Everyone wants to be healthy without putting a lot of effort into it. We know that we have to drink plenty of water, exercise, and eat balanced and nutritious meals throughout the day, if we want to be our best and also look our best.
Many people are okay with working out and drinking enough fluids during the day, but when it comes to food, things get complicated. Especially when they get home late and the last thing they want to do is start cooking.
If you’re in the same situation, you are going to love this article. We wanted to make things easier for you, so we went to several grocery stores to find frozen foods that are both healthy and easy to make.
What do you know about the side effects of too much vitamin D?
As you already know, all healthcare providers tell us to consume foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals, and if we don’t get enough, they advise us to take supplements. But is it possible to take too many vitamins? Let’s take a particular example and talk more about it because things are really interesting.
Vitamin D is one of the most important minerals your body can receive. It’s great for growing and developing your muscle cells, maintaining the health of your skeletal system, and assuring the proper functioning of the adaptive and instinctive immune systems. If you don’t have enough of it in your system, you are more likely to be at higher risk of getting an infection or a disease, and also bone demineralization.
Speaking of deficiency, several studies have discovered that roughly 40% of American adults don’t have enough levels of vitamin D. What’s even more interesting is that approximately 1 billion people are diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency.
We are sure that you’ve heard nutritionists and fitness experts say that in order to lose weight and inches off of your body, you need to be in a caloric deficit. This means that you need to eat fewer calories than you burn. However, making dietary changes is easier said than done, but nothing is impossible.
Many people believe that diet pills or fad diets will help them achieve their goals faster, but the truth is that these are not sustainable at all. The easiest way to have a healthy weight is to eat foods that will nourish your body with all the nutrients it needs, such as protein, carbs, and fat, and include plenty of exercise in your day.
Speaking of things you should eat to be in the best shape of your life, we’ve come across a few fat-burning foods you should include in your diet if you’re looking to glow up and lose weight.
So if this topic is something that interests you, make sure to click on the next page to see all of these fat-burning foods that will help you shed off those extra pounds.
Is there such a thing as an anti-cancer diet? There isn’t one per se, but for years people have been putting together a list of foods and ingredients that are known and proven to help with stopping the development of cancer cells in the human body. This effectively makes up a list of foods that, if added to your diet, will lower the risk of cancer development. It may not sound like something you need to partake in, but even if you don’t have a history of cancer in your family, the anti-cancer diet is something that you should look into anyway.
Not only are a lot of the foods on this cancer diet list good for your health in general, but the American Cancer Society recommends certain fruits or vegetables themselves. Moreover, you should generally be eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Why not add some anti-cancer diet foods to the list of benefits?
Don’t let the word diet fool you; no one is recommending you any diets in the true meaning of the word. You won’t have to measure any quantities or count any calories for this one. But rather, it’s a list of good foods and cooking ingredients you should add to your meal rotation in order to boost your chances of not contracting cancer. What’s there to lose when all of these are healthy, tasty, and come with a ton of health benefits?
Let us know if you knew about the anti-cancer diet food list before or if you discovered it today!
If you have been on the internet in the last few months, it’s impossible to not have seen someone raving about their air fryer. It seems like the new fad for our kitchen gurus, and it has taken the web space by storm with a ton of recipe books appearing overnight and all the celebrities on this earth singing its praises. It’s only normal to be skeptical about such a new appliance (we were too), especially since it seemed to follow the same journey as the microwave when it first came out.
And while no one came out saying that you’re getting exposed to harmful radiation as they did with the microwave (which is a hoax, by the way, the microwave is safe), the air fryer seemed to be on everyone’s minds anyway. And while not a lot of us have a ton of space in our kitchens to add yet another appliance (not to mention the hefty sum some of them ask for), we were all wondering if it’s worth getting one.
It definitely took us a while until we got it, but we can definitely say it’s been one of the best decisions we ever made. And if you’re still reticent when it comes to getting one, we have gathered here some of the best benefits that it brings and hopefully convinces you that getting one is an investment worth your time and money!
Let us know if you already have an air fryer or if we have managed to sway you to our side!
Initially, the air fryer was thought out to be a replacement for a deep fryer, and while that was and still is a great idea, it didn’t do much to convince people they needed it as an appliance. After all, not everyone had a deep fryer or the desire to experiment with one at home: it’s simply not cost- or time-efficient.
