Crazy Foods That Might Ruin Your Health

Diet Drinks & Foods

Although labeled as a healthy alternative that will keep you on the right track with your fitness and health goals, diet drinks and foods are not what they appear. Calorie-free beverages such as fruit drinks, slimming shakes, teas, and sodas may help you reduce the amount of calories you consume, however, a majority of these drinks are loaded with chemical replacements for sugar. In fact, research has connected artificial sweeteners used in these products to increasing a person’s cravings for other high-sugar and high-caloric foods. These sweeteners often include aspartame, cyclamate, saccharin, acesulfame-k or sucralose, which all carry their own health risks as well, and are 200 to 13,000 times more sweeter than regular sugar.

Besides beverages, a majority of diet foods and drinks are not just packed with artificial sweeteners, but also artificial acids, colors, flavoring, preservatives, vitamins and minerals, and caffeine. For instance, certain acids like citric, malic, and phosphoric, are linked to tooth enamel erosion. Many of these additional chemicals that are included in many diet drinks and foods are related to the development of Type II diabetes and heart disease in numerous studies conducted on patients who consume these products on a regular basis.

Low-Calorie Snacks

Similar to fat-free and diet foods and drinks, low-calorie snacks can be incredibly deceiving when it comes to the ingredients used in producing these foods. Numerous chemicals can be packed into a tiny 100-calorie package. While low-calorie snacks do offer portion control, unfortunately, many of these snacks are packed with high-sugar and low-fiber processed foods that leave many craving more sugary foods. Instead of reaching for one of these convenient snacks, try eating wholesome snacks that have either natural sugar or none at all and contain fiber. Examples of snacks include fresh fruit, yogurt, low-fat cheese, and nuts, which will help keep you focused and full. Speaking of yogurt, some ultra-low calorie yogurts may reduce sugar and fat, but are replaced with artificial sweeteners and thickeners. When in doubt, always read the labels of low-calorie snacks, particularly paying attention to the ingredient list and the sugar, fat, and sodium content in each snack.