Did you ever notice when you are shopping for food how many terms and labels one item has ? From catch words like gluten free, vegan, low-fat, GMO free, soy free, dairy free and so many more, it’s no wonder we have no clue what to buy that is deemed “healthy”. New trends are not something new in the health food industry which spends OVER a trillion dollars for these catchy words to make money off a product. All it takes for a new food product to get popular is generally creative labeling and mass marketing for it to be a hit and catch your attention !
I am going to go through some of the KEY catchwords most commonly seen in the grocery store and on food labels that might have caught your eye but you don’t know what it really means?
Gluten Free
-“Gluten-free” has become the most misused label in the entire food industry. With only a small percentage of the population that actually suffers from an extreme gluten allergy, or the even rarer Celiac disease. The truth of the matter is that the common perception of this term is generally misinformed. A large percentage of the population believes the term gluten-free means “THIS IS HEALTHY AND GUILT FREE”. Just because it’s gluten-free doesn’t mean you can completely disregard all other nutritional information associated with this item. A lot of the times gluten free products are filled with a lot more added processed supplements to replace the gluten. They also have a HIGHER calorie and sodium nutritional value!
Organic
The term organic is another term that has ingrained in the modern food industry. It is used to refer to everything from vegetables to ketchup to candy. What has yet to be determined is what does the word organic truly mean? Many people believe that organic means that it’s healthier for you but when you are describing a poptart as organic I might have a little issue validating that. Just stick to organic in terms of how the farmers used chemicals on crops and not as a deciding factor on what foods from a box to eat.
No GMO
GMO stands for genetically modified organism. This means it could be anything from a genetically modified crop to a genetically modified chicken. What’s funny about this term is that a lot of people buying non-GMO products assume they are healthy, when in fact they have no clue what the acronym even stands for to begin with.
Some people assume that since a crop was altered in any way to grow to its highest potential it can’t be good for us since it’s “not natural.”The truth is that there is little scientific research backing up the claim that so-called GMO products are not safe for human consumption. Learn the facts behind the foods you are purchasing.
Vegan
What do the terms vegan, organic and gluten-free have in common? For some reason people tend to consider vegan as being inherently healthy just like eating a box of grain and gluten free cookies appear to be healthy as well. The definition simply means the product was made without animal byproducts.
Does this mean it’s healthy? Does this mean it won’t make you fat? Does this mean you will live to be 100 if you follow this style of diet religiously? The truth is that there is no hard and fast scientific research proving that animal byproducts are, in fact, bad for us. Our prehistoric ancestors were carnivorous creatures and our bodies have become accustomed to processing meat. However, if you have different reasoning behind being a Vegan other than elimination of food groups then you have a valid reason to avoid those foods. I would suggest everyone doing at least one day of meatless foods just to broaden your nutritional mindset !
Ketogenic
This is another term that is often thrown around the fitness world and is often associated with the term healthy.Can you see the trend going on here? Ketogenic, more commonly known as low-carb diets, are not necessarily healthy diets, nor do they automatically give you a six pack. Some individuals may have a higher carbohydrate sensitivity level and may experience better weight loss results on a higher fat diet compared to higher carb diet. But in most cases eliminating carbohydrates completely from your diet will not yield optimal results.Experiment and find out what works for you, and what will aide you in reaching your goals.
On a final note,the meaning of the term “healthy” is constantly changing and adapting to a new fad. What was previously considered healthy might now be considered unhealthy, and vice versa. The key to healthy eating is to not partake in what is popular at the moment but to just rely on good solid nutrition. Make your own decisions based on what provides you individually with the best results not what is current or trending because tomorrow you will already be out of style !