Unhealthy Foods You Thought Were Healthy

By Michael Avery in Food On 20th May 2016
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#1 Blue Corn Chips:

Even the bag that Blue Corn Chips come in makes them look healthy with its earthy and organic tones. Although Cornell University's research revealed that blue corn does in fact have more antioxidants and carry more nutrients than its white and yellow counterpart, the way the chips are processed diminishes any additional nutritional value blue corn has.

#2 Energy or Power Bars:

People who supplement a lunch or breakfast with a power bar usually do it with healthy intentions. Their efforts may be mislead as Power Bars are far from a healthy alternative. Packed with calories and high fructose corn syrup, as well as other sweeteners the bars are a far from a healthy alternative.

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#3 Packaged Smoothies:

Often marketed as an equally healthy, yet more convenient alternative to blending your own, packaged smoothies often are not what they are marketed to be. Preservatives and sweeteners used eliminate the health benefits of traditional smoothies. Also they are often packaged in large portions. People assume that one package is one serving, but its often 2 or 3. An easy alternative is to not be lazy and just do it yourself, honey can take the place of the grams of sugar used in the packaged smoothies.

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#4 Wraps:

Tortilla's are often offered as a "healthy" alternative to regular bread, but that just simply isn't true. Most tortilla's contain 400-800 calories, comparable or worse than than two pieces of bread. A true healthy alternative to bread is a lettuce wrap.

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#5 Coconut Oil:

Many health enthusiasts supplement butter or olive oil with coconut oil while cooking, this may not be a great choice. Saturated fat is artery-clogging, and therefore the most dangerous kind of fat. Coconut oils fat is 97% saturated fat. Coconut oils fats directly impact your LDL cholesterol, the cholesterol level most closely linked to heart health.

With information coming out about the negative health effects of coconut oil there has been a movement for "virgin" coconut oil. This is coconut oil that has not been hydrogenated (an industrial process where unsaturated fats take on the property of natural saturated fats). However, because only 8% of coconut oil is unsaturated fat, only 8% is effected. Meaning there is virtually no difference health wise from "virgin" to other forms of coconut oil.

A good way to use coconut oil (in case you just bought some and read this article) is as lotion or hair conditioner. The oils are naturally good for your hair and skin, regular use will leave your hair and skin smooth and shiny.