8 Foods People Think Are Healthy (But Aren't)

Between the mainstream media, the Food Pyramid, the gazillions of health blogs out there, and the premise that you can just walk into an organic store and anything you pull off the shelves will be healthy, it’s not hard to see why so many of us are confused as to what is actually healthy and what isn’t.

This is one I myself fell for. So many vegans and raw foodists rave about agave that I didn’t really stop and think it could be too good to be true. Agave is a super sweet liquid that is often touted as the “healthy” or “low GI” alternative to sugar. According to Dr Joseph Mercola, it’s hardly any better than high fructose corn syrup. It’s highly processed, and super high in fructose.

What should we eat instead?

Soy milk and tofu are often considered healthy alternatives to meat and dairy. I’m not advocating meat or dairy, but in my opinion, soy is just as bad, if not worse. Organic fermented soy products are okay in small amounts, but the majority of the western world is under the idea that processed products like soy milk and tofu (which are also generally genetically modified) are good for us. Hundreds of epidemiological, clinical and laboratory studies link soy to: malnutrition, digestive distress, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders, fertility challenges, birth defects, immune system breakdown, heart disease and cancer. Don’t believe me? Read The Whole Soy Story by Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD.

What should we eat instead?

Fish falls into two main categories: farmed and wild. Farmed fish are raised in much the same environment as factory farmed animals. They are crammed into confined spaces and forced to survive in atrocious conditions. The enormous amount of feces in their enclosures leads to rampant outbreaks of parasites and disease. In order to keep the fish alive in such unhealthy conditions, large quantities of antibiotics and other chemicals are poured into the water. Farmed fish are fed a tasty diet of junk grains, soy meal, corn gluten meal, chemicals and neurotoxins. Everything the fish endures, is consumed by you when you eat it!

Wild caught fish is a little better, but still not great. Most of it is full of mercury (with the exception of the odd sardine), which is the second most toxic element on Earth next to radiation. 

What should we eat instead? 

I have one word for you: sugar. That's all fruit juice is to your body. Because the fruit has been stripped of its fiber, it's converted straight into sugar as soon as it hits your mouth, and sends your blood sugar levels all woo-hoo. Of course the bottles of fruit juice you buy at the store are rubbish. Most people know that. But fruit juice you make yourself is also not that great because of the whole sugar thing.

What should we drink instead? 

It’s criminal that Subway is allowed to be marketed as a healthy option when it comes to food choices. The meat is processed, the sauces are full of sugar and other preservatives, and they sell junk food cookies and soft drinks as add-ons. There’s nothing healthy about Subway. Don’t believe me? Click here to see a list of what is actually in Subway’s food.

What should we eat instead? 

When used at room temperature, olive oil is healthy. As soon as you introduce high heat, it becomes rancid and turns into a carcinogen (aka, cancer promoter). It pains me to see top TV chefs splashing their pans with olive oil. Coconut oil is the best oil to cook with as it’s extremely stable against heat. 

What should we use instead?

Another favorite in the health community, Bragg’s is splashed through many dishes and loved for its salty flavor. However, Bragg’s is an unfermented soy product. Soy, as we covered above, is not a health food.

What should we use instead?

The argument in favor of dairy is usually around the idea that it is a good source of calcium. I’m here to tell you that it isn’t. Because dairy is an animal protein, it has an acidic affect on your body. To balance out the pH, your body turns to its own alkaline mineral reserves and leeches calcium from your bones. So therefore, dairy actually takes calcium from your body rather than introduces it. Shocking, I know. Then there’s the fact that pasteurized dairy is full of antibiotics, comes from a cow that is usually less than healthy, and is full of pus cells. Yep, pus. According to research by the USDA, the average content of pus in milk is 316 million pus cells! If you want to learn more about the detriments of dairy, click here or pick up a copy of The China Study by T. Colin Campbell.

What should we have instead?