Updated: 11/12/2009
Let me preface this post by saying: “I eat these foods.” Yes, it is true, I do eat about 50% of the foods listed. Especially peanuts, Smartfood, and some of the carbohydrate foods listed at the bottom.
If you take this list literally, it will just aggravate you, so take it with a grain of salt… or maybe a rain of whole wheat.
There are many terms that are misleading in the food advertising industry today. Think of how many times you see healthy phrases plastered all over food containers.
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Some examples of “healthy food” words on product labels:
- Fat Free
- Reduced Fat
- Low Fat
- Sugar Free
- No Added Sugar
- Diet
We are supposed to believe that each of these categories makes a food healthier. In reality, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Here is what those “healthy food” phrases actually translate to:
- Fat free, but full of sugar and chemicals.
- Reduced fat, but increased carbohydrates.
- Low fat, but high glycemic index.
- Sugar free, but artificial everything else.
- No added sugar… because the all natural version has enough sugar to give you type II diabetes anyway.
- “Diet” food, but it causes cancer in lab rats so don’t drink/eat too much of it.
Consider the logic that food manufactures would have us believe: fat-free is good for you; jelly beans, jolly ranchers, and cotton candy are fat-free; therefore all those sugary candies are good for you. Makes sense? Think about it.
In fact, a study at John Hopkins University recently determined a link between high blood sugar and heart disease. This means high glycemic foods, such as the candy I just mentioned as well as many similar products, are inherently unhealthy.
Let’s examine some examples of nasty food that is supposed to be healthy, but will secretly kill you faster than the Terminator (not the Arnold character in any of the sequels).
Why is it good? A sugar free version of the popular carbonated beverage that you can drink on the go.
Why is it bad? OK, so soda is horrible for you, but take out the sugar and add in carcinogenic artificial sweeteners, combined with the artificial flavors and colors that are in all sodas, and you have a recipe for a Tumor in a Can.
Then of course you’ve got the caffeine factor, which is linked to hyperactivity, high blood pressure, and can mess with your blood sugar. Unfortunately the caffeine is an oh-so-good afternoon supplement.
Instead choose: filtered water and the occasional glass of milk
Why is it good? Seaweed contains essential nutrients such as selenium, calcium, iodine, and omega-3 fats. Sushi is nearly always wrapped in seaweed.
Why is it bad? This garbage doesn’t deserve to be called sushi. They are just small, compact, high glycemic, high calorie, carbohydrate nuggets. There’s not even much protein in these things. Eat 3-4 of them and you’ve had your serving for the day.
Aside from that, imitation crab meat isn’t even good for you. It is mostly just a crab flavored tofu-like substance fortified with sugar, sugar, and more sugar. It isn’t tofu, it’s actually a bunch of processed white fish, but it tastes like tofu. Blah!
Instead choose: In order to get some healthy carbs, some high-quality protein, and the benefits of omega-3 fats, choose real sushi made with salmon or tuna. To make it even healthier, order sashimi instead of white rice.
3. Peanuts
Why is it good? Peanuts contain healthy fats that contribute to the reduction in triglycerides, which are known to promote cardiovascular disease. In addition to monosaturated fatty acids, peanuts also contain magnesium, vitamin E, arginine, fiber, copper and folate all of which help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Why is it bad? Aside from being high in fat and calories, peanuts also are loaded with omega-6 fats that distort the omega-3 to omega-6 ratio. This ratio says that your intake of each omega fatty acid should be 1:1. The reasons why this ratio is recommended is a topic for a whole other article.
All we need to know is that the American diet is typically from 20:1 to 50:1 in favor of omega-6, so any effort to reverse this trend is important for combating over 10 different common diseases including Alzheimer’s, rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes. Peanuts are often contaminated with a carcinogenic mold called aflatoxin, and they are also one of the most pesticide-contaminated crops.
