Foods you think are healthy BUT AREN'T! #12: RICE CAKES
WHY WE THINK IT’S HEALTHY: These bland cardboard cut-outs were a dieter’s dream during the 1990s low-fat/low-calorie diet craze. As a snack food, they’ve helped us stay away from more unhealthy snacks like chips and fries. WHY IT’S NOT: Rice cakes are nothing more than refined puffed rice and have very little…
Foods you think are healthy BUT AREN'T! #11: FLAVOURED NUTS
WHY WE THINK IT’S HEALTHY: Nuts are a convenient snack that provide us with healthy monounsaturated fats, protein, vitamin E, fiber and some omega-3 fatty acids. Nuts have been shown to reduce our risk of developing blood clots and to lower LDL cholesterol levels. Glaze them in soy sauce or coat them in maple candy, and…
Foods you think are healthy BUT AREN'T! #10: FRUIT JUICE
WHY WE THINK IT’S HEALTHY: Many look forward to beginning their morning with a fresh glass of OJ. Drinking your fruit is way more convenient than having to go through the arduous process of peeling, slicing, biting, chewing, and swallowing. And, hey, the government says it’s the same thing as having a fruit. According to…
Foods you think are healthy BUT AREN'T! #9: LOW-FAT PEANUT BUTTER
WHY WE THINK IT’S HEALTHY: Full of healthy monounsaturated fats and protein, peanut butter has been a comfort food for pregnant women and bodybuilders. It’s pretty high in calories, though, which makes the reduced-fat version more attractive and healthy option. WHY IT’S NOT: Peanut butter is actually a very decent…
Foods you think are healthy BUT AREN'T! #8: BREAKFAST CEREAL
WHY WE THINK IT’S HEALTHY: The health benefits of breakfast cereals are largely the result of a hugely successful marketing campaign that began as early as the 1900s. Kids are especially targeted, and many can’t imagine breakfast without a bowl of cereal. “Part of a balanced breakfast” is a term coined by the cereal…
Foods you think are healthy BUT AREN'T! #7: FRUIT COCKTAIL
WHY WE THINK IT’S HEALTHY: It’s fruit, so it’s good for you. WHY IT’S NOT: The syrup ruins everything. Fruit canned in syrup holds its shape, colour and flavour, but it also adds extra calories and boosts its glycemic index. The most common syrup used in commercial fruit cocktails is corn syrup, made from the starch…
Can skipping breakfast cause heart attacks?
Can skipping breakfast cause heart attacks? A recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggests that U.S. adults who regularly skip breakfast are at an increased risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. With the increased popularity of intermittent fasting and supporting research…
Foods you think are healthy BUT AREN'T! #6: GRANOLA
WHY WE THINK IT'S HEALTHY: It’s considered the “healthy person’s cereal,” made with rolled oats, nuts and dried fruits. The term granola has become so synonymous with health that it’s used to describe hippie-esque people who are socially and environmental aware, left-wing, usually vegetarian, and who buy only fair-trade…
Foods you think are healthy BUT AREN'T! #5: DRIED FRUIT
WHY WE THINK IT'S HEALTHY: It’s fruit, a food group recommended by all nutrition experts for its vitamin, mineral and antioxidant content. Compared to fresh fruit, they’re more convenient to transport, preserve well and are a nutritious, delicious snack. WHY IT'S NOT: It’s not that dried fruit is unhealthy -- it is a much…
Foods you think are healthy BUT AREN'T! #4: BAKED BEANS
BAKED BEANS WHY WE THINK IT'S HEALTHY: Beans are a good source of lean protein, they're virtually fat free, and they're high in soluble fiber. Consequently, they have a low glycemic index, which means that they don’t elicit a rapid rise in blood sugar levels. This is good news for those on weight-loss diets or suffering…
Foods you think are healthy BUT AREN'T! #3: HAZELNUT SPREADS
WHY WE THINK IT'S HEALTHY: Ads for the most popular hazelnut spread, Nutella, claim that it's “an example of a tasty yet balanced breakfast.” Commercials show a mom feeding it to her healthy kids while the label includes a picture of Nutella surrounded by "healthy" items such as fresh fruit, whole wheat bread and orange…
Foods you think are healthy BUT AREN'T #2: SPINACH PASTA
WHY WE THINK IT'S HEALTHY: It’s a sneaky way to add a vegetable to an otherwise carb-heavy meal. It’s green and, thus, healthy. WHY IT'S NOT: The amount of freeze-dried spinach that is added to the noodles is enough to make it green, but that’s about it. There isn’t enough to provide any nutritional benefits compared to…
Foods you think are healthy BUT AREN'T #1: WHOLE WHEAT BREAD
Foods you think are healthy BUT AREN'T #1: WHOLE WHEAT BREAD WHY WE THINK IT'S HEALTHY: Whole grains are far superior to refined white bread because of the added bran and vitamins. American nutritional guidelines recommend that half or more of your grains be whole. WHY IT'S NOT: Sure, the extra bran adds a tiny bit more…
The 2019 Canada's Food Guide
The Canada's new food guide has been released this week and I have to admit, we're definitely going in the right direction. We know that genetics plays a huge role in how we metabolize foods and that nutritional approaches are highly individualized. But if I were tasked to build a meal plan for the general population, it…
Foods you avoid BUT SHOULDN'T! PART 50: SEA URCHIN
WHY WE AVOID IT: They’re small, globular and completely covered with “touch me and die” spikes. In many parts of the world, sea urchin is a delicacy, and the part that is eaten is the gonads. Not everyone “gets” why we eat raw sea urchin gonads in the first place. It has a rich, salty and creamy taste and a strong ocean…
Foods you avoid BUT SHOULDN'T! PART 49: SEA CUCUMBER.
WHY WE AVOID IT: It breathes through its anus, can liquefy its body and acts as the vacuum cleaner of the ocean. These sausage-shaped animals with leathery skin are a delicacy in many parts of Asia. As a food, it has a slippery texture and a bland taste. Kind of like phlegm. WHY WE SHOULD EAT IT: Sea cucumbers may taste…
Foods you avoid BUT SHOULDN'T! PART 48: BRUSSELS SPROUTS.
WHY WE AVOID IT: A 2008 survey by Heinz revealed that Brussels sprouts were the most-hated vegetable in America. They always make it to the top five in surveys of the most-hated vegetables around the world. According to Andy Griffith in his book Just Disgusting: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Who wouldn’t hate them? They’re green. They’re…
Foods you avoid BUT SHOULDN'T. PART 47: KIMCHI
WHY WE AVOID IT: This fermented cabbage dish is Korea’s national dish. If you don’t like the smell of cabbage, then you’ll certainly hate the smell of it fermented. It’s a rather strong smell that haters equate to burning rotting garbage. WHY WE SHOULD EAT IT: Kimchi tastes so great that Koreans eat 40 pounds of it per…
Foods you avoid BUT SHOULDN'T. PART 46: SHRIMP
WHY WE AVOID IT: Shrimp is high in cholesterol, so it was added to the “foods to avoid” list to prevent high cholesterol levels and decrease the risk of heart disease. WHY WE SHOULD EAT IT: At the risk of sounding like a broken record, dietary cholesterol has little effect on blood cholesterol levels. Shrimp is actually low…
Do calories count? Part 2
Do calories count? Yeah, but.... The inability to lose weight is not a matter of commitment or willpower. Leptin is able to manipulate thyroid function and sex hormones, basically taking control of your biology. It gives us that feeling of satiety when we're full. Our hunger can become excessive and relentless, especially…