7 Lies the Food Industry Sells Us

Don’t be fooled by packaging. Here are seven misleading words you’ll run into at restaurants and grocery stores … and how to find the truth behind the advertising.

The Lie: Healthy Fast Food

From salads to oatmeal to grilled chicken, plenty of fast food restaurants offer a handful of so-called healthy alternatives to the fried, cheesy, and bacon-y stuff. Turns out those healthy-sounding options aren’t necessarily even any healthier than the regular items on the menu. Take McDonald’s for example: the New York Times found that their oatmeal contains more sugar than a Snickers bar and only 10 fewer calories than their cheeseburger or Egg McMuffin. And the grilled chicken in their Premium Caesar Salad? Surprisingly, it contains rib meat, along with a bunch of additives.

Get the Truth: Always read nutrition labels and look up the ingredients and nutritional info when possible (readily available online when it comes to chain restaurants) before you chow down. If something as simple as grilled chicken has 11 ingredients you can’t pronounce, move along.

The Lie: All Natural

Plenty of food products, from soda to granola bars, have “natural” or “natural ingredients” on the label … and it definitely sounds healthy. But what does it actually mean? Unless it’s meat or poultry, whatever the company behind the product wants it to, for the most part.

Get the Truth: Unlike meat and poultry, which is regulated by the US Department of Agriculture, other products are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. And it turns out, the FDA has no official definition of the term “natural” or its derivatives. They only go so far as saying they don’t object to the use of the term “if the food does not contain added color, artificial flavors or synthetic substances” which gives companies pretty generous leeway. Before being fooled by a food that’s labeled “natural,” ask yourself: can I make this in my own kitchen? If you can’t pronounce half of the ingredients on the label, let alone define or find them in a supermarket, they’re probably not as natural as the branding would like you to believe. 

The Lie: Whole Grain

Whole grains have been shown to reduce your risks of type 2 diabetes, colorectal cancer, and cardiovascular disease. So bring on the whole-grain crackers, right? Not so fast. Some products labeled “whole grain” actually contain very little of it—and some contain none at all.

Get the Truth: Look on the packaging for stamps and certifications from third parties like the Whole Grain Council. And make sure a whole grain (like whole oats or whole barley flour) is listed first on the list of ingredients. Ingredients are always listed in a descending order, from greatest amount to least amount. If it’s second, it may make up as little as 1 percent of the product.

The Lie: Multi-Grain

Multi-grain is touted on food packaging as if it’s healthy for you, but all “multi-grain” means is that there are multiple kinds of grains in the product—often the unhealthy refined kind. And the kind of grain is more important than how many there are.

Get the Truth: Flip the package to see if whole grains are listed first in the list of ingredients to get the most health bang for your buck. And make sure “whole” is in front of every grain listed.

The Lie: Artisan

The “artisan” label evokes images of small-batch cooking and skilled chefs perusing farmer’s markets for fresh ingredients. But it’s a word not regulated by the FDA, which means anyone can use it any way they want, even with bulk quantities of frozen food. Case in point, an “artisan egg sandwich”… made by Wendy’s.

Get the Truth: Dig to find out how a food is made and what it’s made from. If it’s filled with artificial flavors, trans fats, and additives, cooked by microwave, and produced in mass quantities for huge chain restaurants and fast food place, there’s likely nothing “artisan” about it.

The Lie: “Made With Real…“

Cheesy crackers made with real cheese. Snack bars made with real fruit. Sure, they’re made with real cheese and fruit… and plenty of other stuff too. Take Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain raspberry bars—”real fruit” is on the label, and they even added “no high-fructose corn syrup” to make it sound healthier. But really, the “real fruit” is listed as raspberry puree concentrate…and it’s only third on the list, after invert sugar and corn syrup.

Get the Truth: Look at the ingredient list, not the packaging. And remember that even if the list does include real cheese or real whole fruit, it still may be sharing space with a whole bunch of junk. If a product has to cover its package in claims that it’s “real” food, be skeptical.

The Lie: “Made with 100% real/pure…“

But surely 100% real must mean something, right? Not really. Whether it’s sugary juice drinks made with 100% real fruit juice or a Betty Crocker casserole-in-a-box made with 100% real potatoes, the packaging doesn’t tell the whole story. The “made with 100% real” is a particularly deceptive kind of trickery, because it intentionally reads like the entire product is 100% made up of that ingredient. For things like fruit juice, that’s easy to buy into—until you read the label.

