Everywhere you turn these days, people are changing their minds about what foods are good to eat, versus those that are horrible for your health. Italians have subsisted on pasta for hundreds of years, but we now run in the other direction from this carb loaded food. For awhile, we assumed that because a product was the “diet” version that it must be a better choice then its full fat counterpart. Part of our change in opinion is that we are constantly learning more about how our bodies process foods, in addition to companies continually adding to and changing the way they make processed foods. We have no idea what goes on behind mass-produced factories but we continue to purchase foods that may not help us be the healthiest we can be. This list isn’t just about products that will help you lose weight, but about knowing what you put in to your body and how it affects you!
1. Artificial Sweeteners
The last 50 years have seen a breakthrough in new sweetener products like Sweet N’Low and Splenda. While they initially felt like a great alternative to sugar, especially for people who can’t partake in consuming the regular version, research has shown some dangerous side effects. Artificial sweeteners contain aspartame, one of the only chemicals that can actually cross both the blood-brain barrier and placenta. They have also been known to inhibit weight loss and people with an allergy to aspartame can suffer major headaches when consuming. The basic idea you should walk away with is that a natural sweetener isn’t actually natural at all- it’s a chemical. You won’t find a Splenda tree growing in the wild! It’s better to consume a moderate version of the real deal (that’s sugar) or to just abstain all together.