Instead choose: almonds or all natural organic peanut butter, but pour off the top layer of oil and replace with olive oil if the resulting peanut brick is too stiff. Olive oil is very low in omega-6 fats.
(But honestly, if you want the peanuts you should just eat them. They’re not that bad for you diet-wise.)
Why is it good? All peanut butter provides a heart-healthy substantial quantity of monounsaturated fat.
Why is it bad? Most commercial peanut butters are made with the same type of sugar that cake frosting is made with. Reducing the fat makes it even worse because even MORE nasty sugar is added and they contain less healthy fat. I’d rather just eat the extra calories.
Instead choose: As with peanuts, choose almonds or all natural organic peanut butter instead. Just remember to pour off the top layer of oil and replace it with olive oil if the resulting peanut brick is too stiff. Olive oil is very low in omega-6 fats.
I personally, after switching to all-natural, can no longer stomach commercial peanut butter. It tastes like sweetened lard to me now so I’d rather barf than eat it at all.
Why is it good? It contains omega-6 fatty acids, which are unsaturated fats that don’t raise cholesterol. Sweet.
Why is it bad? In the true spirit of peanuts, corn oil has 60 times more omega-6s than omega-3s. Omega-6 fatty acids increase inflammation, which boosts your risk of cancer, arthritis, and obesity. This is why we prefer a balanced ratio of omega-3s, which are found in walnuts, fish, and flaxseed.
Instead choose: Canola or Olive oils, which have a far better ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s. In my humble opinion, choose olive oil instead since canola oil has some less important issues of its own.
6. Fat-Free or Reduced Fat Salad Dressing
Why is it good? Less fat means less calories. Plus that salad dressing fat is lard just like mayo and crisco. Sick.
Why is it bad? Firstly because when fat comes out, sugar goes in. Either that or artificial flavors and sweeteners.
Secondly, since many vegetables are fat soluble, taking away the fat from the dressing means fewer of the salad nutrients will be absorbed into your body.
This was confirmed by a study at Ohio State University wherein a higher fat salad dressing resulted in an increased uptake of the antioxidants lutein and beta-carotene.
Instead choose: A salad dressing made with olive oil, or just use olive oil and vinegar as your salad dressing. If you try it you might like it.
Why is it good? It’s not. But in the spirit of argument: vegetarians and vegans eat the stuff so they can get protein in their diets. Yay ::sarcasm:: Plus the stuff is apparently low in fat and an alternative to whey for the lactose intolerant.
Why is it bad? Straight up, soy is thought to be linked to increased estrogen in males and increased breast cancer in women. The estrogenic effects are sometimes said to merely be the presence of the phytoestrogens and estrogen mimicking compounds found in soy.
Because of these estrogenic compounds, infants in particular can be adversely affected in many negative ways from exposure to soy, including premature development in girls, and underdevelopment in boys.
Soy also promotes hypothyroidism, thyroid cancer, and infertility just to name a few additional disorders. Phytic acid, trypsin inhibitors, toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines are all highly present in soy products.
 Get Some! |
Some people are allergic to soy protein.
Instead choose: any high protein whole food such as brown rice, goats milk, coconut milk, almond milk, whole grains, nuts, seaweeds, seeds, beans, and lentils.
If you must have a protein powder, choose any of a variety of protein powders available on the market today, including whey and egg protein. I use Optimum Nutrition protein powder. Click here to get some.
As a side note, goats milk is considered one of the healthiest foods on the planet today, so give it a try.
Why is it good? Individually, fruit and yogurt are two of the healthiest food choices at the grocery store.
Why is it bad? Manufacturers load these products up with corn syrup, which effectively doubles the amount of sugar. All the better to entice kids to ask you to buy this crap.
Instead choose: Activia yogurt, which contains additional live active cultures to help your digestive system. Choose the Light version if you wish, but it is sweetened with sucralose (Splenda). (I opt for the light version.)
