Not so Healthy ‘Health Foods’ Could Hurt Your Fitness Goals

Believe it or not, healthy and fit are actually two different things. Sure, you absolutely have to be healthy in order to be fit, but being healthy doesn’t really mean being in shape- not the kind of shape most people want to be in. Knowing that fact is important to remember when selecting a meal plan, and preparing foods. If you want to see muscles and a chiseled physic, then you need to drop the idea that healthy means good for you, at least aesthetically speaking. Some of the healthiest foods are not good for your waistline and lean muscles. Know what to look out for and steer clear of when it comes to planning your meals in order to build muscle without packing on the fat.

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Yogurt

Physique Builders: A great white that’s brimming with very high quality protein, gut-friendly bacteria, testosterone boosting zinc and bone strengthening calcium. Still controversial, some studies have found an inverse relationship between dairy consumption and body fat. Physique Killers: Sugar and processed fruit is yogurt’s (and your midsections) arch nemesis. Flavored versions can have enough of the added sweet stuff – up to 80% of its total calories – to cause unwanted blood sugar surges, a scenario that triggers the release of extra insulin, which encourages the body to store fat. More gooey jam at the bottom also means less protein.

Wise Play: Stick with plain yogurt and add your own fruit, if needed, for a bit of more nutritious sweetness. With only 40 calories in half a cup, antioxidant-rich blueberries are a good side-kick. If you just can’t bring yourself to part with the sweetened stuff, get your fix post-workout when increased insulin levels are favorable for muscle growth.

Tuna

Physique Builders: Jam packed with protein, eat enough tuna and you won’t have to fish for compliments when it comes to those big guns. Superhero omega-3 fats can help your body burn fat and keep it a well-oiled machine.
Physique Killers: Wolf down a can drowning in oil and you’ll reel in 150 extra lackluster calories. Not to be overlooked, your albacore (solid white) tuna might be swimming in mercury – a potent neurotoxin. Yikes.

Wise Play: Save calories by building a sandwich with tuna packed in water. Choose chunk-light tuna for lower mercury levels or select the more flavorful albacore version from smaller companies that test for mercury.

Fruit Juice

Physique Builders: “Juice can be a great source of vitamin C and other antioxidants that are needed to repair oxidative muscle cell damage that occurs during exercise,” says Florida-based sports dietitian and Orlando Magic nutritionist Tara Gidus.

Physique Killers: Gidus points out that, as a concentrated sugar source without the slow-digesting fiber found in the originating whole fruit, too much juice can send blood glucose levels on a Rocky Mountain high followed by a big fall, leaving you famished on the hunt for the nearest vending machine.

Wise Play: Choosing 100 percent juices over sugar waters labeled “fruit drink” guarantees your body more antioxidants with less added sweet stuff. Consider exploring your feminine side, as University of Florida researchers determined that pure pink grapefruit juice has more nutrients per calorie than other common nectars.

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Building a muscular frame is very hard work- it takes commitment both at the gym and the dinner table. Eating the right kinds of foods is every bit as important as doing the right kinds of workouts. For many, choosing the right foods can be very confusing. Even food groups with good muscle building foods also contain some really bad stuff for you. All food isn’t created equal either- for instance, don’t think for one minute that yogurt is ‘good’ just because it’s ‘yogurt’…

Which brings us to our first deceptive food- yogurt. Yogurt in its most natural form is loaded with protein, good bacteria, zinc, and calcium- so what’s wrong with that? To start, dairy is linked to increased body fat- and not to mention heart disease and cancer, but we’ll let you make that call. Now, we said that yogurt in its pure state had good elements, but that’s not always the case for processed and pre-mixed products- think those little pre-portioned cups with ‘fruit’ in the refrigerated section of the grocery isle.

Then there’s tuna, once again in its pure state it is actually really healthy, but not many of us actually eat fresh tuna. The tuna most American’s eat is packaged in oil, and usually drowning in mercury. If you must have tuna, pay extra special attention to what it’s packaged in to save those calories.

Finally, we have fruit juice- the name itself is a huge lie. Most juices have nothing like fruit in them at all! The majority of juices are loaded with sugars and artificial flavoring. We think that making fresh juice from the fruits you choose (and throw in a vegetable or two for extra healthy points) is the best way to go here.
Are any of these foods currently occupying your dinner table? Let us know how you plan to replace them!

Learn about a weight lifters diet in this video…