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Time to rethink your breakfast…
Make these diet mistakes, and you could be turning health food into junk food!
Of course superfoods like spinach and blueberries are amazing for you. But that doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed nutritional powerhouses. Fry them in tons of oil or load ’em up with sugary stuff, and you basically negate all of their health effects. Here, Elizabeth Somer, author of Eat Your Way Sexy, explains six ways you may be sabotaging your superfoods.
READ MORE: 7 ‘Regular’ Foods You Probably Didn’t Know Were Also Superfoods
1. You Get Salmon Tempura
The popular fish is so healthy on its own: It’s filled with omega-3s, EPA, and DHA, all of which lower your risk of heart disease, depression, memory loss, and possibly even Alzheimer’s. But battering and frying the fish eliminates all of those benefits. Pass on the tempura, and go for salmon sashimi or a fresh salmon and avocado roll instead.
2. You Start Your Morning With A Blueberry Muffin
Blueberries are known to boost brainpower, and they’re high in antioxidants, too. Reach for a blueberry muffin, though, a whole bunch of refined grains, sugar, and butter – and the good-for-you stuff gets overpowered by junk. Enjoy the little guys solo or in your cereal to get the better breakfast effect.
3. You Leave Your Spinach In the Fridge For Too Long
Popeye’s fave veggie is high in vitamin C and folate, a vitamin that lowers your cancer risk. However, if you let the green stuff sit in the fridge for too long (or cook it for too long), you lose its benefits. Eat it fresh (it loses more nutrients every day it’s sitting around), and eat it cold (hotter temps literally melt away the nutrients).
READ MORE: These Are Officially The 8 Best Teas For Your Health
4. You’re Obsessed With Falafels
The old saying “beans, beans, good for your heart” is totally true. Legumes contain zinc, iron, and lots of B vitamins, not to mention water, fibre, and protein (a perfect trifecta for weight loss). Sadly, when you fry them (think falafel balls at your go-to Mediterranean spot), you totally lose all of those nutrients. Go for un-fried versions of the legumes, like a hummus wrap or a fresh black bean burrito.
5. You Opt For Sugary Yoghurts
Yoghurt is rich in probiotics and has lots of calcium, protein, and occasionally Vitamin D. But that’s only when you stick with plain, nonfat, or low-fat varieties. The flavoured ones (like fruit on the bottom and all those crazy toffee flavours) can have as much sugar as a whole candy bar! If you need some sweetness to enjoy your yogurt, add fresh fruit or a bit of honey.
6. You Buy Bottled Green Tea
You’re at quick shop, and you reach for green tea, thinking you’re being all virtuous and healthy. But even though the tea in its raw form is rich in polyphenols that help lower your risk for heart disease and cancer, the bottled kind is essentially one big sugar bomb, which makes all of its goodness go out the window. Brew it yourself, or be extra careful to get the unsweetened kind in bottles.
Make your morning meal count – these are the best, healthiest cereals to eat for breakfast right now.