I enjoy Splenda quite often, but we have yet to know if there are an significant long term effects from its use. After all there are a few theories which suggest that consuming sucralose is like consuming very small amounts of chlorinated pesticides. There are at this time no conclusive tests that sucralose has any long term negative side effects.
9-11. Fruit Juice, Dried Fruit, and Fruit Cocktail
Why is it good? Well because fruit is good for you. It has a ton of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants; not to mention fiber.
Why is it bad? Fruit juice and fruit cocktail normally have sugar added. Some fruit cocktails come in a thick sugary syrup, and there’s more sugar in a glass of fruit juice than in a candy bar and as much as in a glass of soda (grape juice has about 40g of sugar in one serving). You get no fiber from fruit juice, and the stuff usually has preservatives added to it.
Dried fruit is similarly bad because it is also loaded with sugar, although not with added sugar. Think of it this way: take any fruit, which is naturally loaded with sugar, remove all the moisture thus shrinking it down to a fraction of its normal size, then sell it by the bucket load to consumers who don’t understand that this little tiny piece of fruit still has nearly all the calories and sugar of the original fruit!
Can anyone say “portion control”? What about “blood sugar coma”?
Instead choose: eat the whole fruit including the skin if possible, but limit it to one serving of fruit per meal/snack to avoid insulin spikes. If you must have fruit cocktail, choose one that comes packed in its own juices instead of syrup.
Why is it good? Because cheesy popcorn is oh so tasty.
Why is it bad? Because you are really just eating the popcorn equivalent of potato chips. Seriously, compare total calories and you will find that you are not saving much on the calorie front by eating Smartfood instead of chips.
Instead choose: get some spray butter, pop some plain popcorn, spray a light coat of spray butter on the popped corn, sprinkle various spices on the corn (but go easy on the salts), and shake it up in a bag. Now you have a low fat tasty treat.
Smartfood isn’t as bad as a candy bar or a Twinkie though, so go ahead and splurge every so often.
Why is it good? Baked beans are good for you because these types of beans are loaded with fiber
Why is it bad? The sugary syrup, just as much as in a can of soda, is just going to spike your blood sugar and insulin levels. This is never good for preventing heart disease or type II onset diabetes.
Instead choose: Red kidney beans. These things are packed with protein and fiber, and can be mixed with any sort of salad or pasta. Sometimes I enjoy kidney beans straight out of the can; no cooking, just wash and chow.
There are also several other kinds of high protein, high fiber beans, but they typically have to be cooked first. I say this because I tend to be lazy about cooking and I know you do too. Try cooking up some nice black beans; high in protein and fiber, low in everything bad.
Why is it good? Granola has some fiber, pasta salad has some vegetables, croutons make our salad crunchy, english muffins are one step up from bagels, and pretzels are a quick low-fat snack.
Why is it bad? One word: carbohydrates. All of these foods are made with corn syrup and/or processed white flour. These foods will spike your blood sugar faster than Bruce Lee could have kicked you in the face. You also won’t get much nutrition in the way of protein, fiber, vitamins, or minerals from any of these foods.
Instead choose: 100% whole grain or whole wheat pasta and English muffins for increased fiber and protein. Egg salad because, like it or not, eggs are good for you and are high in protein. Almond slices are high in omega-3 fats and are crunchy like croutons. Substitute healthy nuts for white starches whenever you can and you too can receive a 30% less chance of heart disease.
Clearly there are many alternatives to sneaky consumer foods. Fruits and vegetables remain a key ingredient in a healthy diet, and now you can look for tricky catch phrases when purchasing ‘health foods’. Drink plenty of water, get plenty of sleep, and eat wholesome low-sugar, healthy-fat foods; I bet you will end up doing OK as a result.
Resources:
Endocrinology 150:2446-2453.
Study Ties Obesity, Inflammatory Proteins to Heart Failure Risk
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If you are looking for a pure protein powder, check out Optimum Nutrition. Optimum Nutrition protein powder comes in about 20 different flavors, and is available in 1 lb, 2 lb, 5 lb, and 10 lb containers.Click here to order or learn more about Optimum Nutrition.