However, when people realized that they needed to cook at home more, but they didn’t necessarily have the time to do so, the air fryer ended up shining and coming up as a great alternative! Gone were the days when people would order greasy foods just because they could get them fast. The air fryer could cook the same thing in the same amount of time it took to get delivered, but it took almost no oil!
What’s there not to love about it? It’s very fast, cooking up your meal perfectly in about 20 minutes max, and very uncomplicated. It’s easy to set up and extremely easy to use; all you have to do is season your ingredients, put them in, and they’re all ready to go! Set the timer, and all that is left to do is wait. It’s so easy and safe, there’s nothing more simple.
This is one of the main reasons people fall in love with this appliance, and we think you will follow suit if you give it a chance!
#2 Extremely Versatile
Not only will the air fryer replace any need to cook something in an oil bath ever again, but you will find that it is so versatile that you will be able to virtually cook anything with it. From frying anything to preparing spaghetti squash, from frozen store-bought foods to actual desserts, there are so many uses for it that you’ll wonder why you still have an oven.
It comes with the added bonus that it’s so easy to use even a kid cannot mess things up (don’t let any kid use any appliance without supervision)! Try it out for yourself, and you will find yourself with so much inspiration you will have a hard time choosing what to have for the next meal.
Image By perfectloop From Shutterstock
#3 Healthier cooking with an air fryer
This is it! This is the reason why everyone raves about air fryers, and we can not blame them! If there is just one reason why you should’ve gotten one of these appliances and lost important counter space for it, it is the fact that no matter what you cook, it will be a lot healthier! It uses so little oil that you only need a can of the spray-on version to replace any need for deep-fried foods: you will simply be cooking the same dishes in a much healthier manner!
Deep-fried foods are horrible for our health. We are all aware of this, but sometimes we cannot resist the temptation. It’s just good, and we all get cravings. If you do get an air fryer, the only oil you will be using is going to be a little spray on things like fried fish or chicken tenders, just so that the breading gets evenly crispy, but compared to an oil bath, it’s a hundred times less oil. Not to mention, other things like french fries require no oil at all to get the perfect crispy golden result.
Trust us, you will be using so much less oil that you will be surprised. Not only that, but you will find so many new recipes to add to your cookbook that you will never go back to conventional oil cooking again!
#4 Faster than conventional over cooking
One of the biggest advantages of this appliance is that it gets hot really quickly, and it uses its circulating air technology to make sure that everything is cooked evenly, browning or crisping up the food without much input from you. This will not only cut down your cooking time drastically, but it will also lessen the stress of not knowing if your home oven will give you the result you want and an even crust.
This happens not only due to the fact that the air fryer circulates the air and it’s really hot, but also because of the size it has: even the bigger ones are a lot smaller than conventional ovens, and they do not need any pre-heating period like most of the ovens. Even when you use an electric oven, it still needs you to preheat it in order to make sure everything bakes evenly.
The air fryer gets rid of all your worries. You can basically throw everything in, set the timer, and then eat dinner (or lunch, or breakfast) in about 10 to 15 minutes. And it’s great to use not just for your main meals but also for quick and easy snacks. If you have a party or you need to make finger food for a youngster in your family that’s famished after school, this appliance will let you heat up and cook something to perfection in a matter of minutes.
Image By leungchopan From Envato Elements
#5 East to clean
Who doesn’t love to hear these three words? Easy to clean. For someone that cooks frequently, it’s just music to our ears, especially if you have a big family: all the pots and pans you have to clean, in addition to all the cutlery and plates. It can be a nightmare sometimes to have to clean all the dishes after a meal after you have spent the last hour cooking. We get you, and this is why a good air fryer will solve all your problems.
They are very easy to clean and, due to the fact that they are versatile, they will lower the number of appliances you have to use in order to get the meal done. Sometimes it’s as easy as adding everything to the pot and setting it up! In a couple of minutes, you will have a steaming dinner ready to be served and way fewer dishes to clean! We only see benefits!
#6 Crispy and crunchy food
If your family happens to be an enthusiast of carb-focused foods and head over heels for snacks, then you have all the reasons for which you will love an air fryer here. It happens a lot of the time when you cook frozen, often breaded foods, like onion rings and fish fingers, in an oven that they do not end up as crispy as they could be if you used an oil bath. Sometimes they can even end up unevenly cooked or even burnt on some sides.
