Reprinted from Fitness Connection Nation

We live in an incredible time.  More research has been done on diet and nutrition and more is known about diet and nutrition than ever before in human history.  Why is it then that most people don’t have a clue what is healthy to eat and what is not?Here’s the answer – It’s because most people believe that when a company tells us that a certain food is healthy to eat, they believe it without question.

Most people today live under the delusion that the food industry has their best interest at heart.  The food industry is not your friend.  They are not your buddy.  Their only reason for existence is to make a profit.  And if it’s at the expense of your health, so be it.

Don’t believe me?  Take a look at any food label and tell yourself you know exactly what the ingredients are.  Most processed food is full of ingredients that no one has a clue as to what they are, or even how to pronounce them.

I am going to list several products that the food companies have spent billions of dollars telling us they are healthy.  These products are not only not healthy, they are anything but safe.

If they are not safe, why does the Food and Drug Administration allow them to be on the market?  Because the Food and Drug Administration is not your friend and is not out for your best interest.  They are a bureaucratic institution that is more interested in their own existence than they are your health.

Don’t believe me?  Think Peanut Butter in all the junk food.  The food and Drug Administration has known about the problems with the company that distributed the tainted peanut butter for several years but did nothing about it.  In the words of one senator to a high ranking FDA official “You are the meaning of ineptitude”.  That official has recently stepped down to pursue her carrier in the private sector.

Still not convinced?  Think the latest findings on Mercury in High Fructose Corn Syrup.  Again, the FDA has known for years that Mercury is used in the production of High Fructose Corn Syrup.  And they have done nothing to stop it.

Enough about how our government can’t find it’s way out of a paper bag.  Let’s talk specifics.  Here are some of the products (notice I don’t call them foods) that the food industry spends billions on to convince us that we are actually eating healthy:

1:  Yoplait yogurt – contains High Fructose Corn Syrup.  I know, you love your Yoplait yogurt.  How can you not love it.  It says right on the product that it’s healthy.  HFCS is a major contributor to obesity and mercury is not something I would ever suggest in a healthy diet.

2:  Soy Milk – I bet you are hating me now.   There’s NOTHING even remotely healthy about soy milk, despite the billions of dollars of marketing they have behind it to try to scam you into thinking processed soy is a health food.

Beyond the possible thyroid problems that soy can create for many people, soy has many anti-nutrients such as phytates, lectins, oxalates, and protease inhibitors that can be detrimental if over consumed.

Soy can also contain high levels of certain heavy metals, is one of the most allergenic foods on earth, has one of the highest levels of pesticide residues of any food, and also can create a hormonal mess if over consumed in the bodies of both men and women due to excess estrogenic compounds.

Want more belly fat? Well, go ahead and drink daily soy milk and I can bet you’ll gain lots more belly fat!

3:  Any food that claims to have no trans fats but list partially hydrogenated oil as an ingredient.  Guess what, partially hydrogenated oil is a trans fat.

How do the food companies get away with this?  Because of total ineptitude in the FDA and indifference in the general public as to what is being consumed.

4:  Breakfast cereals that are loaded with sugars. I’m amazed everyday not that cereal companies advertise their junk foods and good for you, but that people actually believe it.

5:  Diet sodas. Research has shown that people who drink diet sodas are generally more overweight than those who drink regular sodas.  Don’t believe me?  Look at all the people you know who drink diet sodas.  Are they in shape?  Or, are they overweight?

Research on why people who drink diet sodas tend to be more overweight than those who drink regular sodas suggest that when we drink a diet soda it triggers a desire to eat more simple carbs.  Your body refuses to be fooled into thinking you are giving it something that has any nutritional value.

People who drink diet sodas tend to eat a higher amount of simple carbs which elevates blood sugars and causes fat to be stored.

Okay, so what can you eat?  My suggestion is to eat lots of whole foods.  Lots of fresh or frozen vegetables and fruits.  Grass fed beef is great.  Cage free eggs are also a good alternative to regular eggs.

If you can afford to go organic, do it.  If not try to incorporate some organic foods into your diet when you can.

Here are a couple of ways that I use to determine if a food is good for me.

If it was something a caveman would eat, it’s probably healthy.

If my grandmother could not recognize the ingredients of a food product, it probably is not healthy.

If a food company is spending millions of dollars to tell me that their product is healthy, it probably is not.

If a food is healthy then I should not have to be convinced of that.

If you want to eat and be healthy you have to be your own FDA.  You cannot allow the ineptitude on people that are only out for profit to destroy your health.

Reprinted from Fitness Connection Nation
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