How Marketing Confuses the Meaning of "Healthy"

Many popular products like NutriGrain bars, FiberOne brownies, Nature's Valley granola are all presented as "healthy" alternatives to candy bars. I mean, "NutriGrain" contains the root words "nutritious" and "grain," so they must be good for you, right?

I don't recommend drinking these to substitute the vitamins in food...

Unfortunately, advertisers love to trick us into thinking our food choices are healthy. The phrases "all natural," "full of whole grains,"  or "low calorie" are slapped on the packaging and touted in commercials.  There are absolutely no necessary criteria for a company to boast "all natural" on its products. "All natural" does not mean organic, nor does it mean unprocessed. This is one phrase that tricks many consumers. Some people are more likely to buy a product they deem to have nutritional value, so they are drawn to these brands.

If you take one look at the ingredient label, however, you may be surprised by what you read. For example, take a look at the ingredients in a Nutrigrain bar:

"WHOLE GRAIN OATS, ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, VITAMIN B1 [THIAMIN MONONITRATE], VITAMIN B2 [RIBOFLAVIN], FOLIC ACID), WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, SOYBEAN AND/OR CANOLA OIL, SOLUBLE CORN FIBER, SUGAR, DEXTROSE, FRUCTOSE, CALCIUM CARBONATE, WHEY, WHEAT BRAN, SALT, CELLULOSE, POTASSIUM BICARBONATE, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, SOY LECITHIN, WHEAT GLUTEN, NIACINAMIDE, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, CARRAGEENAN, ZINC OXIDE, REDUCED IRON, GUAR GUM, VITAMIN B6 (PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE), VITAMIN B1 (THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE), VITAMIN B2 (RIBOFLAVIN), FILLING: INVERT SUGAR, CORN SYRUP, STRAWBERRY PUREE CONCENTRATE, GLYCERIN, SUGAR, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, SODIUM ALGINATE, CITRIC ACID, DICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, METHYLCELLULOSE, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, CARAMEL COLOR, MALIC ACID, RED 40."

Wow! That's quite the laundry list of ingredients. I'm willing to bet you didn't even read through all of them. As you can see, these bars contain a ton of artificial flavoring, coloring and thickeners. Yes, there are whole grain oats on the list, but the oats are practically drowning in a sea of other predatory ingredients.

Each bar has about 11 grams of refined sugar. These are certainly not the best choice for someone who is looking to have a quick and healthy snack.

Now, I have four rules of thumb for eating well:

1. Eat foods with as few ingredients as possible
2. Eat foods with ingredients you can easily recognize and pronounce.
3. Eat foods that are minimally processed
4. Eat foods with a short shelf life

It's pretty safe to say that NutriGrain bars do not adhere to any of the four aforementioned rules.

In my opinion, it is best to stick to grocery shopping in the perimeters of the store (where you will find fruits, vegetables, nuts, meat, eggs, and other perishable items). You're better off avoiding the items that come in prepackaged containers.

Does this mean you can't enjoy these items in moderation? I've said it before, and I will say it again: absolutely not! I always allow myself to enjoy snacks every so often.

The purpose of this post is simply to illuminate the ways in which food suppliers will try to trick you into thinking that processed garbage is actually good for you. The majority of the food you eat should be nutrient-dense foods that will supply your body with the micronutrients and macronutrients it needs each day. Eat organic food when you can, and, if you eat meat, grass fed is always the better alternative. Avoiding processed foods will keep you feeling alert and energized throughout the day.

Don't allow advertisers to fool you.

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Ending the 1,200 Calorie Myth

As the summer approaches, everyone seems to have one goal in mind: to lose weight and look great in a bikini. So how do you accomplish those goals? I'm willing to bet money that you said something along the lines of "diet and exercise." Well, you aren't totally wrong, but there's one myth of weight loss that I'm looking to dispel, and that is the idea that we need to drastically reduce our caloric intake to lose weight. Many diet products and "nutritionists" have contributed to this idea that we need to starve ourselves to get the bodies we want.

First of all, let me start off by saying how much I loathe the word "diet" in and of itself. The word diet is supposed to refer to our eating habits--it should not mean "depriving yourself of energy (calories)." I do not diet, and I never will. Rather, I attempt to eat clean, whole foods. I do not count my calories, and as a result, I never feel starved or undernourished.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let me explain a bit more. If you're looking for sustainable, healthy weight loss, extreme caloric restriction is not the answer! Just answer this for me: how do you feel when you're on a diet? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm gonna guess you said that you feel weak, hungry, or both. Here's the trap that so many girls (even myself) have fallen into: eating a small breakfast, maybe a banana or an egg, a salad for lunch and maybe another salad for dinner. While all of those foods are healthy, you're not eating nearly enough! Especially if you're exercising. 1,200 calories is enough food for a 10-year-old, at best. As a fully grown adult (or even a teenager), you should be eating way more than that. Now, I can't answer just how many calories you should be eating, because that all depends on your height, weight, gender and activity level. I can tell you, however, that it should definitively be more than 1,200.

