Marla Ahlgrimm: Put Down The Granola

If you believe the television, there are plenty of foods out there that are super healthy. According to Marla Ahlgrimm, women are especially targeted by food manufacturers hoping to capitalize on our body insecurities. But before you start filling your pantry with yogurt and granola, read this. Here, will take a quick look at foods that aren’t as healthy as the voice over on that commercial might lead you to believe.

Flavored yogurt

To be fair, it Greek yogurt is one of the healthiest foods in the dairy aisle. But when you start adding sugars, Marla Ahlgrimm says you negate most of the health benefits. A small package of fruit-flavored yogurt may contain 20 or more grams of sugar.

Diet sodas

According to Marla Ahlgrimm, diet soda is usually sweetened with aspartame or other artificial sugar-mimicking the product. Unfortunately, there are a few different ways that this can mess with your mind and the scale. First, artificial sweeteners are known to cause a significant spike in insulin. This, in turn, turns calories into fat. Another way that non-sugar sweets get you is that they trick your mind into believing you’ve eaten less than you have.

Granola

Homemade granola can provide you with tons of fiber, says Marla Ahlgrimm. But, like flavored yogurt, this is another so-called health food that’s more sugar than anything else.

Pretzels

Who doesn’t love the crunch of a good pretzel or the warm chewiness of a soft pretzel from the mall? Marla Ahlgrimm says, however, that while we appreciate that giant pretzels probably aren’t healthy, most of us strongly believe that the tiny twists are a better alternative to potato chips. Unfortunately, this is wrong, and these small snacks pack a powerful punch of sodium and refined flour. Enjoy a handful, but put the bag away.