This post has been contributed by Mathews McGarry. Trends, even those regarding nutrition, are constantly changing. What you think is healthy today, may be invalidated tomorrow. Surprisingly, you may find yourself reading about universally accepted nutrition facts, which have turned out to be untrue. In this article, you will learn about certain items in your refrigerator or storage room that aren’t necessarily healthy for you, even though you have been told they absolutely are. Gluten-Free Diet Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, whole grain foods, and oats. When people that suffer from celiac disease consume this protein, it attacks and damages their small intestine. When left untreated, the side effects of this disease can cause anemia, bone pain, diarrhea, and skin rash. Gluten is also unhealthy for those that simply don’t feel well when consuming foods rich in gluten, even though they do not suffer from a specific disease. Gluten doesn’t offer any exceptional nutritional benefits, but the risk of going completely gluten-free (or canceling out any foods that you are accustomed to eating) may cause other nutrient deficiencies. Other important nutrients, such as magnesium, fiber, calcium, iron, and zinc, are also low in gluten–free products. On the other hand, many foods being marketed as “healthy and gluten-free” contain high amounts of cholesterol and saturated fats. They are also more expensive – 242% more on average. Keeping up with a gluten-free lifestyle means consuming fish, lean meat, low-fat dairy products, fruits, vegetables, and gluten-free grains. Paleo Diet The paleo (short for Paleolithic) diet, also known as the Stone Age or Caveman diet, consists of foods that were consumed by the Paleolithic people 10,000 years ago. It means you can eat whatever you can hunt or find in nature – fruits, vegetables, fish, and lean meat. Also, eggs, olives and coconut oil, nuts and seeds are allowed. However, humans have expanded their diet during the course of time and adapted to it. This means that the paleo diet can be limiting; for we should also consume other foods to incorporate all necessary nutrients that Paleolithic people didn’t have back then - whole grains, legumes, and reduced-fat dairy products. An important factor, regarding any healthy diet, is to avoid starvation or creating a nutrient deficit. Whatever you consume, make sure to spend it also. Make sure you exercise daily, rely on your natural fat burners, and enjoy protein rich products, like EHP Labs Oxyshred for example, which has been an energy-saver for me, in order to add some extra energy to your day. Milk We have always been told that milk and dairy products are good for us. Today, some nutrition experts say that is not an essential part of a healthy diet; it may even increase the risk of ovarian and prostate cancer. Truthfully, milk is good for your bones and it is rich in calcium and potassium; which serves as a counterbalance to sodium and helps in maintaining a healthy blood pressure level. Walter Willett, who has a dual doctoral degree in medicine and philosophy, is the head of the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health, and is also the professor of epidemiology, says that milk is a recent evolutionarily addition to the human diet and that we don’t have a nutritional requirement for it. He also states that we shouldn’t avoid consuming 1-2 cups of milk a day, or give up on it completely, but that it is not essential for our health. No final answers regarding this topic were reached, and dairy products surely cannot be labeled as toxic. Coffee You don’t have to fear coffee. Some common myths are that coffee makes you feel stressed and unable to sleep. It is also said that it can be addictive, causes cancer, and contains no health benefits. Drinking 2-3 cups a day won’t harm you, as coffee is high in antioxidants. The absorbed caffeine is flushed from the body in 4-5 hours after the intake, so it shouldn’t affect your sleep. Coffee drinkers are less likely to have dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and there are less stroke suffers among them. But, it does block the production of adenosine, a natural stress reliever, making us feel more stressed. Junk Food The junk food industry affects us with aggressive marketing on a daily basis. Even though some from the chain restaurant industry claim that their food is healthy, the results of consuming these fast-foods can be scary. Additives from this type of food will trick your brain into eating more than you need, leading into over-consumption and even into addiction. They are low in healthy nutrients like fiber and protein, but are high in cholesterol, sugar, and numerous artificial ingredients. There is a a study published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology that has some interesting facts. According to this study, 48% of analyzed fountain soda drinks contained fecal bacteria and Escherichia Coli was found in 11% of the drinks. Motivate yourself to avoid unhealthy food. Think about all the reasons why it will be good for you and slowly start moving towards a healthier diet. Not all ubiquitous beliefs are true. Think about the types of food you consume daily and question yourself – is it really that healthy as they say? Do your research and see what changes you can make to your diet; the aim is to achieve balance. Even though a certain food may seem healthy, it can actually disturb the balance of your body.
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