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About Project Swole - Project Swole is managed and mostly written by Steve, a formerly IFPA and ISSA certified personal trainer and sport nutritionist, who has been studying, practicing, and experimenting with fitness and nutrition since 1992. Please use the content at Project Swole to supplement the advice of your doctor or physician. All medical questions should be directed towards a qualified medical professional, and the advice provided at Project Swole should be used at your own discretion.
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okay well first off-most of this list is good. But not all of it is accurate. These foods listed are only bad when people eat too much of it. If you are to have a fruit cocktail when ur out with ur friends thats okay-just make sure your not doing it every friday night…and the problem with diet soda or the reduced fat things…since they are low calorie people tend to eat more of it and thats not good either. as long as u are getting your fruits, veggies, WHOLE grain, enough dairy and fish, eggs and poultry with the occasional fruit cocktails, and desserts u should be fine. and in regards to the diet soda-well diet, regular its all BAD!
What’s wrong with carbohydrates?
I respect the author’s personal opinion, but scientifically, this list is a remarkably silly distortion of some medical studies. While there is probably a study somewhere that can back up anyone’s opinion, the points in this article are not generally accepted as fact. It’s important to look at PEER REVIEWED research, meaning that the results can be independently duplicated.
For example, I once read an article that “proved” that fluorescent light gives people mercury poisoning, not from breaking the light, but by the “mercury photons” that are emitted through the glass. Throughout my career, I’ve never otherwise heard of “mercury photons”, just regular photons -the only flavor they come in. (By the way, the wavelengths of the photons emitted by a normal fluorescent light are much safer than that of the sun.)
The point is that you should just use common sense when making decisions about nutrition. If you live off soda alone or eat soy to the extreme, yeah, you’re going to have problems, but what do you expect? And for the “scared of chemicals” crowd, I’ve got some unfortunate news for you; everything you eat is made up entirely from chemicals.
Although I believe that the author had the best intentions when writing this, for nutrition, I like the website: http://www.whfoods.com. It has nutritional information for lots of fruits, vegetables and grains with tons of cited research to back it up.
Thanks for the feedback everyone. I am glad I could inspire such controversy with this post.
The 2 take away messages from all posts like this are:
1) moderation is key, and
2) don’t believe the marketing or media hype when it comes to diet food
I agree with most of them, my favorite health food is Yogurt, and I always buy Plain Yogurt rather than Yogurt which have many taste like strawberry or grape, usually producer add to much sugar/corn syrup there.
Uh oh. This is the list I’ve been avoiding. Haha. I drink a good amount of diet coke. Not cause I’m trying to lose weight or anything (I’m only 17, roughly 5’2 and about 110 lbs, exercise daily). I’m just addicted. Yeah, caffeine does increase your blood pressure after a while(my mom drank about 5 cups of coffee a day and now the doctors are making her stop!).
I cut down and only drink about 1 bottle (20 oz) of diet coke a day…how bad is that?
Laura:
I sometimes drink a can of diet Coke too. I mean ‘bad’ is relative. A can of diet Coke is better than a plate of nachos but worse than a carrot. Moderation is key, and one can a day seems like moderation to me.
I’m not sure where you got your infomation but there are several scientific inaccuracies in this article. I hope people are not taking this article too seriously. There are some good points like that of white versus brown rice, but, for example, imitation crab meat is not made of tofu, it’s made from white fish, and it not especially unhealthy. Frankly this list is just strange and confusing.
jen:
Thank you so much for reading and writing. Please come back again. =)
“I am glad I could inspire such controversy with this post.”
Here you are, giving advice as a certified nutritionist, and your intention is not to offer scientifically legitimate advice, but to “inspire controversy”? You should be ashamed of yourself.