With an air fryer, you can say goodbye to all these issues without all the problems (from a logistical and health perspective) that using an oil bath would bring you! This appliance makes sure that all your food gets crisped up correctly and evenly, avoiding any soggy messes and leaving you to serve your friends and family with perfectly golden, crunchy goodness!
Of course, you will need to use a little bit of oil, but it’s nothing compared to if you deep-fried any of these foods: a little spray of cooking oil on the outside, and you will have the perfect crispy food. You will be the envy of the neighborhood at your next BBQ. And the best thing is that you can use it both with fresh and frozen foods, so you don’t have to worry about it. It even works on leftover pizza!
Make sure you’re staying on top of a healthy diet by eating as many of these healthy foods as you can!
Did you know that you can get healthy skin with the help of food?
Many people say that food is medicine for the human body, and it can help us ameliorate or even treat some health affections, depending on the severity.
As you already know, nutrition plays an important role when it comes to your health, and all doctors and food experts say that you should eat nutritious food in order to be healthy and happy.
Eating too many processed foods can damage your metabolism, make you gain weight, and can even affect some organs in your body, such as your liver and your heart. And that’s not all! Unhealthy, sugary, and fatty foods can also impact your biggest organ: the skin.
And who doesn’t want to have healthy, glowy, and dewy skin while also aging beautifully? We’ve talked to a few experts to discover more about the impact food has on your skin, and this is what they’ve told us.
Here are 8 foods you should consume if you want healthy skin!
Photo by Ira Sokolovskaya from shutterstock.com
1. Avocado
Avocado is a delicious fruit that is very rich in antioxidants, fiber, and healthy fats. They contain vitamins C and E, which are known for keeping your skin moisturized, supple, and hydrated. Besides that, these nutrients also help your skin fight damage produced by UV rays, such as wrinkles and dryness.
Several studies have discovered that women who included avocado in their diets noticed that their skin looked healthier, fuller, and more hydrated. There are many ways you can consume this amazing superfood: in smoothies, salads, dressings, as a dip, on toast, as a pudding base, and so many other things.
2. Sunflower seeds
In general, nuts and seeds are a great source of nutrients that are very good for your brain and healthy skin. Sunflower seeds, for instance, are an excellent source of vitamin E, which is a necessary antioxidant for healthy skin. One ounce of this food contains 5.5 grams of protein, and they are packed with vitamin E, zinc, and selenium.
Make sure you consume them raw in order to get all these benefits previously mentioned. If you don’t like the taste, you can sprinkle a tablespoon on your salad for a bit of crunch or combine them with your favorite nuts and dried fruit for a healthy and well-rounded snack.
3. Fatty fish
Besides being very tasty and easy to cook, fatty fish, such as salmon, herring, mackerel, and tuna, are great foods for healthy skin. They contain a lot of omega-3 fatty acids, which are known for keeping your skin glowy and moisturized, and your brain properly functioning.
People who don’t get enough of these nutrients in their diets notice that their skin is more sensitive, dry, and prone to inflammation. Fatty fish contains a lot of protein, zinc, and vitamin E, which are known for being key ingredients when it comes to healthy skin.
A few studies have discovered that fish oil supplements are also great for fighting bacteria and autoimmune conditions that can interfere with your skin, such as lupus and psoriasis.
…Make sure you talk to your doctor before you take any supplements to find the ones that work best for your body’s needs!
Photo by Brent Hofacker from shutterstock.com
4. Broccoli
Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable that contains plenty of minerals and vitamins that play a big role when it comes to healthy skin, including vitamins A and C and zinc. Moreover, it’s very rich in lutein, a carotenoid that is similar to beta carotene and helps protect your skin from severe oxidative damage, which can make your skin wrinkled and dry.
You should aim to eat broccoli weekly because these florets are packed with a lot of special compounds, including sulforaphane, which might help your body prevent some types of skin cancer. And that’s not all! This healthy chemical can also support healthy skin by acting as a protective agent against damages provoked by sun exposure.
It does the work in two ways: neutralizing dangerous free radicals and switching on other helpful and protective systems that are in your body. A few laboratory studies have discovered that sulforaphane reduced the number of skin cells killed by UV light by 29%, and the protection lasted 48 hours.
