In the last post, we talked about all the yummy goodness that summer has to offer us in the form of culinary bliss. Now though, we’re going to expose some of the” yum” that is masquerading as “goodness”.
It probably won’t surprise you.
White breads, pastas, and pizza.
All usually made from wheat which has protein gluten. This is an obvious no-no for people who are gluten intolerant or suffer from Celiac Disease. But even if you’re not gluten intolerant, it’s a good idea to stay away from these because they are made from refined wheat, which is low in essential nutrients and leads to rapid spikes in blood sugar.
Which leads us to…
Gluten-free junk food.
“Gluten-free” is trendy these days.
According to a 2013 study, about a third of people in the US are actively trying to avoid gluten.
The problem with this that there are tons of people replacing gluten-containing foods with absolute junk which is often high in sugar, unhealthy oils and refined grains like corn starch or tapioca starch. And, just like their enriched wheat counterparts, they lead to rapid spikes in blood sugar and are extremely low in essential nutrients. Even if the junk food is gluten-free, it’s still junk.
And then there’s…
Processed anything.
You name it. Meats, cheeses, anything that looks like it was made in a factory. It’s all linked to a myriad of health troubles. If it’s not real or if it has lots of filler ingredients that end in “-ate” or “-ite”, then stay away. Stick to the stuff you know came from nature.
And…
“Low-fat” and “low-carb” anything.
It’s trickery. All of it. Usually, if it’s low-fat, it’s extremely high in sugar. Take yogurt for example. The natural dairy fats have been taken out, only to be replaced with loads of sugar and unnecessary fillers. And. if something is low carb that is supposed to be a naturally high carb food, it’s because they are most likely extremely processed foods that contain hardly any actual nutrition. It’s just a bunch of artificial ingredients mixed together they try to pass off as food.
And, of course, the usual suspects…
Refined sugars.
The one surprise here may be agave nectar. It’s not as healthy as you may think. It’s a highly refined sweetener that is extremely high in fructose which can be disastrous for health. The shocker is that agave is even higher in fructose than other sugars. Regular white processed table sugar contains 50% fructose, and high fructose corn syrup around 55%, agave nectar is almost 85% fructose.
Of course, this list is not exhaustive. You know where the dangers lie. If you end up eating a candy bar or having a sugary coffee drink one day, it’s not the end of the world. But, if those types of food are off your summer table, you won’t eat them. Be sensible. Be wise.
You can enjoy your summer without the trappings of poor nutrition.
There’s a lot of goodness out there. Go find it!
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