Hibiscus:
My posts consist of facts and opinions. None of my facts are wrong, but I do encourage people to disagree with my opinions and to express their own. So no, I’m not ashamed of myself. Please come back again. =)
Very Interesting and Excelent Article. It mentions a lot of things I didnt know, however I think is better if I search more information about it ´cause I´m very worried.
Hopefully this information can help to many people to take care of what they eat.
Congrats…
Billigflug:
I don’t know that you need to be worried about it. Just eat the less healthy foods in moderation as compared to the healthiest food.
i think all of this is true and that this website is fab. me and my daughter sophie now under stand how to deal with her problems thanks for helping us out
Jenny x
This Website really helped me and my mum out and now we are ready for what will lay in store for us now i am really greatful to this website and would like to say you are simply the best and you are amazing thankyou again
Sophie x
Steve,
That was one fantastic article. There are so many foods that most people take for granted, when the majority of Americans (or residents of most other nations) really have no idea about basic nutrition. In fact, most are operating on inaccurate information, which you have taken steps to dispel in your post. I gave it well deserved stumble over at StumbleUpon.
It’s amazing, for example, the number of people that eat white rice while on a diet, instead of switching to brown rice. When I’m advising people about their food choices I talk to them about their current diet and I’m confounded by the foods they’re eating that they think are actually good for them.
i think it’s also important to avoid media hype when confronted with statements such as:
“Phytic acid, trypsin inhibitors, toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines are all highly present in soy products.”
first of all, i don’t understand how someone without a PhD can make true sense of that.
second of all, nitrosamines are not just in soy, they are also in meats.
[...] (Here’s cheerful reading: 20 Unhealthy Foods That You Think Are Healthy But Are Actually Killing You: http://www.projectswole.com/healthy-lifestyle/20-unhealthy-foods-that-you-think-are-healthy-but-are-... [...]
ok this list is ok but seriously, peanuts are high in fat and calories, but then why does every doctor recommend them? The benefits outway the non benefits. Also when testing diet soda on rats, they give them almost a gallon which is like equivalent to giving a water tower full to a human. I am sure no one drinks that much, and it is never proven that diet soda gives cancer.
So, as Alex and Steve (20th May) said, cereal isn’t that good. What about oats? I usually eat the two minute microwave oats (no flavour, just plain oats) or plain cornflakes for breakfast. Is that bad if I’m trying to lose weight? :S
Josh:
Peanuts are good, but they don’t have a place in super strict diets. Other nuts are better for you. As far as diet soda, who knows? Artificial sweeteners don’t tend to be good for lab animals, so we’ll have to see what time tells about that.
lind:
Two minute oats are great. Most hardcore nutritionists would tell you to choose slow cookin’ oats over quick oats, but honestly if you are eating plain oats (no added sugar) then how much does it really matter? I think you’re doing a good job. Also, most cereal isn’t that good for you. Stick with oats.
Steve,
Great article. Sure, there are criticisims that could be made re. the accuracy of some points, etc.
However, and most importantly, IT IS MAKING PEOPLE THINK ABOUT THE “FOODS” THEY ARE EATING! I think that is a victory in itself.
Keep up the good work.
Steve
Along with the absurd hormone levels that non-organic milk provides, the plastic containers they come in are another factor to remember. Plastic #7, (the plastic used to make plastic milk jugs) is created with estrogen. Therefore it emits estrogen into the already hormone contaminated milk. It’s really hitting two birds with one stone…
Oberweis is a good alternative by providing organic milk in glass jugs upon delivery or store bought.
Steve, while I agree with most of your information, I think you need to do more research on sucralose (Splenda). The FDA passed it because of much pressure by the lobbyists from Johnson & Johnson (parent co. of McNeil). The testing on humans was inadequate,and it is actually not at all like sugar. It is chlorine, and more similar to a pesticide than anything else. I am still trying to recover from sucralose poisoning, and if you google words like “splenda poisoning” or “joint pain sucralose”, you will find hundreds of accounts from people like me who poisoned themselves while trying to skate through a weight loss program ( yeah, I was dumb to think that was possible). You will be horrified if you do a tad more research on this product. I only use Stevia now, which is a natural product with no known side effects. Hope you take this seriously, I’m still walking with a cane, and trying to get myself detoxed and healthy again. Only whole foods for me now, I have learned a very frightening lesson.
