14 DAY TRIAL // Going on a diet can be more than just a decision to shake a couple of extra pounds. Switching diets also means choosing to live a healthier life, choosing to feel and look better, be more energetic and in a much better mood. Switching diets implies eliminating junk and processed foods and choosing healthier options. Yet, Shape magazine points out, not all foods that present themselves as “healthy” variants are necessarily so, which is why it’s imperious that we know which they are.
First on the list are flavored yogurts. Many diet plans include yogurt because it helps digestion and packs a very low-caloric punch but, unfortunately, not the same applies to the flavored version. Even “light” fruit yogurt or children’s brands contain a very large quantity of high fructose corn syrup to make them sweeter, which means they will do exactly the contrary to our waistline than we’d expect. A better option would be to toss a few blueberries in plain yogurt to avoid this trap, Shape says.
Frozen meals are also included on the list of dangerous foods. “When you’re trying to avoid unhealthy foods, frozen meals can seem like the best thing on earth; you don’t have to think about what you’re eating as much as check the back label and pop that sucker in the microwave. The catch? Many frozen diet meals contain bad foods for you thanks to a high sodium content (not to mention, in some cases, preservatives and an overload of carbs). You’re better off preparing your own ‘pre-made’ meals using fresh ingredients, then packaging them in Tupperware to heat up during the week,” Shape recommends.
Protein bars are also featured, coming with 200+ empty calories that will not fill us up. They’re meant to make up for a lack of protein in our diet and not to substitute meals or snacks. Fruit juices are equally dangerous because, while we might think they’re natural and good for our health, they are heavy in calories and, if consumed more than once a day, can translate into quite a few extra pounds. The same goes for fat-free muffins, which are heavy in calories but very popular because of the “fat-free” tag.
“We bet you wouldn’t eat cake for breakfast – not even if it were fat free. Sound about right? Well, a ‘fat-free’ muffin can actually have more calories than a piece of regular cake (about 600) and contain more sugar than a fresh-out-of-the-oven cookie. Even fat-free bran muffins - are often advertised as being good for digestion – contain as many calories as three Hershey bars. Unhealthy foods like these are not the way to start your morning, and they won’t even have you feeling full until lunch,” the publication further says.