I don't use the word "healthy" anymore to describe foods. It's so over used, has no standard definition and big food and poor science tosses the "healthy' label onto everything and anything to sell, sell. Snack bars filled with processed ingredients. (be sure to check out the name of the boat...;) )
Even places like health care institutions, weight loss brands using the word "healthy" on canola, rapeseed oil. Out of date, high inflammatory oils, in my opinion.
"Healthy Low-Fat" but lets turn our eyes away from the chemical storm 20 other ingredients. Whaaat??!! Science out dated much? How about real, whole, fresh food rather than processed food product.
Even a very popular brand of coconut milk in the Paleo Space has organic guar gum. Organic Guar gum triggers me to binge eat. Is that "healthy". No, not for me. but maybe guar gum is okay for the masses. Good for them. Not so much for me.
Healthy will depend on the individual molecular genetic make up of the person, your age, your susceptibility to processed chemicals.
I hope all of you reading this are not still using the word "healthy" on package to determine your food choices. I'll bet most of my readers are way smarter than that, but have a look around on your foods. Do they really decrease your harmful biomarkers and increase the lower risk gene expression?
Thanks for the inspiration from my bloggy friend, Marion over at Affection for Fitness and her Health Halo recent post.
What's working now:
1. Eating real, whole foods that are not packaged
2. Eating low inflammatory foods (for me)
3. Observing how my body feels after eating a food
4. Reading more up-to-date information that what is published by big food/poor science
What did not work in the past:
1. Eating frozen diet dinners, bars and other things with the "Healthy" label- they weren't
2. Eating oatmeal, grains, and muffins because they were "Heart Healthy". A high hs-CRP made me sick, by the way. Kicking these foods to the curb was the healthiest thing I could ever do.
3. Feeling so sick all the time, I had no idea that massive amounts of bloating, gas, pain and puffiness was really a sign I needed to stop eating those food products. I never had a day off for many years to feel well.
4. Not reading enough current information to make good decisions about my health and body.
I'll bet that in the past my readers have been drawn into the "healthy" food "brand". Cereal, Cereal bars, baked chips, low fat , Canola Oil, and muffins, were all my smug health halo foods. What where yours? Here's to eating real food!
Gooood morning!!!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE that yo don't use the word healthy. It IS so over used and these days, it totally depends who you are talking to what it really means!!
While I still use it to simplify posts--I cringe and wish there was a better way to say it. I especially don't like the word "unhealthy."
I think you are awesome!!
Kirtley, I agree- what is "healthy" or "unhealthy" can be so different to different people or companies. No standard definition. I think what got me were the "healthy" food labels on junk food... just couldn't say that was healthy for me. :) Thanks for stopping by the blog.
DeleteI know what *I* mean when I say healthy-- I also know it is NO where close to what food manufacturers mean by it hahaha... Educating myself about how they market food was an important lesson!
ReplyDeleteJeanette, so much to learn in the "health" washing and marketing tactics. Should be a required 1 hour course for weight maintenance - IMO.. :)
Delete:-) yes, "healthy, according to WHO?" is always my first reaction when i hear somebody say a food is ... you know....
ReplyDeleteTess,... LOL... yes.. according to who.. Love it.
DeleteMuch like my post last week or so about 'clean eating.' I totally agree.
ReplyDeleteDitto! One person's clean is another persons high carb. There is no set standard... :)
Delete"Eating real, whole foods that are not packaged" ....makes good sense to me
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
Jan, less processed = better outcomes.. Very good sense!
DeleteYep...I even hate using the word "Paleo" these days. I had to explain myself to a trainer at the gym that I just use it because people seem to understand it more than "Real Clean Unprocessed Food, using the best sources of meat and vegetables as possible...", which is better describes how my husband and I are striving to eat.
ReplyDeleteLynn, I'm telling you people so get so,SO upset over the word 'Paleo'. I've learned to make a quick evaluation of how foaming at the mouth they will be come and use my words wisely when speaking. This seems to lend itself to folks keeping an open mind about not eating grains. Sometimes I'll use the word Paleo and it will be okay. Sometimes I use the words "low inflammatory" and it will be okay. Sometimes I use the words "Meat and veg" and it will be okay. Sometimes I use the words "Real whole foods, unprocessed" and it will be okay... I like your "Real, Clean, Unprocessed, Foods". I try to pick the phase that will keep the person in the listening/learning/question asking mode the best. LOL. On the flip side- I totally get how vegan or vegetarian works for some people (not for me) and I'm all for that for them (not for me). Oh, and I do have to bite my tongue when people bring up "quinoa, the China Study, and fruititarins "...LOL!
Delete