Women over 40 know the struggle of having to deal with all sorts of hormonal changes and shifts, and diet can make a big difference in it.
With all of the health and wellness influencers out there and a lot of people telling you what you should and shouldn’t eat, it can be easy to fall into the trap of snacks and foods that are marketed as ‘healthy,’ but actually aren’t. Many of these snacks can actually contribute to unbalanced hormones and increased stress levels, so it’s best to know which ones to avoid or eat in moderation. We spoke to a dietitian about six of these foods, and you can read more about them below.
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1. Buttered Popcorn
Popcorn has been known as a balanced, low-calorie, and surprisingly high-fiber snack that many health experts have suggested for weight loss. However, what you put on popcorn, like butter, can make a big difference in just how nutritious it is.
"Whether you're snacking at the movies or you're pulling it fresh from the microwave, buttered popcorn has more cons than pros," explains registered dietitian Destini Moody, RD, CSSD, LD at Live it Up. "Typically, air-popped popcorn is a great, low-calorie snack that's full of fiber. However, once you add the buttery compounds, you end up with a snack that is full of saturated fat and sodium, both of which can raise cortisol in excess amounts."
2. 'Diet' Or 'High Protein' Cereals
Cereal is such a beloved breakfast food that is also super convenient, especially for working women or moms who need to get out the door and not worry about making a more complex breakfast. Now, there are a lot of 'diet' cereals on the market, being sold as 'high protein' and a better option, but not all of them are.
"Reaching for a quick bowl of well-marketed cereal between meals seems wise, at least that's what the afternoon commercials would like you to think," says Moody. "However, most cereals that are marketed as low-calorie are also low in fiber. This means a higher glycemic index, which means a spike in your blood sugar,r which, in turn, leads to a spike in cortisol."
3. Fruit Juice
Sometimes, a glass of some kind of fruit juice can be super refreshing and taste like an absolute treat. While a glass of all-natural juice isn't bad at all from time to time, drinking it frequently, especially when not paired with a balanced meal, can cause some blood sugar spikes and subsequent side effects.
"Reaching for a quick bowl of well-marketed cereal between meals seems wise, at least that's what the afternoon commercials would like you to think," notes Moody. "However, most cereals that are marketed as low-calorie are also low in fiber. This means a higher glycemic index, which means a spike in your blood sugar, which, in turn, leads to a spike in cortisol."
4. Granola Bars
Granola bars are one of the most notorious examples of a food that might seem super nutritious, but can end up packing some harmful ingredients. For instance, there are numerous boxes of granola bars sold in stores that are packed with refined sugar. Therefore, many feel it's better to make them at home or buy ones with natural, simple, and few ingredients.
"The sum of a granola bar's parts sounds nice: nuts, oats, seeds, honey," says Moody. "All of the buzzwords of superfoods. However, these bars also tend to contain a lot of added and refined sugar, which can raise cortisol if you include granola bars as part of your daily routine."
5. Yogurt
Yogurt is another food that can either be super nutritious and beneficial, or super-packed with sugar and lousy ingredients. Low-fat yogurts that aren't flavored with a lot of refined or artificial ingredients can make a great, protein-rich food that's full of beneficial probiotics. However, there are also a lot of yogurt products on the opposite end of the spectrum.
"Yogurt has been a trendy snack for a while now," explains Moody. However, it's important to make the distinction between yogurt and Greek yogurt, with the latter containing more protein and lower added sugar than most commercial yogurts. Though both have probiotics that can help lower cortisol by nourishing gut bacteria, non-Greek yogurt contains sugar in amounts that can be detrimental to the microbiome and increase cortisol levels by spiking blood sugar."