Green tea is a delicious drink that contains caffeine, but it doesn’t give you all the jittery feelings and anxiety too much caffeine can give to your body. You can sip this drink when you feel like you need a quick boost of energy, and you’ll actually get more than just that!
Green tea is rich in antioxidants that promote healthy skin, protecting it from UV rays damage and keeping it thick and moisturized.
…Make sure to drink green tea plain, without any added milk and sugar, if you want to have healthy skin!
6. Tomatoes
Tomatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C and all of the most important carotenoids, including lycopene. All of these chemicals promote healthy skin and help protect your skin from damaged caused by too much sun exposure.
In order to maintain hydrated and healthy skin, make sure to pair tomatoes with foods that are rich in fat, such as olive oil, cheese, walnuts, and sunflower seeds, because fat helps carotenoids absorb faster.
Photo by Gulsina from shutterstock.com
7. Dark chocolate
If you need a healthy excuse to indulge in a piece of delicious and creamy chocolate, here it is: the effects cocoa has on your skin are pretty remarkable. After 6 to 12 weeks of consuming a cocoa powder that was very high in antioxidants every single day, people who participated in this study noticed that their skin was looking thicker, more hydrated, less scaly and rough, and less sensitive to sunburn.
In addition to all these amazing benefits, they also saw that they had better blood flow, which means that their skin was able to absorb more nutrients.
Make sure to choose dark chocolate that is very rich in cocoa, at least 70%, and that doesn’t have too much sugar!
8. Yellow and red bell peppers
Bell peppers are rich in excellent antioxidants for healthy skin, such as vitamin C and beta carotene. Your body needs vitamin C in order to produce collagen, the structural protein that keeps your skin hydrated and your nails, bones, and hair strong, shiny, and well-nourished.
Just like carrots and sweet potatoes, both yellow and red bell peppers contain a lot of beta carotene, a chemical your body turns into vitamin A. Consuming this vegetable on a regular basis will promote healthy skin and good vision, and it will help your body fight free radicals and also the damage caused by UV rays.
You can combine bell peppers with tomatoes, avocado, and fatty fish, and you’ve got yourself a delicious lunch or dinner recipe that will nourish your body and keep your skin healthy and glowy!
CONCLUSION
These foods don’t guarantee that your skin will look flawless, but they will help improve the appearance of wrinkles, texture, hydration, and elasticity. Diet and lifestyle play a huge role when it comes to healthy skin, so make sure to stick to clean and simple foods, and don’t forget to drink plenty of water!
An allergy occurs when the body’s immune system (defense system) overreacts to exposure to a particular substance, considering it an intruder and sending chemicals into the body to destroy it.
In the case of a food allergy, the body overreacts to certain proteins in food and releases chemicals called histamines, which cause inflammation. It is interesting to note that only protein, not fat or carbohydrates, can trigger this internal war, with unintended consequences and often away from the conflict.
Although they are often confused with food intolerances, food allergies are different, with food intolerances being less severe.
Food allergy symptoms are more common in infants and children but can occur at any age – you may even develop a food allergy that you have been eating for years without any problems. Food allergies affect between 6 and 8% of children under the age of three and almost 5% of adults, and the number of cases is constantly increasing.
These allergies never occur in a food that is newly introduced into our diet! The immune system needs at least two sensitizing contacts so that only from a third or any future contact it can decide that protein is an enemy and make antibodies or cells with memory against it.
Immediate allergic reactions. Food allergies can occur a few minutes after ingesting food. It is an immediate allergic reaction and is mediated by immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies and is the type of reaction that can have the potential for severity up to anaphylactic shock. These types of allergies can be investigated by skin testing or by determining specific blood class E antibodies to immunoglobulins.
Late allergic reactions. Late allergies can also occur more than 6 hours after eating. They are mediated by other types of immune reactions involving memory cells, which will recognize and trigger the signal of allergic inflammation in the tissues. Usually, these cells are highlighted and recognized by biopsy of the lining of the digestive tract.
The symptoms have various forms: oral, gastrointestinal, cutaneous, cardiovascular, systemic manifestations.
Oral manifestations consist of the sensation of paresthesia (numbness, tingling), itching, swelling of the lips and tongue after eating raw foods (fruits, vegetables).
