Popular "Health Foods"

These following 7 foods are thought to be "healthy" but in truth are not:


1. Breakfast Cereals - Cereals are labeled healthy & nutritive and recommended for weight loss. Read the labels: cereals are often high in sugar and salt their vitamin/mineral content is chemical based.

2. Granola Bars - Granola bars consist of healthy oats & nuts. But they’re glued together with blood sugar raising ingredients like corn syrup. Some bars even contain chocolate chips, making them as bad as candy bars.

3. Yogurt with Fruit at The Bottom - Fat free doesn’t mean healthy. Labels tell you they contain added sugars, corn syrup or artificial sweeteners. Same with fat free frozen yogurts which can contain 20 grams sugar per 1/2 cup.

4. Bread - Convenient and tastes good, but not as healthy as you think. Whole grain or whole wheat means nothing. Dark bread can just contain food coloring and contain corn syrup.

5. Fruit Juice - Even 100% fruit juice has added sugars, usually fructose. Cans of fruit juice contain up to 38g sugar per 8oz. Excess fructose causes obesity, bad cholesterol, poor appetite control, etc.

6. Sport Drinks - Supposed to help you replenish electrolytes, carbs, etc. But it’s actually sugar water, with up to 30g sugar/serving.

7. Frozen Meals - Nothing is wrong with frozen veggies/fruits. But a lot is wrong with frozen meals often labeled “light” or “healthy”. They’re processed, high in sugar, and come with sauces & soda

Nutrition Tip #1

Eat Pasta... Carefully

by Dr. John Berardi

As a God-fearing Italian, I have to admit that I love pasta. But, as a gut-fearing weight lifter and athlete, I definitely have to choose the lower GI, nutrient dense whole-wheat variety. During training phases that require or allow for higher carbohydrate intake (higher volume training) I'll eat one whole-wheat pasta meal per day. During other phases (like where I'm trying to lose fat), the pasta stays on the shelf in favor of a higher lean protein, good fat, and fruit and veggie intake.

A couple links worth checking out:

Precision Nutrition Strategies

Gourmet Nutrition Desserts