"Food is an important part of a healthy diet." -Fran Lebowitz

Why isn't extreme calorie cutting helpful? You may see results in the short term, but I can promise you that neither your mind or your body will be able to sustain that for a long period of time. We need a certain number of calories just to maintain basic bodily functions (brain function, respiration, etc.), so if you're not feeding your body enough, you are sending your body into a panic. For women, restriction of calories can result in amenorrhea (loss of menstrual cycle), which, if sustained for long periods of time, can lead to osteoporosis. Additionally, if your body is desperate enough for fuel, it will start using muscle tissue for energy, and we certainly don't want that! Yes, you will lose fat, but you will also lose muscle along with it!

My best recommendation is, as always, to eat intuitively. Do not deprive yourself of the nutrients your body so desperately needs. If you feel hungry, eat food. If you're not hungry, don't eat! Make sure that the foods you are eating are nutrient dense so that you can get your daily recommended value of iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, etc. Step away from the packaged, processed crap on the grocery store shelves and head to your local farmer's market. This is something I will repeat constantly because I truly believe it: if you eat well, you will not feel hungry or deprived. You will be able to free yourself from counting calories and stressing over what to eat.

When I first started my fitness journey, I fell into the trap of trying to drastically reduce my intake. I went to the gym, walked to and from class, ate "well" (what I thought was "well" at the time), and I never noticed any change. My body wasn't getting the fuel it needed to sustain my activity level. My best recommendation is to play around with your diet and see what works best for you. Find out how much food you need to feel energized and satiated.

Remember that all calories are not created equal! Just because something is "low calorie" does not mean it is healthy! 100 calories of carrots and 100 calories of chocolate chip cookies are not the same. When you're planning your weight loss goals, make sure they are sustainable in the long term so that you can succeed and maintain your sanity at the same time.

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What "Food" Means to Me

Over the years, my definition of what is "food" and what is not has changed significantly. I grew up as a very picky eater, subsisting on a diet of Ellios pizza, chicken fingers and Oreos. I think it goes without saying that these foods are no longer a part of my daily intake.

Arguably one of my favorite classes in college was "Anthropology of Food." I took it, initially, as a general education requirement, but found myself incredibly engaged during the lectures and enjoying the readings. The class vastly changed the way I thought about food. Instead of thinking about what was "healthy" or "unhealthy," I began to think about why we eat certain things. For example, why did we create "recipes" and "meals?", and, "What were my ancestors eating?" Recipes were, more than likely, designed to help us fulfill our daily micro and macro nutrient needs. (Side note: micronutrients are the vitamins and minerals like iron and Vitamin C, and the macronutrients are protein, carbohydrates and fats.) Think about a meal like meat and potatoes--we have all three of those macronutrients included onto one happy plate. Recipes evolved based on readily available ingredients and needs for certain micro or macronutrients.

Photo courtesy of Natalie Dee

Since the onset of agriculture, the way we produced and consumed food has changed. We no longer had to travel great distances for food, or hunt for it ourselves. Instead, we could grow food right in our own backyards. Humans became more stagnant and more sedentary. Fast forward a few thousand years to the industrial revolution when the need and want to produce increased significantly. Because the population was booming, we had more mouths to feed, so we needed to come up with cheaper and more efficient ways to do so. Corn was one of the cheapest, most readily available ingredients, so naturally it found its way into everything. Take a second to look at any product in your pantry. Chances are, it has corn oil, corn syrup (high fructose or otherwise), corn flour, or dextrose (which often comes from corn or other grains). Not to mention, farmers often feed corn to their animals, so there's probably even corn in the meat you're eating. 

Corn is just one of many additives that food manufacturers now pump into the products we eat. Artificial flavorings, colorings, sweeteners, MSG, nitrites, thickeners, and so on, make up the bulk of the Standard American Diet. But I digress. I could go on about this, but I'll leave you to research those things on your own.

The food that the typical American eats is not only extremely processed, but it is also devoid of all nutritional content. So what do we do? We take vitamins and supplements for everything instead of getting those vitamins from the foods we eat.

Just because I can consume it, does not mean it is food. I have come to consider "food" to be nutritionally dense food that comes from the earth. I like to eat plants, animals and nuts, minimal grains and legumes, and no dairy. Why? Because all of those foods provide my body with the fuel it needs for my workouts and daily life. I do not count calories or measure my macros because there's no need. I try to eat products from the perimeters of the grocery store, food that has a shelf life. If I can see all of the ingredients in what I'm eating, that's even better. I can read and pronounce everything on the label--that, to me, is "food."

Do I snack from time to time? Of course. Sometimes it's nice to indulge, and everything is fine in moderation! To be honest, though, I feel better physically when I eat better. My body thrives off of whole foods. When I eat junk, I usually don't feel well or perform well the next day. If you fuel your body properly, you will be amazed by the outcome. To me, this is far beyond "weight loss." Rather, this is about feeling great and thriving. We weren't eating Hostess cakes 100 years ago, so why are we eating them now?

As tacky as it may sound, I really do believe that we are what we eat. I don't know about you, but I would much rather be a steak than a jelly donut. Now before I get carried away and go on (even more of) a rant, I will cut myself off and save the rest for my next article...

Sources:

1. Dir. Robert Kenner, Elise Pearlstein, and Kim Roberts. N.d.
2. Allen, John S. The Omnivorous Mind: Our Evolving Relationship with Food. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 2012. Print.
3. Anderson, E. N. Everyone Eats: Understanding Food and Culture. New York: New York UP, 2005. Print.

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