We all know that being at a healthy weight can go hand-in-hand with living a healthy life.
But did you know that many companies will “Healthwash” their products- making them appear healthy and supportive of weight loss when in reality, they are not? It’s such a shame seeing people want to take more control of their health and vitality, thinking they are doing good things for their bodies when in reality they got sold into the marketing done on products to trick consumers.
Here are some “healthy” foods/drinks that you may have felt inclined to purchase but will definitely want to avoid while trying to lose weight.
1, “0 Calorie” foods, drinks, and artificial sweeteners
Just because something doesn’t have any calories, doesn’t mean it’ll necessarily support your weight loss. A lot of these foods are promoted as appetite suppressants but are full of ingredients that can actually kill your healthy gut bacteria. Our gut bacteria help us digest and absorb nutrients and this disruption can disrupt our hormones as well, which play a big role when it comes to our weight. An unhealthy gut microbiome can also cause unwelcomed symptoms such as water retention and bloating which can make you look and feel puffier. Be on the lookout for different names used to describe artificial sweeteners- Splenda and sucralose refer to the same thing and are amongst the most common culprits.
Do your body a favor and skip these “trick” foods and eat real foods!
2, Granola, bars, trail mix
Don’t get us wrong, oats and nuts can be part of a healthy diet, however, most store-bought granola, cereal/protein bars, and trail mix are chock-full of sugar that add extra calories without providing extra nutritional value. Instead, opt for homemade granola and trail mix where you get to control the ingredients (it’s a lot easier than you may think), check the nutrition label of the bars you’re buying, and be mindful of the ingredients!
3, “Meat-free” foods
Just because something is meat-free or vegan doesn’t automatically mean it’s healthy. While there is no doubt that we should all be incorporating more plant foods into our lives, many of these meatless options are actually highly processed, meaning they are further away from “natural” or being “whole” foods which can cause confusion in our bodies and disrupt gut and hormonal health. They are also often made in combination with seed oils like soy, corn, and canola which are known to cause inflammation in our bodies.
“Fake” meats are usually genetically modified and our bodies are smart and know that it’s not real food. Again, do your body a favor and opt for real foods!
We hope that you took away some value here and 3 easy categories to remember when it comes to making smart, healthy decisions. You can’t go wrong with real, whole-food nutrition, and remember to always support your gut and hormonal health as they are important when it comes to weight loss too, not just looking at calories!
R's KOSO is Japanese postbiotic superfood made from real foods that are non-GMO. Do your body a favor and opt for real foods.
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