If a food label said jump off a cliff would you?
Be careful what labels, companies and food adverts tell you about their products. They know we all love a buzzword and know how to play into peoples insecurities about their health and use it to sell sell sell. Here is a little list of things to watch out for.
#1 – SUPERFOOD So-called superfoods such as goji berries and chia seeds have been getting a great deal of press but don’t believe the marketing hype. There’s no legal definition of “SUPERFOOD” so it’s a term that’s open to abuse. Of course eat goji berries if you like the taste, but don’t expect them to change your life. Don’t think for a minute that by eating a few of these “superfoods” they will turn a bad diet into a good one. Strictly speaking, all fruit, vegetables, lean meat and nuts are “superfoods” because they all provide important vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that help keep us healthy.
#2 – ALL NATURAL All natural literally means nothing. Just because something is “All Natural” does not mean it is healthy. Häagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream is labelled “All Natural” and so is 7UP, 7UP has no nutritional value at all !
#3 – GLUTEN FREE There is no doubt that over the last couple of years “gluten free” has become the most misused label in the entire food industry. While a very, and I repeat, a VERY small percentage of the population suffers from an extreme gluten allergy, or the even rarer Celiac disease, the truth of the matter is that the common perception of this term is generally wrong. For one reason or another, a large percentage of the population believes the term “gluten free” means “oh this is healthy and I can eat it without any form of shame or guilt”. Just because it’s gluten free doesn’t mean you can completely disregard all other nutritional information associated with the item. I hear things like this, “oh I am avoiding cake as watching what I eat” “It doesn’t matter as its “gluten free”! There is nothing wrong with gluten-free products, but don’t mistake “gluten free” as being inherently a healthy alternative unless you take into account the rest of the product’s nutritional makeup.
#4 – ENERGY BOOSTING That great “energy booster” caffeine is being added to everything from water to lollipops, but remember, caffeine laden energy drinks and products are made up of mostly sugar and chemicals along with the caffeine.
#5 – SUN KISSED Sun-kissed or drenched ! Unless it’s hydroponically grown in an artificially lit greenhouse almost everything is “sun-kissed” including pure sugar.
#6 – WHOLE FOODS What is a whole food? Have we been eating too many half foods? Important when it comes to grains yes but the “whole” labelling has gotten out of hand. Fruits and vegetables are whole foods but do they really need labels to tell us.
#7 – HEALTHY What’s healthy is a judgment call if ever there was one. People are eating different things because of different goals and different needs. One persons healthy food is another persons poison. Looking for what’s healthy at the shops? Skip the promises on a label, and shop for fresh foods like fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, and fish.
#8 – ORGANIC The term organic is another term that has been ingrained in the modern food industry. It is used to refer to everything from vegetables to ketchup. What has yet to be determined is what does the word organic truly mean? Fruits, vegetables and grains grown without use of pesticides and meat fed on organic food I can understand. But when we start talking about organic chocolate or organic cake what are we in fact getting? And is it good for you?
It is up to you to make an informed choice as to what you put in your body, don’t believe what a colourfull sticker or label says and take it as the truth. do your own research or send me a message and I will give you the truth.
