Sugar by Any Other Name - Still Makes You FAT!

I have a girlfriend at work who I go to when I want something deliciously bad for me - but last week she directed me to a box of granola bars - lured by the words granola, fibre and omega 3 she was offering what she though was a healthy snack.


After careful inspection of the ingredients I threw the bars back in ungrateful disgust.  My flippant response to what I was hopeful would be an enjoyable yet 'good for me' snack left me with an all too familiar feeling of disappointment.


Let's face it, misleading packaging has been letting us down since we were kids.  The great big Christmas present that's actually a tiny small gift your parents wrapped in multiple layers; The chocolate Easter bunny that's unfulfillingly hollow when you bite into the ears; The girl in high-school who totally stuffed her bra; The guy who takes off his wedding ring before he asks you for your number.


Today, what you think you are being sold is very rarely what you are actually taking home - and this couldn't be more true when it comes to food.  With words like Fibre and Omega 3 plastered across the front of the box, it's easy to see how one would think they were making the right choice. But take the time to read the ingredients list (far more useful than examining the calorie and fat count) and you'll see you've been duped. 


You know your healthy low fat cooking spray you use thinking you're making the right choice - look at the ingredients - it contains propane and/or butane.  Throw it away. 


Sugar and Sodium are no brainers - but they're smart, they disguise themselves, use other names - tell you they're not like all the others... oh but they are!  So to help, here are the top 5 (and by top I mean I did some research at my local grocery store one afternoon) unhealthy ingredients hidden in your supposedly healthy snack options:


~Sugar aka Sucrose - commonly hidden as Dextrose, Glucose or Fructose: 
So we all know to stay away from Sugar, but it's very easy for the others to slip by. There's a whole book load of chemical jargon that explains the subtle differences between these various forms of carbs (basically dextrose, glucose and fructose are easier for our bodies to process - unless combined), and as thrilled as I am to be learning it all (no, really, I totally am) I won't bore you all with it here. 


~ High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS):
Besides from the many environmental and moral reasons to stay away from most corn products - HFCS is said to be far more addictive and increase obesity more than any of the above mentioned sugars.

~ Hydrogenated Oils aka Trans Fats:

These are the worst fats for our bodies.  Here's the most basic way to explain this: both saturated and non-saturated fats are classified as ESSENTIAL fatty acids - it is essential to our health that we consume both of them at some level.  Trans fats are not essential, and are proven to increase cholesterol levels, heart disease and diabetes. Look at most "low-fat" options (margarine is a big one) and they will contain something Hydrogenated - sometimes "low-fat" is not the healthy option. 

~ Soy Lecithin (or Soy anything for that matter):
There are new and very real concerns about the high levels of estrogen in soy products.  High levels of estrogen are linked to tumor growth, and especially breast cancer.  Lecithin is found in the cells of all living organisms, but soy lecithin is literally taken from the waste of soybean processing. Soy Lecithin is found in most processed foods, and I don't think I've come across many things that sound less like something I want to put in my body.


~ All Natural:
The slogan 'All Natural' on your food, is exactly that: just a slogan.  There is no legal definition - aka no regulation on the use of this term - it just has to have been extracted from a plant or animal product - so deep fried fast-food french fries could legally be called 'All Natural'. 

So do your research, don't be fooled by appearances - I know it can be hard when that chiseled jaw... I mean 'All Natural' labeling is staring you in the face, but dig a little deeper, take a little time - get to know your ingredients and then make your educated choice. 


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