Let's kick off 2024 on the right foot! In my work with clients, I've observed that many people purchase and order various products under the assumption that they are healthy, or at the very least, harmless. It often comes as a surprise to them when they realize these products are actually hindering their health improvement and weight loss efforts. While there are far more than just these eight products to be wary of, it's important to start somewhere! :)
1. Sunflower Oil
This was a personal issue for me, as I used cold-pressed, unrefined sunflower oil for a long time as a salad dressing in my healthy coleslaw.
However, the problem is that sunflower oil, both refined and unrefined, is very high in omega-6 fatty acids, linoleic acid specifically. Regular intake of linoleic acid can disrupt your body's balance of omega-6 to omega-3, leading to inflammation in various parts of your body, inability to lose weight and an increased risk of heart disease. The ratio between these fatty acids should be no more than 4:1, or ideally 1:1. However, nowadays, sunflower oil and some other inexpensive vegetable oils, such as soy oil, canola, rapeseed, and palm oil, which are also rich in linoleic acid, are added to a wide range of foods, e.g., breakfast cereal, granola bars, crackers, protein bars, packaged snacks, frozen meals, salad dressings and sauces, baked goods, junk food (of course!), margarine, spreads, and also chickens and livestock are often fed grains that also contain omega-6. As a result, people nowadays typically have an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio as high as 10:1 or 30:1 in their diet, a ratio increasingly recognized as a significant health hazard.
Secondly, sunflower oil is especially harmful when heated. Linoleic acid which the sunflower oil is rich in is prone to oxidation when heated, leading to the formation of harmful compounds like aldehydes and free radicals.
Refined sunflower oil is undoubtedly much worse than its unrefined counterpart as it is heavily processed using harsh chemicals, bleach, and deodorants, stripping away beneficial nutrients and antioxidants like vitamin E.
Finally, the transparent plastic bottles used for storing sunflower oil allow light to pass through, accelerating the oil's oxidation process. The use of plastics to store food is a huge concern and a topic in its own right. Let me know if you'd like me to write about it!
2. Commercial Bakery
All commercially baked goods are predominantly made of refined wheat, which is a significant contributor to inflammation within the body. A key factor in this is the high levels of gluten, both inherent and added, used to improve texture. Unfortunately, our bodies haven't fully adapted to metabolizing gluten efficiently, leading to potential health issues. By the way, wheat has been selectively bred over many years to contain more gluten, so it is nothing like the wheat that was created by nature. No wonder it is currently the most problematic grain of all.
Furthermore, refined wheat products often contain sugars or sugar-like substances, such as malt syrup. These ingredients not only contribute to weight gain but also play a role in the development of insulin resistance. The ripple effect of these components can lead to a myriad of health problems, including an increased risk of chronic diseases.
Another concerning aspect of refined wheat products is the presence of trans fats. These fats are notorious for their role in promoting inflammation, elevating bad cholesterol levels, and contributing to the development of atherosclerosis. The impact of trans fats doesn't stop at cardiovascular health; they also pose an increased risk of cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Additionally, trans fats have a detrimental effect on liver health and can cause metabolic problems.
3. Gluten-Free Products
You might be thinking now after reading the previous paragraph about gluten in wheat that gluten-free is the answer to all gluten-related problems, and you head over to the gluten-free department in the grocery store. No wonder these products have been such a huge marketing success in recent years!
But before you fill your cart from the gluten-free aisle, it's essential to take a closer look at what these products really offer.
While gluten-free products eliminate gluten, many of them fall short in terms of nutritional value. A significant number of these packaged, commercial gluten-free items are highly processed, and this processing often strips them of essential nutrients. What's more, they tend to be high in:
Refined Flours: Gluten-free doesn't always mean whole grain. Many products use refined flours that lack the fibre and nutrients found in whole grains.
Refined Starches: It's not uncommon to find gluten-free products containing up to six different processed starches! These additives are used to mimic the texture and consistency of gluten but offer little nutritional value.
Sugar or Ingredients that Quickly Turn Into Sugar: Many gluten-free products are laden with sugars and other ingredients that quickly convert to sugar in your bloodstream, potentially spiking your blood sugar levels.
Processed Additives and Colorings: To enhance flavour and appearance, some gluten-free products contain an array of processed junk and artificial colourings.
The consequence of consuming these highly processed, nutrient-poor gluten-free products is an increased risk of inflammation, metabolic problems, and weight gain.
4. Salad Dressings
When you reach for that little round pot of salad dressing to add a burst of flavour to your greens, you might actually be doing more harm than good.
Many commercial salad dressings are loaded with unhealthy processed oils, such as rapeseed oil or sunflower oil. These oils are often chosen for their cost-effectiveness and longer shelf life, rather than their health properties. Moreover, a large amount of sugar is frequently added to these dressings, turning them into catalysts for metabolic and hormonal imbalances.
