10 Foods That People Think Are Healthy But Are Actually Loaded With Sugar

You flick on the TV only to be bombarded with a barrage of advertisements for so-called “healthy” choices. Chief among them are these foods which may be promoted as healthy but in reality, are loaded with sugar or raise your blood sugar just as much as sugar.  They keep you stuck in the throes of sugar addiction and blood sugar imbalances. If you’re ready to kick sugar to the curb then start ditching these toxic health foods.   

Fruit juice  

Juice is terrible because it contains no fibre so even if it’s 100% juice with no added sugar, the reality is that fruit sugar is still sugar. It still causes your blood sugar to spike dramatically and it’s just as addicting and bad for you as pop or kool-aid.  

 Dried Fruit 

Dried fruit may be okay in moderation, or when eaten with some nuts and seeds for protein. If you know you have diabetes, are insulin resistant or just struggling with energy or extra belly fat, then it's best to stay away from dried fruit altogether. If you find yourself popping a date in your mouth every time you get a sugar craving and thinking it’s healthy, think again. Dried fruit is like nature’s candy.  

 Pasta Sauce 

Store-bought pasta sauce has a ridiculous amount of added sugar. Prego traditional spaghetti sauce has 40g of added sugar! Always read your labels, or better yet, make your own tomato sauce so you know EXACTLY what’s in there.  

 Bread

Ah bread! People like to pretend that they’ve cut sugar yet they’re still eating bread. Bread turns into sugar in the body. Add to that the inflammatory effects of gluten and bread becomes a ticking time bomb for illness to ensue.  

 Noodles  

Both pasta, rice noodles & other gluten free noodes are pure refined carbohydrates, which like bread, turn into sugar once they break down in your body. They may be fun to slurp, but you can make noodles from vegetables, use kelp noodles or shirataki noodles that are just as tasty and won’t spike your blood sugar.  

 Oatmeal 

Oatmeal, especially instant may seem like a quick and healthy breakfast, and it sure is convenient. But unfortunately just one serving of this stuff can pack as much as 15g of sugar!  Oats can be just as inflammatory as wheat.  So opt for a chia pudding.  If you like a warm breakfast try this warm chia pudding recipe.   

Warm Chia Pudding

Makes 1 serving

• 1 cup dairy-free milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon ginger powder
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon honey (omit if blood sugar imbalance and use a low glycemic sweetener)
• ⅓ cup chia seeds
• 1 pear, chopped
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds

Add the milk, vanilla extract, ginger, cinnamon, and honey to a small pot over low flame. Warm the milk for about 5 minutes. DO NOT let the milk boil. Next, add the warm milk to the chia seeds add allow the seeds to soak up the milk for about 2 to 3 minutes. Mix well and top with chopped pear and pumpkin seeds. Add more cinnamon if desired.

Smoothies 

Smoothies can be really healthy and delicious, but the ones you get from Orange Julius or those premade store-bought smoothies are a far cry from a health food. They want to make smoothies approachable for most people and thus they make them super sweet and tasty. Because most people aren’t too open to trying a green smoothie (not like you, you cool cat).  Even a lot of recipes you find on the internet are full of the first 2 foods I listed; dried fruit and juice.  When you make a smoothie keep your fruit content to 1/2 - 1 cup of low sugar fruit such as berries, apples or pears. 

Yogurt  

Yogurt has got to be the worst on the list. Especially because it’s promoted as this great healthy food but most of the time flavored yogurt is FULL of junky additives including high-fructose corn syrup as a sweetener. Although dairy may not raise your blood sugar it does require a spike of insulin.  Insulin is a hormone whose job is to store fat.  It also can drop growth hormone (an amazing hormone that builds muscle and burns fat).  If you want to eat yogurt, try a nut or coconut yogurt and sweet it with low glycemic fruit. 

Granola  

Like oatmeal, pre-made granola is riddled with added sugar, inflammatory grains and dried fruit which only makes matters worse. Eating granola for breakfast is like having a big old cookie with your coffee.   

 Protein bars  

Ahhh.... protein bars.  Protein bars are either full of added sugar or contain toxic sugar substitutes like aspartame. They can also use cheap proteins that are inflammatory such as whey or soy. Read protein bar labels very carefully, even the popular cliff bar contains a whopping 22g of sugar per bar!  
 

Want even more great tips to help you lose weight, improve your digestion, and increase your energy?

End your sugar addiction once and for all!   

Are you curious to know if you have a blood sugar imbalance?  

Complete this Insulin Resistance Assessment.  

You will receive a copy. Then as you make changes, just redo and you can see how much progress you made.

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With Grace and Love!

Shonda