Where do you even get some of this information? Soy is extremely high in isoflavones, which help PREVENT breast cancer. This anti-soy mumbo jumbo is sponsored by the meat industry because having such a popular and healthy complete protein out there hurts their business. That’s reality. Wanna know some more reality? The Japanese, who consume the most soy products in the world, also enjoy some of the longest lifespans in the world. I’ve actually pointed that out to many of these “experts,” who try to convince people otherwise (rather than point out the obvious hormones in dairy and birth control that young teens and middle-aged women turn to), and you know what happens? They censor my comments as soon as they see it. Suspicious much?
informative but bitch-sounding at the same time
I use to drink about 20 beers a night every night and more on the weekend. Now I switched to whiskey and diet pepsi. I thought this would help cutt back some caleries, so now I go through about one, half gallon of whiskey every 2 days, and more on the weekends and about 5 diet pepsi’s every day. I eat a cheeseburger for lunch and usually some kind of meat for dinner, steak, or ground beef. So my queston is, wich one is better for you, 20 beers or the diet pepsi’s with some whiskey?
be careful…… bad food as main cause obesity central and diabetes type 2
my daughter needs to lose weight and this is very informative it all makes so much sense.
[QUOTE]
nik:
Actually all of this is true. Don’t be a hater just because you like to eat junk food all day.
[/QUOTE]
Res Ipsa Loquitur
I won’t be listening to this idiot any time soon.
So you mean to tell us that peanuts are bad, but we should eat all natural peanut butter? Lets use some common sense here. The benefits of Peanuts far outweigh the negative.
They’re a great source of protein.
they’re extraordinarily high in polyphenols, and monounsaturated fat. Not to mention they contain magnesium, folate, vitamin E, copper, arginine, and fiber – all of which are known to lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
I like it. Makes people think. And the fact that so many people comment, gives a wide variety of opinion. Also, whoever thinks soda isn’t bad for you, is just oblivious. Get your heads out of the clouds and read the label on a can of coke. Im not even saying “Dont drink it”, just stop saying it isn’t bad. Steve is right, most foods have a bad side. This articles point was to to show the bad side to normal foods. I like it.
Thanks for the support Kayla. The problem with normal foods is that when you don’t practice moderation, you end up with too much of a good thing.
Okay, So Danielle your not reading the article, he does tell you why diet soda is bad for you. He just assumes you know why regular soda is bad for you, but apparently your a dee dee dee. And I honsetly think we have found way to link cancer to everything. EVERYTHING CAUSES CANCER. It is ridiculous. I enjoyed this article and found it very informative.
Steve – you did a great job of attempting the impossible: writing a crash-course article on nutrition and healthy eating. The primary clarification I would suggest would simply be listing “granola” as bad for you. The “chewy” granola bars that most Americans eat are bad for you, but regular old granola can be very good for you. Other than that, I think this is a great article.
And to everyone else hating this article so much – just because certain foods “have not yet been statistically shown to cause cancer in humans in peer-reviewed journals” does not mean that it is good for you. Eating natural, un-processed, healthy (lower-calorie, generally higher-protein) foods is one of the best ways to live a healthy life. I believe that is probably what Steve is trying to get across.
Lastly – I noticed that no one claimed that any of the foods Steve claimed were good for you were in fact bad for you.
That’s the problem with the internet, it’s turned a lot of people into know-it-alls who know very little. And you know what they say… a spoonful of sugar will help the medicine go down. That’s what this is, bits of truth mixed with bits of not-so-much. The problem is weeding out the truth from opinion.
