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t’s easy to feel overwhelmed with the vast amount of conflicting information.
What’s good for us? What’s not? Here are some top three foods that you may think they are healthy, but are not!
Sugar-Free Food
Are you finding yourself buying food with the labeling indicating “sugar-free”? You are not alone. A lot of people think eating sugar-free food is healthy. I’m here to tell you the opposite. Often times, the term "sugar-free" is used to describe foods that don't contain white sugar but are still filled with other sugars derived from fruits and milk, which contribute sweetness and calories just like table sugar. Manufacturers sometimes use sugar alcohols instead of actual sugar. The problem is, the body processes sugar alcohols differently than actual sugar. Part of the digestion process happens when chemicals released in the stomach tell your brain it’s satisfied. When your brain thinks it’s consuming sugar, the craving for sweetness continues until it’s had sugar—but sugar alcohol is not sugar. Some studies have even showed that people who consume several diet drinks in a day actually ended up consuming more calories than those who didn’t. The bottom line: If you’re craving something sweet, skip “sugar-free” options and eat what you’re really craving in moderation. (It’s even better if it’s naturally-occurring, like fruit).
Fruit Juice
Do you normally have a fruit juice (even freshly squeezed) every morning and think I’m starting my day with a healthy eating habit? Perhaps the only thing worse than eating a hidden dose of sugar first thing in the morning is drinking it. Most fruit juice contain added sugar. Even if your juice is 100% pure and freshly made every morning, your body processes natural sugar and added sugar similarly. And because fiber has been stripped from the equation, the sugar surges into your bloodstream immediately, putting stress on your liver and pancreas. Sure, fruit juice contains a good number of vitamins—but so does the fruit, which is definitely a better choice. The better option to not to use a juicer, but a blender. One of the YouTube videos I recommend is “Sugar, the Bitter Truth” .
Salads (Sometimes)
You would think there is nothing that can go wrong with a meal with salads. Salads have become a staple in many healthy diet meal plans. You’ll also find salads featured on almost every fast food and restaurant menu in existence. It’s easy to assume we’re making a healthier choice when the foundation of this meal is comprised of vegetables. Take the crispy tender chicken salad for example. It begins with a bed of romaine, but then they pile fried chicken (among other ingredients) on top in addition to a Texas-sized portion of ranch dressing. So what did you just eat? The healthy choice of salads will be to opt for dark, leafy greens (more nutritional value), vinaigrettes (on the side), lean proteins (e.g. egg, black beans, chicken), healthy fats (e.g. olives, avocado), and don’t be afraid to pile on a variety of vegetables.
Nutrition is a very important element of the complete Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) system. It is one of both healing and disease prevention. The mind-boggling numbers of different diet fads nowadays and controversial dietary regimes add even more confusion to modern day eating habits. As a result, we see deterioration in the quality of people’s lives in the form of obesity, depression, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, etc. TCM system has been practiced and proven to be effective for over 3,000 years. TCM nutrition uniquely differs from modern Western nutrition in that it determines the therapeutic properties of foods instead of analyzing the chemical constituents of them. The advantage of this approach lies in its ability to customize to every individual’s needs. Furthermore, TCM nutrition takes into consideration such factors as method of preparation, body type, season, and one’s geographical location in determining the appropriate diet.
Contact us today for a nutritional consultation and begin your healing journey with your next meal.