Get the Truth: Yep, I’m going to tell you—again—to read the list of ingredients! Take juice for example—the fruit juice inside may indeed be 100% fruit juice, but often it’s also mixed in with extra sugar, and the 100% real fruit juice only makes up 50% of what’ll end up in your drink. 

5 Drinks that Will Give You a Healthy Heart

There has been a recent influx of Americans trying to take control of their health. The biggest concern on everyone's minds these days is heart health. Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States and while that can sound staggering, there are a number of ways to avoid heart disease and the complications that come with it. We all know the age-old rules of exercising more, avoiding fatty food, and not smoking, but there are also slightly more alternative ways to help improve your cardiovascular health, including a few drinks with heart-healthy benefits.

While it may not be common knowledge, over the last 10 to 15 years there have been many instances of drink companies reducing the calorie and sugar counts in their drinks in order to create "healthier" beverages. We've seen more and more companies head toward the "diet" route and use sweeteners like stevia and aspartame to maintain their good flavor. Drinks like Sparkling Ice, Snapple, and Coca-Cola have developed products that appeal to the masses who are attempting to gain control over their health and weight issues.

But there are some drinks out there that can be good for your heart on their own. The next time you consider a night in, grab a glass of red wine. There have been numerous studies that show drinking a glass of red wine in a night could drastically reduce your risk of heart disease. While this has been proven, we like to remind readers that drinking alcohol in moderation is the best way to seek these results, and if you're not already a drinker, it's best to maintain your sobriety for additional health benefits. If you want to avoid alcohol, grab a pomegranate or grape juice from your local grocery store (or even juice them yourself!), which are fantastic alternatives to wine and add great flavor to any orange juice, which is also high in vitamin C.

If you're thinking about get your heart health under control before the holiday season, what with its fatty foods and plethora of celebration drinking, consider doing something in addition to exercising and eating healthy by trying these eight drinks that could help keep the doctor away.

Soy Milk

Soy milk is a great way to get your dose of soy in a beverage. The Mayo Clinic reported that soy protein has been linked to benefits that reduce the consumer's risk of cardiovascular disease. Soy can also help to reduce the symptoms of menopause, assist in weight loss, and help with improving exercise performance. 

Cranberry Juice

Cranberry juice has been linked to many health benefits, but who knew it was also linked to heart health? Cranberry juice has high concentrations of flavonoids, which, like red wine, help to promote circulation and prevent cardiovascular disease.

Tomato Juice

Tomato juice tends to be high in sodium because it's savory. But if you purchase a low-sodium tomato juice you will be doing your heart health a favor. New Health Guide informed us that "Tomatoes also help prevent and manage heart disease because of their niacin, potassium, folate, and vitamin B6 content. Tomatoes improve homocysteine  

Grape Juice 

Grapes are high in antioxidants and have been shown to help prevent damage to blood vessels as well as reduce the risk of blood clots. It's probably best to eat whole grapes, but grape juice is just as delicious and is easier to drink on the go!

Black Tea

Another item on our list that is high in antioxidants, black tea has been linked to the prevention of heart attacks and can even help prevent headaches and tooth decay! The drink also contains anywhere from 2 to 4 percent caffeine, which means there are added benefits besides heart health - like alertness. 

10 Reasons to Give Up Diet Soda

When taken at face value, diet soda seems like a health-conscious choice. It saves you the 140-plus calories you'd find in a sugary soft drink while still satisfying your urge for something sweet with artificial sweeteners like aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose. But there's more to this chemical cocktail than meets the eye.

It confuses your body

Artificial sweeteners have more intense flavor than real sugar, so over time products like diet soda dull our senses to naturally sweet foods like fruit, says Dr. Brooke Alpert, author of The Sugar Detox. Even more troubling, these sugar stand-ins have been shown to have the same effect on your body as sugar. "Artificial sweeteners trigger insulin, which sends your body into fat storage mode and leads to weight gain," Alpert says. 

It could lead to weight gain, not weight loss

Diet soda is calorie-free, but it won't necessarily help you lose weight. Researchers from the University of Texas found that over the course of about a decade, diet soda drinkers had a 70 percent greater increase in waist circumference compared with non-drinkers. And get this: participants who slurped down two or more sodas a day experienced a 500 percent greater increase. The way artificial sweeteners confuse the body may play a part, but another reason might be psychological, says Minnesota-based dietitian Cassie Bjork. When you know you're not consuming any liquid calories, it might be easier to justify that double cheeseburger or extra slice of pizza.

It's associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes

Drinking one diet soda a day was associated with a 36 percent increased risk of metabolic syndrome and diabetes in a University of Minnesota study. Metabolic syndrome describes a cluster of conditions (including high blood pressure, elevated glucose levels, raised cholesterol, and large waist circumference) that put people at high risk for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, Bjork explains. 