The gastrointestinal manifestations are represented by the sensation of bloating, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. They appear relatively early: 30 minutes to 2 hours after ingestion of the allergenic food. The occurrence of semi-late and late onset is not excluded: from 4-6 hours to 2-4 days, which makes the diagnosis difficult to establish.
The skin manifestations produced by allergens are: urticaria, pruritus, rash, exacerbation of atopic dermatitis. Also described are forms of contact dermatitis in vegetables produced during the handling and peeling of vegetables (celery, potato, horseradish).
The respiratory manifestations are varied: from the nasal ones (rhinorrhea and sneezing) to severe glottic edema, or wheezing.
Cardiovascular manifestations are hypotension, palpitations, and tachyarrhythmias.
Anaphylaxis is a potentially fatal reaction that includes difficulty breathing and inducing shock throughout the body; reactions can affect different parts of the body at the same time (for example, stomach pain accompanied by a rash). Anaphylactic shock can cause the following signs and symptoms: weakness, dizziness, headache, ringing in the ears, or visual disturbances caused by hypotension, which can progress to vascular collapse.
Photo by Kaspars Grinvalds from shutterstock.com
RISK FACTORS
Family history. You have an increased risk of food allergy if you have asthma, eczema or allergies such as hay fever that are common in your family.
Other allergies. If you are already allergic to one food, you increase your risk of becoming allergic to another. Similarly, if you have other types of allergic reactions, such as hay fever or eczema, you increase your risk of getting a food allergy.
Age. Food allergies are more common in children, especially infants and young children. As you are aging, your digestive system matures, and your body is less likely to absorb foods or food compounds that trigger allergies. Fortunately, children develop allergies to milk, soy, wheat and eggs. Severe allergies and allergies to nuts and seafood can last a lifetime.
Asthma. Asthma and a food allergy often occur together. When this happens, it is likely that both the food allergy and the asthma symptoms are severe.
So here are 12 of the most common food allergies:
1. Egg allergy
Egg allergies are very common in children, being in the second place at the top of food allergies at a young age, after the allergy to cow’s milk and derivatives. About 2% of children suffer from this type of food allergy, but fortunately, about 70% of them will be cured by puberty of this allergy.
There is a possibility of transferring protein from the egg through breast milk and thus, this type of allergy may occur even in newborns exclusively breastfed. In the latter case, the recommendation is for the mother to avoid ingesting any product that may contain eggs.
Manifestation of an egg allergy :
Cutaneous – with itching, the appearance of lesions of the eczema / atopic dermatitis type or of the urticarian type with the papules or placards of urticaria or of a rosette also called erythema;
Respiratory – rhinitis / rhinosinusitis may occur with sneezing, profuse watery discharge from the nose, stuffy nose, heaviness in breathing, coughing and even asthma attacks, with heavy breathing and wheezing;
Digestive – abdominal pain / cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea may occur.
2. Cow’s milk allergy
A cow’s milk allergy is one of the most common allergies at an early age, affecting between 2-7.5% of children up to 5 years of age. It occurs a few minutes after the ingestion of milk or dairy products and only in rare cases, within 2-3 days after food administration, a situation in which the cause-effect relationship is not so obvious, requiring further investigation.
Cow’s milk contains fat, lactose and protein. Proteins are responsible for the appearance of allergic phenomena, through a hypersensitivity mechanism in which the immune system considers milk proteins as “enemies” and manufactures antibodies or cells with memory against them, triggering an immune “war” and inflammation of the mucosa.
The proteins responsible for the allergy are: casein alpha and beta lactoglobulin.
3. Peanuts allergy
Peanut allergy symptoms can be life threatening (anaphylaxis). For some people who are allergic to peanuts, even tiny amounts of hazelnuts can cause a serious reaction. Peanut allergies have increased in children. It is important to talk to your doctor even if you have had only a mild allergic reaction to peanuts because there is a risk of a more serious future reaction.
A peanut allergy occurs when the immune system mistakenly treats peanut proteins as harmful. Direct or indirect contact with hazelnuts causes the immune system to release toxins into the bloodstream, causing symptoms.
