Top ‘Health’ Foods That Are Actually Ruining Your Diet + Healthy Alternatives

Anything that promises to get us a fast and easy solution to weight loss is what gets us pulling out money and spending on empty promises. Truth be told, only hard work can get you the results you need, no matter what goal you are looking to achieve. And a prime example of millennials spending their hard-earned money on, is what stores promise as “health” foods. Compared to regular products available in the market, these are highly priced; but they don’t actually do as promised.

All health experts will tell you that when you go buy a product, you need to first look at the ingredients list. If there are many names on that list that you cannot pronounce and understand what they are, then you shouldn’t be adding them to your shopping cart. Most of the time these products contain hidden sugars and additives that make the product seem appetizing, but end up causing a lot of side effects that could lead to dangerous illnesses, including cancer.

Here are the top ‘health’ foods that are actually ruining your diet –

Snack Mixes

A variety of nuts and other assortments may make you feel like you are getting a whole lot of vitamins and minerals in one handful. But most of the time these are loaded with seasonings that contain sodium and other false chemicals that make the snacks tasty. Also, these are flash cooked in hydrogenated oils, and that cannot be good news for your waist.

Swap these with – fresh fruit, nuts that you’ve roasted in the oven and other natural foods.

Diet Sodas

All that ‘zero calorie’ nonsense is just that – nonsense. A drink that doesn’t come directly from nature is practically a waste of time. A number of chemicals are added to these drinks to maintain their taste, fizziness and keep you quenched by adding unhealthy amounts of sugar. There is absolutely no reason why you should ever choose to drink a soda. Ever.

Swap these with – water, freshly squeezed fruit juice and smoothies made from vegetables.

Lite Yoghurts

You may feel that buying full-fat yoghurt simply piles on the calories. But those little tubs that are emboldened with ‘lite’ or ‘low-calorie’ aren’t doing you any good. They are added with chemicals that help maintain the thickness of the product and sugars that keep up the taste. And just forget about fruit yoghurts that have artificial flavorings and another dollop of chemicals.

Swap these with – full fat yoghurt added with fresh fruits and berries, Greek yoghurt.

Gluten-free Baked Goods

Celebrities step out looking fit as ever, and swear that going gluten-free was the reason. Though gluten allergies do occur in a lot of people that results in unwanted bloating, products that are titled as ‘gluten-free’ may not be good for you. When you head to the bakery and pick up these snacks, they are loaded with other products that replace gluten, but come with their own health perils.

Swap these with – baked fresh produce like apples, peaches and oats.

Salads

Everyone feels like a health freak when they pick a salad for dinner. There are loads of greens, proteins and its great for digestion without the added load of fat. But mostly along with salads come their enemy counterpart – dressing. No one likes to chew on raw greens like a goat, so they end up slopping their salads with dressings that build taste and make the dish more delectable. But these salads will end up making you consume more sodium, fats and chemicals than if you just left it out of your salad bowl.

Swap these with – dressings made from olive oil, lemon juice, pepper and salt and freshly grated cheese.