12 Foods That You Think Are Good For You That Are ACTUALLY Slowly Killing You

You know when you say, "Mom I'm hungry" and she tells you to "eat something healthy" **one of the following quick and seemingly healthy snacks** well Mother does not always know best because these foods are killing you slowly.

Granola Bars

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These quick, easy, and delicious snacks may seem like the perfect on-the-go "healthy" snack—but only if you take out the outrageous amounts of added sugar and saturated fat. Opt for a granola bar with natural sweeteners, and avoid the ones with a grocery list of sugary ingredients.

Frozen Yogurt

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The next time you strut into a frozen yogurt shop thinking this is the best invention since kale, you may want to think again. During the freezing process of froyo, the yogurt loses many healthy bacterias that are found in a standard yogurt, making it a less effective probiotic for you to consume. Meanwhile, it has a much as 17 grams of added sugar per half cup of yogurt, not including the various toppings of sugary sweets and chocolate drizzle offered at froyo shops. Although many believe that frozen yogurt is better for you because it has less fat than ice cream, this isn’t always a good thing. Fat found in foods can slow the body's digestion of sugar, equaling a more satisfied feeling after eating it, and you won't experience the same blood sugar spike you would if you’d consumed froyo.

Deli Meat

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There’s nothing better than turkey, lettuce, tomato and mayo sandwich on a Sunday afternoon in front of a ball game right? Guess again. Deli meats have been found to have strong links to cardiovascular disease and lead to extreme blood clots. Studies from the World Health Organization have also shown an increase in all sorts of cancers including colorectal with the regular consumption of deli meat. Instead, why don’t you reach for a chicken and egg sandwich with avocado instead of mayo.

Dried Fruit

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Although dried fruit is a great source of fiber it is high in sugar and calories. According to Harvard Medical School eating dried fruit in excess can lead to weight gain, and no one wants that. Another downfall to dried fruit is that it is smaller than fresh fruit and therefore it is easier to consume in large quantities meaning you’re intaking way more calories and sugar than you want to be, for eating a “healthy” snack. So just remember fresh is always better.

Diet Coke

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Bubble Trouble! Diet Coke is made with artificial sweetener which is at least 250 times sweeter than real sugar and it tricks your body and can make you crave sweeter and sweeter things. Diet Coke is also linked to weight gain according to CNN Diet Coke can significantly increase your risk of the top three killers in the United States: diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Diet is a misleading word because Diet Coke will only lead you to need to be on a diet.

Trail Mix

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You may think trail mix looks healthy due to the presence of nuts and dried fruit, but it’s not all about looks here. Each handful of trail mix is packed with extra salted nuts, sugared covered raisins, and dense chocolate pieces, averaging 300+ calories! Instead, try a small handful of unsalted nuts to satisfy your hunger and while receiving a gracious amount of protein, for half the calories and zero additives.

Lean Cuisine

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With names like ‘Lean Cuisine,’ and ‘Healthy Choice,’ these products make it seem like they’re the perfect answer to all your diet needs. But many of these frozen meals have preservatives to keep them fresh longer, and lack many micronutrients and vitamins essential. Although they are usually low in calories, many are high in added sugars, which can lead to diabetes, obesity and other health issues. Read the ingredients for words including sugar, dextrose, or chemical names you can't pronounce.

Gatorade

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If you’re skipping the gym, skip the gatorade. Gatorade is known for its healthy presence of electrolytes, crucial after a strenuous workout. But what they don’t tell you is it’s loaded with refined sucrose syrups and food additives to provide that desirable visual appeal and thirst quenching flavor. Gatorade may be a great source of hydration if you’re training for a triathlon, but during a regular workout, your body does not benefit from bottles of pretty colored liquid packed with sodium and sugar.

Pretzels

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Ahh… a nice crunchy pretzel, the healthy alternative to chips right? Wrong. Pretzels and pretzel rods often have the same amount of salt and sodium as most chips. Americans often consume more than twice the daily amount of sodium that we should and it has led to increase high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. Find yourself a low sodium bag of pretzels and get busy crunching.

Milk

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For most parents, skim milk would be the healthy alternative, thinking they’d lose the saturated fat of whole milk. They’d be wrong however, according to a Swedish study, children who drank skim milk gained more weight than that of children who drank 1% or whole milk. So parents, let your kids have that whole milk but no more than a glass a day for more than that can cause issues of more calcium than vitamin D which can lead to increase bone fractures.

Peanut Butter

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If you’re not stirring your peanut butter before you eat it you shouldn’t be eating it. There is a common misconception that ALL peanut butter is good for you and that’s just not true. Peanut butter is a relatively unprocessed food but the problem is that brands like Skippy and Jif have added unnecessary things added to them like sugar, and some brands even have xylitol, which can kill your dog. So if you’re scared to feed something to your dog why would you want to eat it?

Potatoes

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Potatoes may technically be considered a vegetable, but they are definitely excluded from Harvard's Healthy Eating Plate due to their high glycemic load. Your body digests potatoes quite fast causing blood sugar levels to raise and fall rapidly. Researchers at Harvard found that eating one cup of potatoes has the same effect on blood sugar as drinking a can of soda, or eating a handful of jelly beans. For these reasons, many have transferred these suckers to their ‘do not eat’ list.