Diet wellness is all about eating healthy foods, but what if your top nutritional meals are actually less healthy than you think? Wellness expert Maria Trimarchi reveals the healthy foods that actually aren’t.
1. Multigrain and Wheat Breads: According to Trimarchi, ‘If you’re eating wheat bread that’s made with wheat flour, you might as well be eating white bread – both are made with enriched flour. You might have a bag of it in your pantry – all-purpose flour is an enriched flour. Unless the ingredient list specifically says “100% whole wheat,” that slice of wheat toast might not be as healthy as you think. Enriched flours are refined flours, and are stripped of their nutrients during processing. They don’t have much nutritional value, and when you eat them they cause an unhealthy spike in your blood sugar — which can lead to chronic illness and inflammation. Including whole grains in your diet may help you lower your risk of developing chronic disease such as diabetes and heart disease — and despite what you think about carbs and weight gain, whole grains may help you maintain a healthy weight.’
2. Reduced-Fat Peanut Butter: Trimarchi cautions, ‘Reading the nutrition label on your jar of peanut butter may surprise you – it’s a go-to food in many homes in America, and it’s also high in calories and fat. Don’t let those two things stop you from indulging, though. Just be smart about the type you do eat. Reduced-fat peanut butters may sound like a good idea. Less fat is good, right? The trouble with reduced-fat peanut butters is they usually make up for their loss with added sugar, which is not an improved trade over fat. Two tablespoons of Skippy creamy peanut butter, for example, contains 16 grams of total fat and 3 grams of sugars, while the reduced-fat version has 12 grams of total fat and 4 grams of sugars. Too much sugar in your diet can lead to insulin sensitivity or high blood sugar, which may lead to type 2 diabetes and other health problems. The best nut butters are the most natural. Try peanut butters with no added sweeteners – but at 16 grams of fat per serving (two tablespoons for most nut butters) keep an eye on how much you spread on your sandwich.’
3. Fat-Free Anything: ‘Fat-free, low-fat and reduced fat foods may sound like a good idea,’ Trimarchi admits. ‘While less fat in your diet can be a good thing, products with these labels usually come at a price: When the fat is removed from a product, its sodium and sugar content often increases, as does the thickener and chemical content, all in the name of trying to mimic full-fat flavour and mouth-feel. Fat helps your body function properly, absorb important vitamins and minerals, and regulate your hormones; the fat in the food we eat also help us know when we’re full so we don’t overeat. Fat is also energy for the body. Your goal shouldn’t be to eliminate all fats from your diet; rather, it’s the type of fat that you eat that matters. Saturated fats (such as butter) and trans fats (including partially-hydrogenated vegetable oils) are so-called bad fats, and are linked to chronic conditions such as inflammation, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Unsaturated fats such as omega-3 fatty acids, on the other hand, are considered heart-healthy fats. Look for polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, and replace solid fats with healthier vegetable oils.’
4. Extra-Light Olive Oil: Trimarchi explains, ‘Olive oil contains monounsaturated fats, a type of fat associated with a lowered risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers when you include it in an otherwise healthy diet. Did you know that extra light olive oil isn’t “light” like the light we talk about when we’re cutting back fats, though? Extra light in this instance refers to how processed the oil is, and extra light olive oil is one of the most refined olive oils you’ll find – you’ll know it among other types of olive oils because it is the lightest in colour and has the mildest flavour. Pale and buttery or green and fruity, olive oil is still oil, and every tablespoon of it contains 120 calories.’