But the concern doesn't stop at oils and sugars. Chemical preservatives and artificial colourings are commonplace in the list of ingredients for most salad dressings. These additives extend the product's shelf life and enhance its appearance, but they can be detrimental to your health.
In conclusion, these dressings can transform a nutrient-rich, healthful bowl of salad into a dish that contributes to inflammation, disrupts hormonal balance, and hampers your metabolic health.
5. Rice Cakes
Don't be misled by the 'low calorie' label on certain food products. Despite their seemingly diet-friendly appearance, these items are often heavily processed and can cause a significant spike in blood sugar levels. This is true even for products marketed as 'wholegrain,' such as wholegrain rice cakes. Such spikes in blood sugar are counterproductive to weight loss efforts, undermining your attempts to become slimmer and burn fat. Rice cakes are one of the most classic examples of weight loss misconceptions out there!
Additionally, the process used to puff cereals, a common technique in the production of many low-calorie snacks, leads to the release of acrylamide, a toxic chemical. Acrylamide formation typically occurs during high-temperature cooking processes and is a concern from a health perspective.
Furthermore, these processed products often lack essential nutrients. Vitamins and antioxidants, which are crucial for maintaining good health, are frequently lost due to exposure to heat during processing. The fibre content, too, is typically low in these foods. Fibre plays a vital role in digestion and overall health, and its absence further diminishes the nutritional value of these 'low calorie' options. The result is a product that, while low in calories, is also low in the nutrients your body needs and high in elements that could be detrimental to your health goals.
6. Processed Meat
Processed meats have long been a staple in many diets, offering convenience and flavour. However, it's essential to understand the hidden risks that come with these tantalizing options. First of all, let's define what processed meats are: these are meat products that have transformed such as salting, curing, smoking, or other processing methods.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified processed meats as Group 1 carcinogens, placing them in the same category as substances with sufficient evidence to cause cancer, especially colorectal cancer. This classification underscores the need to approach processed meats with caution.
Many processed meats contain monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavour enhancer that can have far-reaching effects on the nervous system. For some individuals, MSG can trigger addiction-like responses, and it has been linked to headaches, migraines, puffiness and water retention. The allure of processed meats may be tied, in part, to the presence of MSG which makes it taste good.
The vibrant pink or red colour that processed meats are known for often comes from additives like nitrates and nitrites. While these compounds enhance visual appeal, they also come with potential health risks. Overconsumption of nitrates and nitrites has been associated with adverse health effects, adding another layer of concern to processed meats.
Finally, processed meats can have other added unwanted ingredients, including added sugar or glucose, fillers, MSM, preservatives, and emulsifiers that do not help us to get or stay healthy and fit.
7. Processed Cheese (spreads and slices)
Well, calling this concoction "cheese" might be a bit of a stretch, because it is rather a combination of various highly refined subpar ingredients put together (and perhaps some flavouring thrown on top to help it smell and taste cheesy) rather than a real nutritious food.
Imagine throwing together rehydrated skimmed milk (which has been processed and manipulated multiple times, just as the name suggests), milk mineral concentrate, and denatured or broken-down milk protein. All of those put pressure on your liver and affect your gut microbiome. But there's more! A heavy dose of emulsifiers, preservatives, flavourings, colourings, and salt are thrown into the mix to make things even more interesting. Processed cheese can also contain oxidized cholesterol, which is about as friendly to your body as a bull in a china shop.
8. Non-Organic Chicken
Chicken meat is often associated with a healthy diet, high-protein food or weight loss, and many of my first-time clients don't really pay any attention to the quality of the foods they are buying. And here's a catch: the chicken meat, even though it is high in protein and many butchers offer it at a good price, the difference between "ordinary" non-organic chicken and organically raised chicken is massive.
Let's take a closer look at how chickens are raised in modern farming practices.
Chickens raised for consumption are often exposed to a cocktail of factors that can impact the quality of the meat we humans consume. Here's a breakdown of some key considerations:
Antibiotics: Many chickens are raised with antibiotics, and we get them into our system when we eat the residue of these antibiotics and this can lead to antibiotic resistance when we need treatment. This raises concerns about the long-term impact on human health.
Growth Hormones: Growth hormones are sometimes administered to chickens to accelerate their growth. However, this practice can disrupt the delicate balance of human hormones when we consume their meat.
GMO Feeds and Pesticides: Chickens may be fed with genetically modified organism (GMO) feeds and grains treated with pesticides and herbicides. These chemicals can accumulate in chicken flesh, raising questions about their potential effects on our health.
Nutritional Quality: On the culinary side of things, conventionally raised chickens tend to have more fat and may offer a less favourable flavour compared to pasture-raised organic chickens.
Hope this information was useful! Understanding which products are healthy and which will only make us sicker and why is a quest!
Finally, I would be happy to help you get your nutrition in order so that you take your health and fitness to the next level. Check out the page for private consultations and reach out to me to let me know what your health goals are!
Thank you for reading this blog post until the end and until next time!