4. Hazelnuts allergy
Hazelnuts allergies are common in Australia and less common in Europe due to differences in eating habits. The clinical picture is similar to that found in peanut allergy, although the two, peanuts and hazelnuts, are not related, peanuts being vegetables that grow on the ground and peanuts being fruits that grow in trees.
In severe forms with a history of anaphylaxis, self-injecting adrenaline is highly recommended. It is not recommended to introduce hazelnuts in the diet until after the age of one year, both in children with a family history of atopy and even more so in those who have very mild forms of atopic dermatitis after eating peanuts and hazelnuts.
For the latter, it is recommended that the introduction of these foods be done under the careful guidance of a pediatrician or allergist.
5. Seafood allergy
Seafood is a group of small marine animals that can be introduced into the diet in various forms. Most people who are allergic to seafood are allergic to shellfish, and reactions to these foods tend to be more severe.
Thus, doctors may recommend that people allergic to any type of seafood completely eliminate both types from their diet, as there may be contamination or new allergies. The symptoms of seafood allergies are different from person to person and can occur within minutes of ingesting food or even within hours.
6. Fish allergy
Cod, salmon, tuna, eel, and other fish can trigger allergies. These types of allergies are similar to those caused by mollusks, but in this case, there are higher chances that they appear in adulthood, being more difficult to overcome.
Although it is quite severe, a fish allergy is easier to avoid than other types of allergies. The major allergen responsible for triggering allergies is a protein called parvalbumin, which controls the amount of calcium in white meat.
Because parvalbunins are very similar to different species of fish, allergy can occur regardless of the type of fish species. When a sensitive person comes in contact or consumes fish, the allergic reaction and its specific symptoms occur.
7. Wheat allergy
A wheat allergy is an allergic reaction to those foods that contain wheat (a term that designates several species belonging to the genus Triticum). Experts say that allergic reactions can be caused by eating wheat, and in some cases, it can be triggered by inhaling wheat flour.
If you have noticed any symptoms after eating cereal, bread or pasta, if you develop hives or a rash or if you have a stomach ache or if your nose is stuffy or you have a runny nose, you may have a wheat allergy.
Soy is a type of food well known for its capability to cause allergies. In many cases, a soy allergy begins in the early years of life with an allergy to milk formulas that include soy. Although most children are overcoming soy allergies, their manifestations can persist into adulthood.
Most of the time, the signs and symptoms of a soy allergy are mild: hives or itching around the mouth. In rare cases, a soy allergy can even cause serious allergic reactions, which can be life-threatening (anaphylaxis).
9. Corn allergy
A corn allergy is not as common as some other allergic reactions to other types of food, but when it does occur, it can be severe. Symptoms can range from itching, redness and nasal congestion to wheezing, swelling of the throat and even shock (anaphylaxis).
10. Sesame allergy
Sesame allergies may not get as much attention as peanut allergies, but the reactions can be just as serious. Allergic reactions to sesame seeds or sesame oil can be responsible for anaphylaxis. The increase in the number of sesame allergies in recent years may be due to the growing number of products containing sesame seeds and sesame oil.
Sesame oil is considered a healthy cooking oil and is used in a variety of foods, including certain vegetarian dishes, salad dressings, and many dishes from the Middle East and Asia.
11. Celery allergy
Celery is a real storehouse of vitamins, amino acids, minerals, trace elements and beneficial substances that are contained in the leaves, stems and roots of the plant. Due to its pronounced spicy taste, it is able to provide a special piquancy for any dish, so it is often used in cooking.
Despite its undeniable benefits for the body, celery belongs to the category of foods with a high degree of allergens. It can cause increased sensitivity in the body, not only as a food product, but it can also cause contact allergies or even increased sensitivity to plant pollen.
12. Allergy to additives and preservatives
Food additives and preservatives are substances that have the role of giving color, taste and preserving food. Some of them are dyes (tartrazine, carmine, saffron), antioxidants, emulsifiers and stabilizers (gums and lecithin), flavorings (monosodium glutamate, spices and sweeteners), preservatives (benzoate, nitrates and sulfites).
It is not known exactly how these substances cause allergic reactions, and the exact number of people affected is also not known exactly, but it is estimated that over 1% of adults and over 2% of children are affected.
The most common symptoms are hives, angioedema (swelling or edema of a part of the body, often the face, lips, limbs), atopic dermatitis, pruritus and less often, abdominal discomfort, nausea, vomiting, allergic rhinitis or respiratory symptoms.
