Fitness Together Brecksville: Trainer Tuesdays: What Foods aren't as Healthy as I Think?

Trainer Tuesdays

Welcome back to the weekly edition on Trainer Tuesdays. Make sure to check in at our blog every Tuesday evening to learn the expertise of our great staff. Aside from being fantastic exercise coaches, they are also extremely knowledgeable in many aspects of health and fitness; so, it's time that you get to know them a little better! Each week, we will post a frequently asked, or sometimes just a fun fitness related question followed by the answers of each of the trainers at Fitness Together Brecksville.

What Foods aren’t as Healthy as I Think?

Jenn Noggle: In today’s society, one can’t help but be bombarded with the “latest and greatest ‘healthy’” foods. From television commercials to the dozens of magazines in the grocery store check out lane, there is never a shortage advice. Unfortunately, too much of what I see and hear is incorrect or terribly misleading. A few of the foods that immediately come to mind are the following:

Frozen Dinners (ex: Lean Cuisine): These are often low in calories and/or convenient, however, they are also typically loaded with sodium and very low in actual nutrients.

Pre-made Smoothies: Pay attention to the nutrition information with these. Often times, smoothies contain tons of sugar, syrups and artificial sweeteners that can add up to well over 600 calories!

Some Trail Mixes: While there are certainly some healthy mixes, many can contain candy-coated and deep fried pieces, which means simple sugars, trans fats and refined carbohydrates.

Many Protein and Fiber Bars: It is often alluring and convenient to grab a “health bar” for the high fiber and/or protein. Read the nutrition labels carefully though. The majority of the bars I see are extremely similar to a candy bar in terms of sugar.

‘Fat Free’ Snacks and Sweets: Keep in mind that ‘fat-free’ does not mean sugar free calorie free, or healthy! Compare the nutrition label to the full fat version before you assume you are making the best choice.

Overall, the best advice I can give is to always thoroughly check the actual nutrition label of the foods you are buying. Don’t be fooled by the clever marketing/advertising using buzz words like sugar-free, fat-free, low-fat, etc.

Taynee Pearson: There are many foods that people think are healthy but they arent. Just because a food label says "fat free" or "sugar free" doesn't necessarily mean they are healthy. Many fat free foods are filled with sugars to disguise the taste of the food, and the same as sugar free options. Sugar Free foods are filled with artificial sweeteners which many studies have been done on and turns out they are very unhealthy, it's basically putting a chemical into the body by eating foods with artifical sweeteners. Some items which aren't that healthy are fat free or low fat salad dressings such as low fat ranch, it is better to use a vinaigrette or balsamic vinegar and olive oil instead. Another food which normally catches everyone is yogurt, many yogurts advertise fat free or low fat but they are loaded with sugars. Food labels are important to check.

Kelly Bailey: There are hidden monsters out there sabotaging your best efforts to eat healthy, and I’m not talking about the easy ones to spot, like the Krispy Kreme’s in aisle 7 at Giant Eagle! Some of the foods we think are healthy may be derailing our efforts. Health and nutrition is big business and these products are often marketed as “healthy”.

A few of the foods on my healthy-but-unhealthy “hit list” are:

Juice. Moms listen up! Juice is not good for your kids! Juice is typically loaded with added sugar. Even if you get the 100% juice, you may get a little vitamin C, but you are still consuming a lot of sugar. Get rid of the juice in favor of whole fruits, which contain nutrients and fiber.

Smoothies. This is especially true of the pre-made variety. Yes, they may contain fruit and even a few veggies, but they are also usually loaded with sugar. In addition, people tend to order larger sizes because they believe they are ordering something that is healthy.

Energy bars/protein bars/granola bars. You might as well just eat a Snickers bar. Energy bars often contain things we like, such as extra protein and fiber, but also contain lots of added sugars and other ingredients that I can’t even pronounce. A rule of thumb I often use when purchasing any food product: if I can’t pronounce the ingredient or have no idea what an ingredient is, I put the item back on the shelf.

Nut butters Take this one with a grain of salt...literally. Nut butters can be excellent sources of protein, good fats, and fiber. I love peanut butter and almond butter, but I won’t buy it unless the only two ingredients are nuts and salt. If you’re on a low sodium diet, the only ingredient in your nut butter should be nuts.

In your quest to eat healthy, don’t be fooled by deceptive labeling or old ways of thinking about what’s healthy and what’s not. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. A wise consumer will educate themselves and check food labels and ingredient lists religiously.

Steven Madden: There are plenty of healthy foods out there that are just not as healthy as their makers want you to believe. Sometimes, removing the fat removes some of the positive nutritional value and often times replaces it with simple sugars. This is true of reduced fat and fat free peanut butter. Next time you are shopping, read the labels and compare these products. Even though the fat content may be less, the calories per serving tend to be the same. The reason is that the manufacture replaces them with sugar. Worse yet, the fat in nut butters is actually the heart healthy monounsaturated fats that your body needs. If you want a healthier nut butter, find one without added oils (they are used a thinking agent, but they add saturated fat) but keep the natural fat.

Then there are the healthy grains. Quick, what is a healthy bread for a sandwich? Did you say multi-grain or wheat breads? Sorry, but thanks for playing. This is a trick of labeling. These breads still usually contain refined grains, which are not as good as 100% whole grain. Bread makers have tried to confuse you, hoping that you think multi-grain and wheat bread are synonyms for whole grain. Even as I write this now, I'm wondering about a post from a few weeks ago where I may have done the same thing, said one while I meant the other. Bottom line, read your ingredient list. If the flour is "bleached" or "unbleached enriched wheat flour" than it is not whole grain.

The best advice I can give about avoiding unhealthy "healthy" foods is to read the labels. Compare products and accept that if it's too good to be true, it is. Your best tool is information.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Trainer Tuesdays: What Foods aren't as Healthy as I Think?

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