And you really should wipe out the comment from “Reader of multiple Experiments and Studies”. He does you no favors with his idiotic and ultimately insulting rant. At least you sound like you’re not talking entirely out of your ass, but that guy is just a moron: “I’ve read blah blah blah”. Yes, that’s really the scientific method isn’t it?! I’ve read about quantum mechanics, but that hardly makes me qualified to lecture about it on any level.
Hey Steve,
I liked the article (but then again I quite like sarcasm heh heh). Alot of the stuff I already know..Well ok not the actual indepth nutritional content (fact or otherwise : ) of the products but still I know enough to avoid stuff with too much sugar especially that high fructose stuff. Most people though not only don’t exercise correctly (how many women do u see for hrs on the darn treadmill) or they “diet” and eat horrible diet foods which they unfortunately think are healthy. So we have skinny-fat people orrrr just your regualar fat-fat people.
So hopefully it will help some folks choose more carefully. (of course they might benefit a tad from some resistance training as well but good luck with getting them to do that)Keep up the good fight!
Great article!! Thanks so much – I also enjoy a little bit of sarcasm every now and then, but this time you are fully allowed to use it. People don’t exercise and they don’t educate themselves on what’s healthy and what’s not. Ergo, they don’t read labels, they trust the manufacturers’ claims on why a product is ‘healthy’ and they don’t understand why they’re still overweight. HELLO – use your brains much??
Amen maritsa, amen…
Hi Steve, my names Lauralee and I am 20 years old. I just wanted to thank you for this great piece of information you have posted here. I am a health nut and I found this really helpful. In fact, I sent this site to all of my girlfriends and they absolutely loved it and thanked me, but I really just need to thank you. You have inspired me to live a healhty lifestyle and start a healthy cooking club.
Lauralee: I am excited to hear that I could have an impact on your and your girlfriends. Please let me know if you come up with some sweet recipes that you’d like me to post online. Do you have a blog or website?
No study linking any artificial sweetener with cancer has been replicated. IE they aren’t carcinogenic.
You should probably mention that in the article, Steve.
I’ve been browsing for different recommended foods to construct as healthy a diet as I can, and I have to say I’m about ready to say fuck it and just eat Taco Bell and live my “short” life happy. Everyone who thinks they have the answers talks the loudest, so when you actually want useful information, you just have a bunch of dipshits saying “yes yes this is great for you!” or “no it’s awful!”
Quick: Top 15 Staples of the healthiest diet for a white male who wants to live as long as he can while reducing the risk of diseases as well as cancer/heart disease/etc? How many of you fuckers are going to disagree on this shit?
20 Healthiest Foods That Are Actually Unhealthy Foods…
Thank you for submitting this cool story – Trackback from 26m…
Hey Steve, sorry I replied so late Ive just been so busy with being newly engaged and planning things for our wedding. I actually have this recipe thats one of my families fav things to eat any time. I basically boil some pasta (I love whole wheat penne)about 3 cups, chop up about 1 green/red pepper into small sqaures (its nice to have some colour), mince 3-4 cloves of garlic, chop 1 red onion into squares. Add some extra virgin olive oil into a pan and heat it up. Once hot turn the heat down and add the onions and brown them until they are a nice golden colour.Next, add garlic until a slightly light brown shade. Add the green peppers next until they are soft and cook over medium heat. Lastly add some tomato sauce (canned)and lower heat. Add the cooked pasta into the sauce and stir until well covered. Serve with some salad or garlic bread, totally up to your taste. if cheese is preferred grate some parmesan over and let it melt on the individual plates as you are serving. If desired you can make your own tomato sauce or homemade pasta
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does!
Anyone who needs convincing that soda and/or diet soda is bad for your health, needs to do some serious thinking. It’s pathetic that someone who can read and write and is educated enough to express their emotions and feelings on an internet site needs ‘proof’ that soda is unhealthy.
Good luck.
