It’s Friday and you've worked hard this week so, how about something easy? It’s the Fast Friday 5 – a quick five things you need to know, served up nice and simple.
Whether you gobble them up in the name of wellness or you allow yourself to indulge because it’s healthy - these 5 imposters need to be removed from your good-for-you list. They’re nothing but a wolf in health’s clothing!
1. Sushi. Not all sushi can be painted with the unhealthy brush but let’s face it all that white rice, the fake crab, the unethically harvested seafood, the tempura batter shrimp and the mayo...it wasn’t really fooling anyone, was it? While you’re at it, scrap the edamame and miso soup too, unless they can confirm it’s organic and not GMO.
2. The Big Salad. What is it with restaurants that makes them want to take a beautiful mound of leafy greens and render it unhealthy by dowsing it in overly-processed dressing and topping it with processed protein and cheese, and deep fried croutons? And, what makes us still believe these giant salads won’t derail our healthy intentions? Order it naked and deconstructed, and you’re back on track.
3. Soy Stuff. Tofu, soy milk, soy nuts, even edamame started out as a great way for vegetarians to get their protein. And then genetic modification came along and now 91% of all soy beans grown in the US are GMO (which has been linked to fertility issues). If you’re a soy super-fan, hunt down that 9% of non-GMO soy to get your tofu on.
4. BPA Beans. Packed with fibre and protein, beans have long been a friend to the healthy-minded. But, if you get your beans from a can, you might be gobbling up more than a ladle of lentil stew. Many cans are lined with BPA, a known hormone disruptor. Can the cans of veggies too and go back to the old school way of preparing legume dishes– with fresh veggies and dried beans.
5. Organic. Don’t worry, we’re not going all Dr. Oz anti-organic on you. We still love organic produce and products but here’s the thing; just because something is organic doesn’t make it a health food. Organic cookies are still cookies, organic chips can still be sodium bombs, organic cereal might just have more sugar than non-organic. You get the picture. Organic ingredients don’t make the food unprocessed.
Now you can spot these health-mimickers a mile off and keep your wellness in check.
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Make the Fast Friday Five list grow. What other "healthy" foods wear a mask?