You've probably received no shortage of advice from magazines and TV shows like Dr Oz and others telling you what to eat and what not to eat.
But did you know that most of the popular "health" foods that are being pushed on you in the media and TV ads can actually make you GAIN weight, as well as cause terrible diseases like heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
That's right, the so called "gurus" are falling prey to the same myths as everyone else. And they're passing their faulty food choice advice on to you.
In fact, on several mainstream popular TV shows (even on the Biggest Loser, which aside from their bad nutrition advice in my opinion, I actually like the show for many other reasons), you'll hear the advice time and time again that you "need" whole grains. They seem to completely ignore the fact that humans had better health for the 1.9 Million years when we ate virtually no grains at all before agriculture was invented.
Plus they seem to completely ignore the fact that we can obtain ALL of the fiber and micronutrients we need from veggies and fruits without the negatives of grains (excess blood-sugar spiking starch, gluten, and other antinutrients) But the advice shoved down everyone's throat to eat massive quantities of "whole grains" every single day of their lives surely equates to MASSIVE profits for the grain industry, as well as HUGE health problems such as diabetes and heart disease for large portions of the population which feeds the medical and big pharma industries too.
But we're not JUST going to talk about grains in this email...
The truth is, most of the popular "health foods" you see pushed in the media are complete garbage, and will actually increase your waistline instead of making it smaller!
To be honest, I could go on and on about the horrible food choices I see each and every day, even by well intentioned people. But I'll limit myself to 4 of the WORST offenders below (this relates not just to breakfast, but any meal)
Here are my top four BAD foods that get constant praise for contributing to a lean and healthy lifestyle. And I'll explain why you want to AVOID them:
1. Whole Grain Cereals or Breads
I cringe every time I hear someone say, "but it's whole grain, so that means it's healthy, right?"
I realize this is hard to accept for many people, but I want to go on record and say that in my opinion you should completely remove cereal from your diet. There's just no valid reason to eat it if you care about your body (aside from maybe 1 cheat meal a week).
Forget the breakfast of champions... forget the picture of a lean, attractive woman in yoga pants enjoying a bowl of cereal, and ditch the cereal for good.
Cereal, even whole grain, is highly processed and often loaded with sugar, chemicals, and harsh additives. Whole grain cereal also contains higher levels of antinutrients than refined grains, which means that BOTH regular cereals and whole grain cereals have more detriments than benefits.
The "health experts" claim that whole grains are necessary for a healthy heart, but the only heart healthy component of cereal is fiber, which can be found in much healthier versions in fruits and vegetables. To be clear, despite the propaganda you hear daily, humans DON'T need the fiber from grains to be healthy... the fiber from veggies and fruits is actually a healthier version.
Cereal is also very high on the glycemic index, which means that it makes your blood sugar rise very quickly -- yes, even whole grain cereals -- an almost certain recipe for thicker love handles and jiggly arms. And if you missed the explanation in this article, whole wheat contains a unique type of carbohydrate not found in other foods that actually spikes your blood sugar HIGHER than pure table sugar... Ouch!
I can hear you asking,
"Yeah but... what the heck do I eat for breakfast?"
I recommend a good protein source, some fiber, and a good healthy fat source to keep your blood sugar stable and controlled, keep insulin levels low, give you a long lasting energy burn, maintain lean muscle, keep you full for longer, and sustain your calorie-burning efforts.
Having high-carbohydrate breakfasts that are based around cereal, bagels, juices, etc. is a cultural phenomenon, NOT a physiological one.
We eat that way because that's how everyone else in our culture does it [thanks to the big advertising budgets of the food industry], yet a high-protein, high healthy fat, lower-carb breakfast is what's best for our bodies.
Eating a high protein breakfast may take some getting used to initially, but you'll be rewarded with much greater energy, a leaner waistline, and no more mid-morning crashes or hunger pangs caused by carbohydrate abuse!
Here are a few breakfasts that would fit the bill nicely:
-Whole organic eggs (cooked any style), veggies, kimchi or kraut, and organic bacon
-Bison steak, veggies, kimchi or kraut, and cashews
-Chicken sausage, spinach cooked in coconut oil with garlic, and a couple Brazil nuts
-Protein shake with almond butter, berries, raw cacao powder, and stevia
-A vegetable smoothie with added fat such as nuts and avocado (fat increases absorption of nutrients in veggies)
2. Most Yogurts, with this exception...
C'mon. Everyone knows yogurt is a heathy diet snack. Hey, it's fat-free, so it couldn't possibly be unhealthy or derail your diet plan, right?
Wrong!
Most yogurt, even if it's fat-free, is chock full of sugar! I see some yogurts with only 5 grams of protein and more than 30 grams of carbs from sugar... yuck, I asked for yogurt, not syrup!