I was wondering if some of the things that i normally eat on a regular basis are healthy or not.. I’m 19 years old and do not get good home-cooked meals anymore.. I’m now living on my own so I try and make things that are fast and easy. Here is a list of some of things that I take in:
1. special K strawberry cereal
2. salad mix (packaged) with non- fat thousand island dressing
3. unsweet luzianne tea with 2 pkgs. of sweet n lo
4. 100% orange juice (tropicana)
5. grapefruit juice ( do not want to give up)
6. lean cuisine meals (all)
7. granola and nutri-grain bars …
what should I be substituting these with?
… And also are rice cakes and real fruit smoothies good for you?
Tracy, I answered your question here: How to Make 9 Healthy Foods Even Healthier
Now that Almonds are required to be pasteurized, I would question how healthy they are.
http://www.cornucopia.org/almond/Almond_News_Release.pdf
Interesting.
Yogurt is my favorite. I always think it is healthy because there are many products on the market saying that. I never realized that i am in the wrong track. Well, yogurt commercial should clear their statement.
Thanks for the spam, Portable Tap Dance Floors.
What’s with all the hating on carbohydrates????
What can I say George? Carbs suck. =)
I have to wonder what sushi some of you are talking about?
“kinda strange how every piece of sushi tastes exactly the same… not like any of the “ingredients” (except the high fructose corn syrup and stuff)”
Well, first.. where did you ever find sushi with high fructose corn syrup in it? I have never seen or heard of such a thing, not to say it doesn’t exist, but I would never call such a thing real sushi. Or would I call a California roll, or anything containing imitation crab real sushi.
I also have to greatly disagree on every piece tasting the same. The type of fish used each have a slightly different flavor, and each ingredient adds an element to the over all taste.
Try red tuna, avocado and cucumber, wrapped in seaweed and sushi rice. Add a little soy sauce if you want some salty flavor added, a little wasabi for some spiciness. The cucumber adds a little crunch, the avocado brings some creaminess. Both go perfect with the melt in your mouth taste of the fish, which tastes nothing like the “fishy” flavor of cooked fish.
Sushi ingredients are (or should be):
* Fresh Raw Fish– red tuna, white tuna, salmon, yellowtail, snapper, Hawiian Moon, ect.—for some people who don’t like the idea of raw fish they make it with shrimp or crab.. yes, sometimes imitation, but TRY THE REAL KIND! and I promise you’ll never look back.
* seaweed
* sushi rice
* avocado
* cucumber
* carrots
* cream cheese
* fish eggs (tobiko)
* sesame seeds
* tempura flakes
* wasabi
* soy sauce
* many other ingredients and variations, you can include whatever you are in the mood for.
Given the fact that sushi is made with raw fish, it should be something that is made fresh to order. The fish should not taste or smell “fishy”, or be injected with chemicals or any type of “syrup” to preserve it. It should be FRESH so that chemicals are not needed. If not then I would not eat it, or say that it deserved the title of sushi at all.
Other than that-
Sorry but any artificial chemicals should be avoided, if possible, use fresh organic foods. You shouldn’t need a study to tell you that consuming artificial chemicals are bad but if you do
http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/Quality-Safety/Researchers-study-chemicals-in-food-and-effect-on-fetus
An easy solution is to grow your own garden in your back yard. Great tasting, non-chemical infused foods.
Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog.
Cheers! Sandra. R.
Thanks for stopping by Sandrar.
Yeah, the activia yogurt thing kills me! I don’t eat dairy, I’ve heard some bad things and when I stopped eating dairy, especially cheese, my skin cleared up. But I do take probiotics everyday, they are like little life savers and they keep me from ever being irregular. They take care of that “uuugh..” feeling you get after eating too much or eating something that might be more difficult to digest….like dairy lol. Skip the yogurt and get yourself some culturelle! Its the same thing without the zits!
Therese: Wait, so you’re saying Activia Yogurt doesn’t work for you? I can’t drink milk or eat much dairy, but one cup of Activia a day works really well for me. Sorry if you’ve had any problems with it.