It has no nutritional value

When you drink diet soda, you're not taking in any calories—but you're also not swallowing anything that does your body any good, either. The best no-calorie beverage? Plain old water, says Bjork. "Water is essential for many of our bodily processes, so replacing it with diet soda is a negative thing," she says. If it's the fizziness you crave, try sparkling water.

Its sweetener is linked to headaches

Early studies on aspartame and anecdotal evidence suggests that this artificial sweetener may trigger headaches in some people. "I have several clients who used to suffer from migraines and pinpointed their cause to diet soda," Bjork says. 

It'll ruin your smile over time

Excessive soda drinking could leave you looking like a Breaking Bad extra, according to a case study published in the journal General Dentistry. The research compared the mouths of a cocaine-user, a methamphetamine-user, and a habitual diet-soda drinker, and found the same level of tooth erosion in each of them. The culprit here is citric acid, which weakens and destroys tooth enamel over time.

It makes drinking more dangerous

Using diet soda as a low-calorie cocktail mixer has the dangerous effect of getting you drunk faster than sugar-sweetened beverages, according to research from Northern Kentucky University. The study revealed that participants who consumed cocktails mixed with diet drinks had a higher breath alcohol concentration than those who drank alcohol blended with sugared beverages. The researchers believe this is because our bloodstream is able to absorb artificial sweetener more quickly than sugar. 

It's associated with depression

A recent study presented at a the American Academy of Neurology meeting found that over the course of 10 years, people who drank more than four cups or cans of soda a day were 30 percent more likely to develop depression than those who steered clear of sugary drinks. The correlation held true for both regular and diet drinks, but researchers were sure to note that the risk appeared to be greater for those who primarily drank diet sodas and fruit punches. Although this type of study can't prove cause and effect, its findings are worth considering.

It may be bad for your bones

Women over 60 are already at a greater risk for osteoporosis than men, and Tufts University researchers found that drinking soda, including diet soda, compounds the problem. They discovered that female cola drinkers had nearly 4 percent lower bone mineral density in their hips than women who didn't drink soda. The research even controlled for the participants' calcium and vitamin D intake. Additionally, a 2006 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that cola intake (all kinds, not just diet) was associated with low bone-mineral density in women. 

It may hurt your heart

Just one diet soft drink a day could boost your risk of having a vascular event such as stroke, heart attack or vascular death, according to researchers from the University of Miami and Columbia University. Their study found that diet soda devotees were 43 percent more likely to have experienced a vascular event than those who drank none. Regular soda drinkers did not appear to have an increased risk of vascular events. Researchers say more studies need to be conducted before definitive conclusions can be made about diet soda's effects on health.

Coconut Oil isn’t Healthy? Has it Ever Been?

A recent USA Today article states that coconut oil isn’t healthy and has never been. It quotes the American Heart Association recently released report which advises against the use of coconut oil,

  

“Because coconut oil increases LDL cholesterol, a cause of CVD [cardiovascular disease], and has no known offsetting favorable effects, we advise against the use of coconut oil,” the American Heart Association said in the Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease advisory.

  

Nothing could be further from the truth! And should we really trust the American Heart Association whose dietary advise is consistently confusing?

It’s important to remember  that the AHA played a huge role in telling people to start using margarine and other trans fat products. Saturated fats were falsely demonized and those lies were believed by many.

   

Many recent review studies found that there really is no link between saturated fat consumption and heart disease. A meta-analysis published last year, which pooled data from 21 studies and included nearly 348,000 adults, found no difference in the risks of heart disease and stroke between people with the lowest and highest intakes of saturated fat.

Dr Mercola put together a list of studies that debunk saturated fat myth:

The Oslo Study (1968): A study of 412 men, aged 30-64 years, found eating a diet low in saturated fats and high in polyunsaturated fats had no influence on rates of sudden death.
L.A. Veterans Study (1969): A study of 850 elderly men that lasted for six years and is widely used to support the diet-heart hypothesis. No significant difference was found in rates of sudden death or heart attack among men eating a mostly animal-foods diet and those eating a high-vegetable-oil diet. However, more non-cardiac deaths, including from cancer, were seen in the vegetable-oil group.
London Soybean Oil Trial (1968): A study of nearly 400 men that lasted for two to seven years. No difference in heart attack rate was found between men following a diet low in saturated fats and high in soybean oil and those following an ordinary diet.
The U.S. Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial (MRFIT): Sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, this is another study that is highly misleading. It compared mortality rates and eating habits of over 12,000 men, and the finding that was widely publicized was that people who ate a low saturated fat and low-cholesterol diet had a marginal reduction in coronary heart disease. However, their mortality from all causes was higher.

