Provocative Wave for Men

Health Food Impostors

Did you know there are “health-food impostors” lurking in the aisles of the grocery store trying to sabotage all your good diet intentions? So before you go to the market again, arm yourself with this information from Prevention magazine. You’ll learn to see past the pretty packaging and “great for you” claims, because they’re rarely as good for you as they sound:

• Diet soda. Just because it says “diet” doesn’t mean it’s a great alternative to sugary soda. Studies have discovered that people who drink even one diet soda a day are prone to metabolism issues and belly fat, which can lead to heart disease. Instead try zero-calorie seltzer water or 100% juice diluted with seltzer water to cut calories. Look out for clear sodas marked as “sparkling water,” because often they’re just as packed with sugar as a regular soda.
• Health Food Imposter #2: Baked Potato Chips. Sure, they are lower in fat than regular fried chips, but they have all kinds of calories and very little nutrition. Instead, satisfy your crunch & salt craving by reaching for air-popped popcorn, which has 65 percent fewer calories and is full of fiber. Not only that, according to the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, people who make popcorn a regular part of their diet consume almost two-and-a-half times more healthy whole grains than those who don’t.
• The Last Sneaky Health Food Imposter: 100-Calorie Snack Packs. So tempting. So bad for you - unless you have excellent self-control. A recent study showed people tend to consume MORE calories if they are offered small portions like these “snack packs.” Why? Because they don’t feel satisfied and end up eating more than one pack. People also think, “Hey, it’s only 100 calories, I can eat three packages!” If you do that, you may as well eat right out of a regular bag of chips or cookies. So what do you do? Try almonds – a serving size of about 20-25 of them - which are packed with fiber, protein and good monosaturated fat, all of which will curb your hunger.