Enjoying small portions of dessert is not ruining your diet. You’re probably gaining weight, or having a tough time losing it, because you’re consuming “healthy” foods on a regular basis. These products are tricking you! They sound like good choices but they’re not. Here are sneaky foods you need to stop eating ASAP.
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Juice
“Juice has as much sugar as soda,” says Alix Turoff, a New York City nutritionist and trainer. Eek! All of the healthy fiber in a whole piece of fruit is lost when it becomes juice. So while you think you’re having something healthy, it’s totally the opposite. “Juice causes your blood sugar to spike and then crash quickly which leads to more sugar cravings and feelings of hunger,” she says.
Granola We’ve been tricked by granola but we’re not alone. It seems really healthy, right? But Turoff says it’s loaded with calories and sugar. While it’s possible to find granola with better stats you need to read labels carefully and watch portion size. Chances are you’re eating multiple servings in one meal.
Gluten-Free Products “Unless you have a gluten intolerance, there is no reason to substitute foods for their gluten counterparts,” says Turoff. GF versions of your fave foods (pretzels, cookies, bread) are always higher in calories and carbs than the original versions. “If you're going gluten free and cutting out all processed food, that's a different story,” she says, “but don't be fooled by foods that sound healthy just because they're ‘gluten-free’.”
Sugar-Free Products
Real sugar isn’t great but there’s actually something worse – sugar imposters! Sugar alcohols have lots of tricky sounding names: erythritol, xylitol, maltitol. If you see any of these ingredients on bars and supplements, walk away. “The addition of sugar alcohols help lower sugar and carbs in foods but they also cause major belly bloat and GI distress,” says Stacy Goldberg, a nutritionist at savorfull. Gum can cause a double bloat as many brands contain these sugar alcohols and swallowing lots of air puffs up your gut.