Your Body NEEDS Saturated Fat for Optimal Function. It cannot function without saturated fats! Saturated fats are needed for the proper function of your cell membranes, heart, bones, liver, lungs hormones, immune system, genetic regulation and much more.

But please… understand that coconut oil is fine! 

Despite coconut oil being more than 90 percent saturated fat, most of which are medium chain triglycerides, the lauric acid is the chief contributor to its assimilation. It also is rich in linoleic acid, oleic acid, poly-phenols, which are responsible for its fragrance and taste, vitamin E, vitamin K, iron, and organic sulfur.

In fact, for heart disease, despite its high saturated fat content, the lauric acid helps in preventing heart problems including high cholesterol and high blood pressure. The saturated fats in coconut oil are not harmful and does not increase LDL (bad cholesterol) levels) and in reducing injuries in the arteries is effective in preventing atherosclerosis.

High Blood Pressure? 22 Foods You Should Avoid as Much as Possible

High blood pressure is a common health issue, and one that requires active management. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in three U.S. adults has high blood pressure. Surprisingly, only about half of these people have it under control. And some folks might not even know their blood pressure is problematic if it’s been a while since they’ve visited the doctor.

Known as “the silent killer,” uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to serious health risks and even death, the American Heart Association says. There are even complications you’ve probably never considered, including loss of vision and kidney failure. What this means is it’s time to start taking high blood pressure seriously, and that begins with knowing your numbers.

While your doctor may be the first one to spot it, it’s up to you to stay on top of keeping your blood pressure where it needs to be by exercising and eating right. You’re your own best wellness advocate, so knowing what’s helping, and harming, your overall health is key. If your doctor has determined you have high blood pressure, here are 22 foods you should limit, or avoid.

Sodium and salt

If you have high blood pressure, you need to be particularly mindful of how much sodium you consume on a daily basis. Why? The AHA explains water is pulled into the blood vessels when you have excess sodium in your system, increasing the amount of blood and, ultimately, causing your blood pressure to increase. The same story adds about 77% of sodium consumed comes from packaged, prepared, and restaurant food.

What’s even more frightening is another 12% comes from foods that naturally contain sodium, which still doesn’t account for your salt shaker. To help people limit their salt intake, the AHA created a list of foods that add the most sodium to our diets, so you definitely want to limit them.

1. Breads and rolls: One piece can contain 230 milligrams.
2. Cold cuts and cured meats: Pre-packaged turkey can contain 1,050 milligrams of sodium per serving.
3. Pizza: One slice can contain 760 milligrams.
4. Poultry: Three ounces of frozen and breaded nuggets can contain 600 milligrams.
5. Soup: One cup of canned chicken noodle soup can contain 940 milligrams.
6. Sandwiches: All in, your sandwich can easily surpass 1,500 milligrams.

Saturated fats

Saturated fats raise the cholesterol in your blood, which can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. So, it’s important for those with high blood pressure to be aware of how much they’re eating. The AHA recommends getting no more than 6% of your daily calories from saturated fat. This means you’ll want to cut back on these six foods.

1. Fatty beef
2. Lamb
3. Pork
4. Lard and cream
5. Butter
6. Cheese

Sweets and added sugars

Sugar has long been known to contribute to obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Interestingly, some research shows sugar can impact a person’s blood pressure directly, independent of weight gain. Consider this one more reason to pass on those office doughnuts. Here are five sweet treats you should limit.

1. Sugar-sweetened beverages
2. Candy
3. Grain-based desserts like cakes, cookies, and pies
4. Fruit drinks
5. Dairy desserts and milk products like ice cream and sweetened yogurt

Trans fat and partially hydrogenated oils

More often than not, trans fat is found in processed foods, which is bad news for people who’ve been following a typical American diet their whole lives. According to the AHA, “Trans fats raise your bad (LDL) cholesterol levels and lowers your good (HDL) cholesterol levels. Eating trans fats increases your risk of developing heart disease and stroke. It’s also associated with a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.” Clearly, everyone should limit this unhealthy fat.

Because some processed foods can be sneaky about how they label their trans fat, it’s important to have a discerning eye. Reader’s Digest says you should be wary of these five foods.