To make matters even worse, many times the sugar added is high-fructose corn syrup, which actually signals your genes to store body fat.
This means that what you think is an innocent snack is actually sending messages to your very DNA to stockpile fat deposits all over your body!
This doesn't just apply to "desserts" like frozen yogurt either. Most of the "healthy" yogurt tubs you can find in the store, and that are advertised heavily on TV as great diet foods, are loaded with fat-storing sugars and additives.
Do you have to completely give up yogurt?
No, thankfully you don't. There is one kind of yogurt that will help you with your fat-burning efforts. And that is organic Greek yogurt, or plain unsweetened yogurt.
I prefer to eat my Greek yogurt with a handful of organic blueberries or raspberries and a tablespoon or so of chia seeds mixed in. You can also add a dash of natural stevia sweetener if you like. The end result is a yogurt meal with more protein than carbs, and a good dose of healthy fiber too, with a nice delicious lightly sweet taste.
Be cautious, however, because not all Greek yogurt is created equal...
Sadly, once word got out that Greek yogurt can actually be quite good for you, yogurt manufacturers started loading their Greek yogurt with sugar to make it taste better than their competitors.
Before you purchase Greek yogurt, make sure you turn the container over and look at the ingredient list. If you see sugar, high fructose corn syrup, agave, honey, or evaporated cane juice on the label, then put it down and find yourself a PLAIN greek yogurt.
3. Energy bars
I must admit, I used to make this critical mistake years ago back when I first started trying to really eat healthy.
I loaded up my pantry with every variety of health bars, energy bars, and protein bars that I could find.
"Now, I'll be able to eat on-the-go and still get the body that I've always wanted" is what I thought as I plowed through box-after box of these little treats. I mean, it is what the advertisement promised, isn't it?
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but most energy bars, health bars, meal replacement bars, and protein bars are simply glorified candy bars.
Most of them are chock full of sugar, corn syrup, hydrogenated fats, gluten, chemical additives, and soy protein... all things that are certain to add girth to your waistline! Not fun.
I realize that you've got a busy life and need to have some convenience foods. While planning ahead and cooking in bulk will help you in this arena, there are some times when you might just get stuck and need some food on-the-run.
For these instances, I recommend organic nuts and seeds, a little bit of high-fiber fruit, and vegetables. If you're in need of a bit more protein, try some hard boiled eggs or organic preservative-free deli meat wrapped around avocado slices or veggie sticks for a high protein, high fiber snack that will keep you fueled, smash your cravings, and keep you lean.
The only truly healthy bars that I've found were just released about a month ago and I am in LOVE with these bars. They have 20 grams of protein, a whopping 14 grams of fiber, loaded with healthy fats and antioxidants, and have ZERO gluten or soy.
4. Diet version of [...insert any food here...]
In an effort to lose fat, you may have found yourself reaching for the "diet" versions of your favorite high-calorie foods.
Diet sodas, diet ice cream, diet candy, fat-free this, sugar-free that..... It's all a nightmare for your body composition.
The diet, sugar-free, and fat-free trend began because people were led to believe that calories were the ONLY thing responsible for weight gain, and that by minimizing them, you could ensure fat loss.
Food manufacturers jumped on this concept and created a way for you to enjoy all your favorite junk foods all the time, and still think you would lose fat.
But here's why it doesn't work: Calories are not the ONLY reason why you have excess body fat.
Of course too many calories, even from healthy foods, can cause you to sport a thicker midsection, but another reason for stalled fat loss is because of toxins and hormonal problems.
Any time your body senses toxins in the blood stream, it tries to neutralize them by wrapping them up in fat cells to protect your body from the harmful molecules.
While this is a good thing (I mean, nobody wants toxins entering the brain, reproductive organs, etc) to some extent, it is also why you may not be dropping the pounds despite your best efforts.
So why are diet, fat-free, and sugar free products cause for concern? It's because when they remove the fat, the sugar, and the calories, they need something to make the products taste good, so they use nasty chemicals.
Many common chemicals that are used to sweeten or to flavor food and beverages are highly toxic, especially if you consume them every day.
Because of this, your diet foods and drinks are causing you to create fat cells to trap the toxins for protection.
Rather than relying on diet versions of food, it's best to just eat the real thing but reserve your favorite "junk food" ONLY for your cheat days or cheat meals, when you want to have high calories to revamp leptin and boost your metabolism.
Getting in shape and losing fat should be an enjoyable process. You don't have to deprive and starve yourself. Simply making better food choices, and avoiding some of the false "health" foods that are blocking your progress is the first step.
Mike Geary
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Certified Personal Trainer