Dairy milk sales have been going down for years now, as more and more people are opting for plant-based milk and other alternatives for health or dietary reasons. Among the most popular is almond milk.
This kind of milk is made by blending some almonds with water and filtering the mixt to eliminate any solids. Another way is to produce almond milk by combining almond butter and water. It has a creamy texture like milk and a lovely nutty aroma.
As a result, its common among vegans, vegetarians, and lactose-intolerant people. You can find almond milk in many supermarkets. But for health and well-being reasons, we recommend you get the unsweetened kind.
The good thing is that most brands are even reinforced with protein, minerals, and vitamins. Side Note: if you don’t consume any dairy, you should choose products that are fortified with calcium.
Almond milk manufacturers usually draw the milk from skinned almonds, and they strain the mix, eliminating most of the antioxidants and fiber. Also, almond milk gets diluted, making them a less concentrated nutrient source than whole almonds.
As long as you go for the fortified options, the nutritional value should be okay. Still not sure if almond milk is a healthy option for YOU? We’ll look at some of its side effects and benefits. Keep reading to get the details!
…But first, let’s take a look at the nutritional value!
Have you ever wondered if there are any so-called healthy snacks that are not as healthy as they pretend to be? Or how do people seem to believe they are? It happens way more often than we all would like to think.
Maybe the product was intended to be healthier at first, but the end products sometimes end up being jam-packed with ingredients that are just as harmful to our health or they substitute an ingredient for one that is worse in the long run (yes Splenda, we’re looking at you).
Here we have gathered some of the world’s most hailed healthy snacks and explained why they aren’t as good for you as you may think! Be it that you’re trying to lose weight, trying to be a bit healthier, or making more informed choices about what you’re putting into your body, we have got something interesting for you to read!
Let us know if you knew about these perceived healthy snacks and items, or if any of them surprised you!
Photo by Alexandra Anschiz at Shutterstock
#1 Fruit Smoothies
Fruit smoothies are one of the healthier snacks you can get in the afternoon when you need a pick me up. Yet, you should probably steer clear from the store-bought ones as they’re not as good as they may seem. A lot of them have quite a lot of high-fat dairy and very cheap sweeteners to end up getting the pricepoint low, which makes them a calorie and sugar bomb!
Generally speaking, smoothies are really good for you, but you have to make sure you know what is in them, and the safest option is to make them yourself. Yet, if you’re in a pinch and you have to choose, you’re better off just buying the fruit as opposed to getting a store-bought, prepackaged smoothie.
Not to mention, research has shown us that you should eat not drink your fruit, as they’re way more filling if they’re in their solid form. A smoothie may not keep your hunger at bay until dinner, while an actual fruit might, besides the fact that it’s obviously the better healthy snack out of the two!
#2 The Best Workout Healthy Snack: Protein Bars
Would you go and eat a huge piece of cake right after you come off the treadmill or after you come back from a run? Yeah, we didn’t think so. This is why you should be very careful when you’re buying protein bars, as many of them are full of sugar (or alternatives), preservatives, and can have enough calories to cover a complex lunch!
With most brands of protein bars, you’re better off just getting a candy bar or some chocolate, as not all are what they’re made up to be. Which healthy snacks have suspiciously low prices? The unhealthy ones.
#3 Wraps
If you fell for that craze a few years back that claimed that eating wraps was better than eating bread, we have bad news for you. Not only do these wraps hold a lot more calories per portion, as opposed to one slice of bread, but they have been proven by researchers to be linked to weight gain.
Moreover, in order for them to be able to stay malleable and not dry out after you open the pack, they have a lot of added fat, which is generally in the form of hydrogenated oils or soybean oil. They’re pretty bad for your health, so if you find yourself eating a wrap as a healthy snack more often than not, you should consider changing it to a normal sandwich. Depending on the type of bread you’re going for, it’ll be actually healthier: we recommend this one for an amazing sandwich!
Image By Sheila Fitzgerald From Shutterstock
#4 100-calorie Packs
These tiny portions of your guilty pleasure snack may seem like a great idea to just satisfy an itch of a craving or if you are trying to make sure you don’t end up eating a whole pack of the full version. However, it’s just a good idea in theory, as researchers have found out that it may end up tricking your mind into eating more.