1. Nondairy coffee creamer
2. Peanut butter
3. Popcorn
4. Frozen pizza
5. Margarine

High blood pressure is certainly nothing to mess around with, which is why a heart-healthy diet is a key factor in maintaining your overall health and well-being. Skip this stuff and go for more nutritious foods instead.

Overweight man says he was humiliated by Spirit Airlines after staff gave away the extra seat he purchased to another passenger because his flight was overbooked

Jose Cordova (right) says he was left feeling humiliated after Spirit Airlines gave away the extra seat he had bought because of his size without asking him on an overbooked flight from Las Vegas to Colorado

A Spirit Airlines passenger who booked two seats on a flight due to his size says he felt humiliated when the airline gave away one of the seats without asking on an overbooked flight.

Jose Cordova of Westminster, Colorado, says he purchased two neighboring seats on each of his flights to and from Las Vegas for a getaway trip with his two friends.

He purchased the extra seat because he knew he wouldn’t be comfortable in one seat, he says.

“I am a big person and I knew one seat wouldn’t fit for me, and to be comfortable, I wanted to have two seats,” Cordova said.

Cordova’s friend Scott Tenorio says he also called ahead to ask for a seat belt extender for his friend in an attempt to be proactive.

On the group’s flight to Las Vegas, the three passengers occupied four seats without issue, but on the way home Wednesday, they say Spirit Airlines took back one of Cordova’s seats without asking due to an overbooked flight.

Unwilling to take a voucher and later flight, Cordova says the airline forced him to move.

“I told them I had bought two seats. [They said] ‘Well, talk to them when you get off the plane,’” he said.

Cordova says the situation was embarrassing, and he felt humiliated.

“People were just watching him, and it’s almost like they look at, ‘Oh my God, I’ve got to sit next to that,’” Tenorio said.

Spirit Airlines said in a statement it’s “looking into the circumstances” and has refunded Cordova for his flights. The airline says it will work with Cordova “on making this right.”

But for Cordova and his friends, the damage is already done.

“I could see in his face. He was sweating. I was asking him how his trip was, and he was just, you could tell, humiliated,” Tenorio said.

'I am a big person and I knew one seat wouldn't fit for me and, to be comfortable, I wanted to have two seats (pictured, Cordova's two tickets),' he said

New Jersey mom publishes her three-year-old son's $231,115 heart surgery bill in a desperate plea to the Senate not to scrap benefits cap ban in Trumpcare (11 Pics)

A New Jersey mom says she posted her three-year-old son's heart surgery bill online to show how potential changes in the health care law could drastically increase out-of-pocket costs for those with life-threatening conditions.

Ali Chandra's son, Ethan, was born with a congenital heart defect known as heterotaxy. He's already had multiple surgeries which have been covered by health insurance.

Chandra is concerned that the existing ban on lifetime benefits caps — meaning insurers can stop paying expenses once medical bills reach a specified limit — may be eliminated as part of the ongoing health care law overhaul.

 Ali Chandra’s little boy Ethan (pictured) was born with a congenital heart defect known as heterotaxy

 Chandra posted the staggering $231,115 healthcare bill for Ethan's open heart surgery, and recovery in the cardiac intensive care unit and on the cardiac floor

 Chandra (pictured with Ethan) a registered nurse and mom-of-two, fears that if the caps are allowed to return, her three-year-old's life could be at stake

 Chandra wrote that her son (pictured in hospital)  had undergone four of these heart surgeries - and would require more going forward

 Ali Chandra with her son Ethan, and her Canadian husband as well as their daughter 

 Chandra said her son 'blew past the million dollar mark' for his medical treatments a long time ago -  unsurprising when the latest bill shows almost a quarter of a million dollars for one surgery and recovery

 She is hoping to remind the Senate that the bill they are voting on has life or death consequences for real people - people like her young son (pictured showing one of the scars from a former surgery)

 'The statistics you read aren't just numbers,' Chandra said, 'They're names and faces and little boys who stay up late catching lightning bugs' 

"A lifetime cap on benefits is the same as saying, 'Sorry, you're not worth keeping alive anymore. You're just too expensive," she wrote in a Twitter post.

Chandra, a married registered nurse who also has a young daughter, recently posted the bill for Ethan's most recent open heart surgery. The family's share was $500, but she said it would have cost them $231,115 if they didn't have insurance.

Chandra wrote that her son has undergone four heart surgeries overall and will need more going forward. They also make regular visits to numerous doctors and must make emergency room visits trips for sepsis workups if his temperature rises above 100.4 degrees.

Ethan also takes five different prescription medications multiple times a day.

"None of this would be possible without insurance," she wrote in a Twitter post. "He blew past the million dollar mark long ago."