knowing about what you’re eating is a little bit more pronounced.
Not to mention the fact that large organizations like Kellogs and General Mills are smart and know that if they can latch onto the success of a few buzzwords they can peddle unhealthy foods to unsuspecting consumers.
That’s why I wanted to tackle this subject so I can help clear up any misconceptions you may have about “health foods.”
These 6 Foods Aren’t Healthy No Matter What Anyone Says
I think one of the best ways to know if a food is healthy or not is to see where it came from.
By and large, if what you’re eating didn’t come from the meat/seafood department or the produce section then it’s going to be difficult to consider that a health food.
However, just because you’re eating something pulled out of a field doesn’t mean it’s healthy.
That’s why in position #1 I’ve got soy as one of the worst “health foods” around.
1 - Unfermented Soy:
While soy might be one of the well-known health foods, unfermented soy is anything but healthy.
I’m using a modifier here because if you’re eating fermented soy in the form of natto, or fermented soy as a soy sauce, then you’re actually enjoying soy in a healthy way.
However, unfermented soy, especially soy protein, is problematic because soy has the power to disrupt hormone function and can lead to elevated levels of estrogen (especially bad in men).
Soy has been linked to several different conditions, including several cancers, various forms of autoimmune dysfunction, as well as asthma and allergies.
Another good reason to avoid soy products is most conventional forms are laced with Monsanto’s glyphosate AKA Round Up. These chemicals cling to soy no matter how many times it’s washed, which means if you’re eating soy-based products, it’s a double whammy for your health.
2 - Most Fish:
This subject could be the subject of an entire book.
Suffice to say, most fish available at the grocery store should be avoided. And I hate writing that, knowing how good fish should be.
There are all kinds of problems with fish. First, much of what you see sold in grocery stores is a mislabeled product that comes to us from pollution-filled waters in Asia. According to a leading Watchdog organization, up to 59% of fish sold in stores is mislabeled.
That’s a problem when you’re paying top dollar for something that’s bottom of the barrel.
The second reason to avoid fish (I’m including shellfish under the banner of all things fish) is because a lot of what’s sold is farm raised, and farm-raised fish are contaminated with all kinds of disgusting chemicals and toxins.
For instance, the majority of shrimp sold is injected with 4-hexylresorcinol. This food additive is there to give shrimp the nice pink color you’re used to seeing. And yet this chemical has been shown to have estrogen-like effects that are documented to reduce sperm count for men and increase the risk of developing breast cancer in women.
99% of farm-raised fish are contaminated with something that could make you sick.
3 - ALL Fruit Juice:
Fruit juice, every single last drop of it, isn’t good for you.
Nope, not even the premium $5 cold-pressed juices that claim to be antioxidant cocktails.
Don’t get me wrong, fruit juices do contain a number of health-boosting compounds. They’re rich in vitamins and antioxidant rich polyphenols, but there’s simply too much sugar in them to be remotely healthy.
Your average intake of dietary sugar should be below 50 grams daily. A 12 oz glass of fruit juice from companies like Tropicana or Odwalla deliver 30-44 grams of sugar in one-fell swoop.
Drink just one glass and you’re almost tapped out on your total carb intake.
The same is true for the supposedly healthy fruit juices. The ones with ginger, carrot and turmeric. While they may not contain 40 grams of sugar, a 12 oz serving delivers 10-20 grams of sugar which is still way too much.
Fruit should be enjoyed in moderation throughout the day and fruit juice should never be consumed.
4 - Non-Organic Strawberries:
Following up on no fruit juice, I admonish you to only eat organic strawberries.
Not because I’m an organic zealot, but because conventional strawberries are problematic from a health standpoint.
The health advocacy agency, the Environmental Working Group, ranks conventional strawberries as the worst conventional fruit.
That’s because the flesh of strawberries is very porous and will absorb almost every chemical it comes into contact with.
The USDA knows this, too. From 2009 - 2014 they tested conventional strawberry chemical contamination rates. They found even after washing, strawberries are contaminated with an average of 5.75 different pesticides per sample.
Strawberries aren’t just treated with pesticides and herbicides either. Surprisingly (and disturbingly) conventional strawberry fields are often fumigated with toxic gases used in chemical warfare.
If you’re going to eat strawberries, get organic. And if you want to save money while still getting organic, opt for frozen organic strawberries.
5 - Artificial Sweeteners:
Artificial sweeteners are terrible for you.
If you’re trying to lower sugar consumption you should use something like stevia, allulose, or monk fruit.
NOT artificial low-calorie sweeteners.
The reason why is these sweeteners are linked to endocrine disruption as well as gut dysbiosis (imbalances in gut bacteria). There are plenty of studies coming out showing just how bad these sweeteners are. One recently linked these sweeteners to the development of diabetes.
So far artificial sweeteners are linked to the following conditions:
- Bladder cancer
- Allergies
- Brain tumors
- Breast cancer
- Headaches
- Hypertension
- Lymphomas/leukemia
- Phenylketonuria
- Seizures
- Weight gain/obesity
6 - Table Salt:
Regular old table salt is a no go.
This isn’t to say salt is bad… in fact, high-grade salts aren’t just a health food, they’re essential for health.
But the standard salt you see on store shelves is bad news all around.
Manufacturers use harvesting methods that strip it of all its naturally-occurring minerals and then use a number of additives to dry it and heat it to temperatures of about 1,200 degrees.
Because it was destroyed, the naturally occurring iodine is then replaced with potassium iodide in potentially toxic amounts.
The salt is then stabilized with dextrose, which turns it purple. Finally it is bleached white with chlorine.
Sound like anything you want part of?
Instead of using table salt I suggest pink Himalayan salt or sea salt. They’re inexpensive and they’re both loaded with nutritive minerals that are critical for wellness.
Want To See Which Health Foods Make You Fat?
Now that you’ve seen 6 of the leading health foods that are anything but healthy maybe you’d like to see which health foods are making you fat.
Check out this video from Athlean-X, one of the most well-respected fitness trainers and nutritionists in the world.