Just because it says “health” or “diet” in the name doesn’t mean that it is actually good for you, or is going to help you lose weight. Some “health” or “diet” foods can actually make you gain weight, and here’s a list of the top offenders.
#1. Cereals
Most breakfast cereals have been processed to within an inch of their lives, and contain more refined sugars than your body can handle. Starting your day with that much sugar sets your body on a blood sugar rollercoaster that will, inevitably, crash later in the day, and over time you might notice your body getting a bit bigger.
#2. Avocado
Nutritionists love to call avocado a “superfood”. For one thing, there’s no such thing. For another, avocado may well be good for you but it will still make you fat if you eat too much. It contains way more fat (healthy fat, yes, but still fat) than people think, so eating too much of it is going to make you start putting on an inch or two.
#3. Agave Nectar
We’re all so used to the idea that sugar is bad that we turn to all sorts of alternatives. One of those alternative sweeteners is agave nectar, extracted from the agave plant (which is, incidentally, often used to make tequila. Food for thought). The nectar contains almost twice as much fructose as sugar, which wrecks your blood sugar levels and can cause insulin resistance or an elevated level thereof. In other words, steer clear if you want your cholesterol and metabolism to stay healthy-ish.
#4. Protein bars
Favoured by body-builders and exercise buffs, these protein bars contain, you guessed it, protein. So they must be healthy. Right?
Well, protein is healthy. What isn’t healthy is all the other crap in these things: fats, sugars, and a megaton of calories. So if you can’t go without the convenience of the suckers, pick one out that has reduced fat, sugar and calories, or else.
#5. Trail mix
A mixture of nuts, oats and dried fruit, trail mix has to be good for you, right? Well, not if it’s got added honey, chocolate, sugar, and Lord knows what else. And just think of how much of the stuff you eat in one go; you can’t just stop at a handful. Nuts are full of healthy fats, just like avocado, so if you just keep throwing them into your mouth, it isn’t good.
#6. Gluten-free foods
Ah, yes, gluten free. The latest health craze. Well, bad news, middle-aged white women of the world, it isn’t healthy just because it doesn’t contain gluten. Often, the ingredients will contain more calories than their gluten-filled counterparts, so, unless you cannot have gluten or your will die, leave the gluten-free food alone. You’re giving it a bad name.