A lot of us buy these when we are trying to lose weight but still feel like getting a healthy snack, but in reality, these mini-packs don’t do much. It’s because they give the impression that they’re small potions and they will not have much of an impact on your life. This leads to a lot of people thinking that because they are so small, they have fewer calories, and seem to be portion-controlled, they won’t matter much if you eat more than one pack at a time.
Unfortunately, this leads to overeating and one pack never stays just one. Many people reported that they ended up eating several packs, and in the end, they ate way more than if they had gotten a regular-sized pack to begin with. This healthy snack is not unhealthy due to what is in it, but rather because of how it can trick you into eating more accidentally.
You’re better off getting a few biscuits out of the regular pack than risking falling for the allure of these mini packs!
#5 Veggie Chips
Unfortunately, the healthy version of chips isn’t actually that much different from the regular version. These healthy snacks aren’t actually made from whole vegetables, like the photo on the bag might try to tell you, but rather out of vegetable flour; they’re pulverized vegetable flour which is then mixed with salt and oil in order to get that perfect chip shape.
Truthfully, while tasty, they’re not much different than normal chips, and if you’re looking for a healthy snack, these might not be the answer. You can always just choose to munch on some carrot slices, maybe some edamame, or even indulge in some wheat crackers with peanut butter (two tablespoons max), for a healthier alternative!
#6 Craisins
Don’t get us wrong, we aren’t saying that dried fruit is bad for your health! But that is only when consumed in moderation and when people don’t end up eating a tub of them in one sitting. They’re generally a great addition to salads or an amazing healthy snack filled with fiber! However, some of them might actually just be candy due to how they are processed, and unfortunately, craisins are one of them.
Generally, there is more sugar in dried fruit than there is in their normal state, with the addition that some of the dried fruit you buy off the shelf is also coated in sugar by the manufacturers! That’s concentrated sugar-coated in more sugar, and truly, you’re better off just eating the fresh fruit. It’s not as inconvenient as some make it out to be and it’s definitely a healthy snack!
Image By MarinaMos From Shutterstock
#7 Sugar-free snacks
A lot of us have been fooled by labels to think that sugar-free snacks are healthier alternatives to normal snacks due to the lowered sugar content. However, it has been proven by researchers that artificial sweeteners are linked to increased weight gain since they end up fooling your body into craving more carbs.
Not only that, but many of these so-called sugar-free “healthy snacks” may contain the substance they claim to be free of!
According to the standard, they can have up to 0.5 g of sugar and still be considered sugar-free. If you’re craving something sweet, it’s better to just moderately eat whatever you’re craving, despite the sugar, but eat it in moderation rather than reach for these.
#8 Cereal Bars
If you are used to reaching out to these as an easy and healthy snack option, especially if you are on the go, thinking it’s the better option for your body, then we have very bad news for you! They are not that different from the snacks people love to hate on; they’re actually just as bad as candies or chocolate, but people who preach the importance of healthy snacks like to ignore this fact.
Most of them are loaded with sugar, and they are actually no healthier than a biscuit, a cookie, or even a chocolate bar. They are packed with glucose and, at times, if you’re not reading the label carefully, they don’t have enough fiber or protein to offset the high amount of sugar, so it will not keep you full until the next full meal.
If anything, after they are eaten as a substitute for breakfast, they are more likely to give you a blood sugar crash than leave you full until lunch.
#9 Rice Cakes
While they have become a staple of healthy snacks, especially when it comes to people who are trying to lose some extra pounds, they aren’t the end-all, be-all alternative snack that they are made up to be!
While they aren’t full of salt or oil, they are quite notorious for ranking high on the glycemic index. That list is the one that measures how fast certain foods make your blood rise on a scale from one to 100, and our friends the rice cakes have a high rank of 82!
Surely, they aren’t as high as other snacks, but it’s something to keep in mind. Especially since researchers have found out that foods with a high glycemic index can cause excessive hunger and increase the activity in the part of the brain that causes cravings.
These are the perfect foods that will make you crave more and more, eventually leading to overeating, which makes them qualified to be knocked down a peg when it comes to being hailed as extra healthy!
Since we’re on a debunking myth spree and giving you some healthy food advice, read more about these delicious foods that will not make you gain weight here!
