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What I used to think was healthy…
I recently watched the documentary, Fed Up, and was reminded of the fact that many Americans do not have a good understanding of what it really means to eat a healthy diet.
In fact the word “healthy” has been completed manipulated. When people say something is “healthy” are they referring to the fat content? The calorie content? The nutritional profile? It’s anybody’s guess.
I look back on my diet before diving more and more into this world as a profession and I was in the exact same boat that many Americans are today. I got my information from the multi-billion dollar food advertising industry and became a victim of the system.
I was eating “healthy” foods but I could NOT get my body to change no matter what I did. I was a classic case “elliptical at the gym, diet food at home” kind of girl. I never saw results, I never felt satisfied and I had no idea what I was doing wrong.
So I thought it would be interesting to share some of the foods I remember eating that I honestly thought were “healthy.”
1. Special K. I used to eat this all the time. Why? Because the commercials told me I would lose weight. It’s low calorie and low fat, a great option right? Wrong. Turns out it’s also low in nutrients, high in refined carbohydrates and leaves feeling ravenous in about 15 minutes.
2. Vitamin Water. If you still drink Vitamin Water because it seems healthy, it’s time to pull the plug. We may as well call this sugar water. One bottle contains 33 grams of sugar which is more than what an average woman should have in a whole day.
3. Coffee Mate Sugar-Free Creamer. Sugar-free = healthy right? That’s what I used to think. Because healthy to me was all about weight loss and I thought that using this instead of half & half or sugar would help me lose weight. Read the ingredient list on this product and you’ll be frightened. Corn syrup and partially hydrogenated soybean oil top the list and it’s best to steer clear of such ingredients.
4. Lean Pockets & Lean Cuisine. The diet food industry had me wrapped around their finger for awhile. Does anyone EVER feel satisfied after eating one of these?
5. Reduced Fat Wheat Thins. Whole grains and low fat? Major score! Wrong again. The way the body metabolizes these bad boys is much like it metabolizes sugar. There is little to no nutritional benefit and the carb count is just too high for what you get.
Looking back, it’s no wonder I could never see results. I was sabotaging myself with fake food and I didn’t even know it.
Do you recognize any of your favorite foods above? If so, I’m not here to condemn you. But it may be worth spending some time re-evaluating what your idea of “healthy” is and if it’s truly serving you and your health goals.
What are some foods you used to eat that you thought were healthy? Let’s talk about it!
xo,
Robin Long
Robin Long, founder and CEO of Lindywell, certified Pilates instructor, Nutrition Therapy Practitioner, and author of 'Well to the Core,' blends 15 years of expertise with a lifelong commitment to holistic health.
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20 thoughts on “What I used to think was healthy…”
This is so true. I used to live off of lean pockets and 100 calorie snack packs, meticulously counting my calories! It wasn’t until I got deeper into BS in Biology degree that I realized your body can’t live on that stuff, it’s just not useful to it in terms of, well, just about anything! That was 8 years ago, and though I’m still paying off that degree, what I learned in those courses has served both me and my family well when it comes to combing through the latest health crazes! If you give your body what it needs to run efficiently, your body will give you the energy and health you need to live a happy,healthy, and fulfilling life. You spend your time living instead of constantly worrying about calories or how much you burned off on the treadmill!
That’s so great you had the opportunity to learn about how food fuels our bodies. It’s truly life changing isn’t it? xo
I am trying to change some of my diet food ways. Do you have any books or sources for healthy eating that are your favorites?
Hi Colleen!
I am a big fan of anything by Michael Pollan. I highly recommend checking him out. For a super easy, intro guide try reading Food Rules. You may also enjoy the documentary Food Inc. I actually think The Body Book (by Cameron Diaz) has some inspiring info on eating real food as well. Cheers to making new changes! xoxo
yup, I ate all those things too (minus the coffee mate- something about that stuff always freaked me out)! Oh, and NutriGrain bars… lived on those (fake food for breakfast).
Yes, strawberry NutriGrain bars! Me too.
I used to love ‘Special K Red Berries’ and ‘Wheat Thins’. I recently ate a wheat thin after not having one in a long time and it tasted so sweet to me, too sweet. I didn’t have to look at the side of the box to know that there was a ton of sugar in them.
Isn’t that crazy how our tastes change? I can totally relate!
I cannot tell you how many Lean Cuisines and bowls of Special K I used to eat! (hint: too many) I lived on those foods! Also, those ‘Chewy’ granola bars…chock full of corn syrup and things my body didn’t really want.
Very thankful for a much cleaner, whole-foods based diet these days!
I’m glad I’m not alone! Special K always left me SO hungry, no wonder I felt like “dieting” was impossible. 🙂
All of the above, minus vitamin water, add In: fat free cheese ( the stuff doesn’t even melt), sugar free ice cream, and pretty much any frozen meal that came with the words low fat or reduced calorie!!
I remember that cheese too!
I would love to hear your go to snacks for everyday life and while on the go in a follow up post. Simply snacking on almonds leaves me bored to tears in regard to taste
Seriously! It’s not for lack of desire to eat well that people turn to these foods, but just a lack of other options. If one more person tells me how great veggies taste (they do NOT) I could just scream. It’s great that people like them, but I simply do not — they make me heave. I need some legit options that are healthy!
Sobe drinks and a “power bar” that was made locally were ky worst “healthy” habit. They were so darn good I should have known I was eating nothing more than a Snickers Bar marketed as a protein bar to eat before a workout. They were sold at a little mom and pop health food store. Tricky!
This is the one millionth time I have joined WW but this time I am losing weight … By NOT existing on their frozen meals and pre-packaged stuff. (Well …. I have to have the little chocolate snack bars!)
Glad WW is working for you. Have been a WW Leader for 14 years and never eaten a WW product. Just eat the Good Health Habits, tick off those boxes everyday. Don’t eat out of a box. Eat actual food. Move your body. Repeat. Keep it up.
Robin, what do you think about Propel water and Mio flavor drops for your water? I know they are chemicals and are not great, but I wonder if they somehow are helping me keep weight on.
So true! Up until January, I would use fat free half and half for my coffee, eat “diet” bread and skip the butter on my toast. I was always trying to lose that last 10 pounds. Then, I got an infection, had surgery and was hospitalized for two weeks. I lost 15 pounds, not a great way to lose weight, but whatever. When I got home, I decided to ditch all of the diet stuff, and eat real food. I started using organic cream for my coffee, used real butter (small amounts) and basically just switched over to real foods. It’s been 6 months and I find that I have a whole lot more energy, get less hungry, and actually have kept off the weight. Nor more diet foods for me!
so funny you posted this blog…just yesterday for breakfast i made our kiddos some waffles (from scratch, with banana instead of sugar, organic flour, and some flax and chia) and thought ‘oh, i have some cream – i can make whipped cream for them!’ i sweetened it with a bit of honey and they were ecstatic. as i sat down to my breakfast of organic, homemade waffles with homemade pb and homemade, honey sweetened whipped cream on top, i realized that the majority of ‘health’ experts might think that a bowl of fat free cereal flakes with fat free milk would be ‘healthier’ for me. ha! i admit – it’s not an every day breakfast (that’s for sure!) but i’d take my decadent waffle creation over a bowl of processed cereal any day! and let’s be transparent – yes, we do have cereal a few times a week. not perfect – just learning and growing!