Special Weight Loss Series
5 Fake 'Superfoods' That Are Actually Making People Fat
I struggled with my weight for years, and then I discovered these supposed superfoods were the problem

PLUS: The replacement superfoods you should be taking 
to melt away belly fat
Exclusive Report For Healthy Life
Frustrated with your weight loss goals?  Read this, you might be eating 
a 'superfood' that is making you fatter.
by Linda Robinson, Health & Diet Expert

I used to struggle with my weight.  Especially around my hips, butt, and belly.

After giving birth to two kids who weighed over 9lbs each, a busy life with a full time job, and a million activities on weekends with family, I found it really hard to lose weight and keep it off.

I hated going to the beach or tropical vacations knowing I would have to wear clothing that revealed a body I was ashamed of.

The worst part was I felt like I was eating healthy.  I had reduced carbs, and was eating what a lot of experts were calling 'superfoods'.

We hear that certain superfoods can help you lose weight, boost your immune system, and help you have healthy skin.

There are indeed many superfoods out there, but as with anything the term gets abused.

Many of them are high in sugars or hormones that can actually work against us in our quest to shed pounds.

So I started doing some research on these foods.  As a writer and researcher I wanted to know why I, and so many others, were struggling to lose weight on a supposedly healthy diet.

I wanted to know was really in these superfoods and, more importantly, what they were really doing to my body.

What I found out about some of them shocked me.

So I quit the bad superfoods cold turkey, and what happened next shocked me even more.
When I cut out these supposedly healthy superfoods, I was shocked when the weight simply melted away.
This is what I look like now (I don't show ANYONE my 'before' photos)
So what were these superfoods and why were they keeping me fat?

Read on...
1: Beef and Chicken Laced With Hormones
Most cattle are pumped full of drugs that could be destroying your weight loss efforts
You've probably heard that protein is actually good for you and helps you lose weight.

Well that's 100% true - IF you are eating the right protein.

Unfortunately most of our factory-raised meats are pumped full of hormones.

These hormones have the exact opposite effect on your metabolism that you're looking for if you're trying to lose weight.(1)

These hormones have been shown to spike your insulin levels, much like sugary and carb-heavy snacks do.  

When your insulin levels spike, your body will store excess sugars in the blood stream as fat around in your belly and hips.

So it's important for weight loss and general health to both reduce carbohydrate and sugar intake AND eat meats that are free of hormones.
Instead: Try Grass-Fed Meat Free of Hormones and 
Specific Protein Supplements

There's a very good reason most doctors and nutritionists are recommending grass-fed and organic proteins.

These hormone-free proteins won't affect your insulin levels.  

And there is a lot of research that shows a high-protein diet is the best for weight loss.

I also recommend a healthy, hormone free protein supplement shake mix.

Since eating a high protein diet often involves a lot of cooking, it's essential to find a fast protein supplement that tastes great and has no sugar.

This one is my favorite, and helped me lose 56 pounds after I had a my kids.
2: 'Green' Juice Drinks
When you see the sugar contents of these drinks you might pass out.
The 'green superfood' health craze has spawned a lot of fake superfoods.  

Chief among them are these premixed juices that you find in the beverage aisle in convenience and grocery stores.

They plaster the labels with a lot of healthy looking stuff like broccoli, kale, and spinach.  

But if you look closely at the label, they're really just soda-pop dressed up as a health drink.

A really egregious example is Naked Juice's Green Machine.  

This 'green juice' has a whopping 28 grams of sugar in a measly 8 ounce bottle.

That's about as much on an ounce-per-ounce basis as a can of Pepsi.

I guess we shouldn't be surprised since Naked Juice is owned by...drumroll.. Pepsi.

But smaller brands like Bolthouse Farms Daily Greens juice have up to 30 grams of sugar.  

That's about 8 teaspoons of sugar in just 8 ounces of liquid!

Even worse many other 'health food' makers hide sugar content with names like dextrose, barley malt, rice syrup, agave nectar, cane juice, and fruit juice.  

Make no mistake: these are all sugars and affect your body almost the exact same way as good old fashioned table sugar. 
Instead: There Are Green Drinks With Plenty of Veggies, Taste Great and Have Zero Sugar

Fortunately there are healthy green drinks out there.

Most of them taste like lawn clippings fermented in a rancid fish pond.  

That is indeed why most of those green-drink makers pump their beverages full of sugar - so they'll sell more to unsuspecting consumers who are driven mostly by taste.

For a great-tasting green drink with plenty of greens and a nice dose of spirulina and chlorella that can boost energy and your immune system (believe me I've tried them all) I really like this one.
3: Whole Grains
We've been told for decades that whole grains are good for you, 
but they are probably wrecking your gut - and causing belly fat
Whole wheat is often recommended as a healthy alternative to refined wheat.  We're told 'If you do eat grains, eat whole grains.'

Well it's true whole wheat is, at the very least, "less bad" than refined wheat.

But one of the main problems with most whole grain foods is that they aren't made from actual whole grains. It's a marketing ploy.

Almost without exception, the grains have been pulverized into very fine flour that is just as easily digestible and spikes blood sugar just as fast as the refined grains.

In fact, whole wheat bread has a glycemic index (a measure of how quickly foods spike blood sugar) that is just as high as regular old white bread.

Putting these grains in your body can wreck your digestive tract because they feed the 'bad' bacteria in your gut while starving the 'good' bacteria.

Plus, they can make you gain weight as the carbohydrates are converted into fat.
Instead: Consume Foods That Support 
The Good Bacteria In Your Gut

You've no doubt heard that probiotics are good for your immune system, cutting down inflammation, and even improving mood.

What you probably didn't know is that a recent study showed that women who took probiotics during a 6 months study lost 208% more weight than women who didn't.(2)

And it showed that the women who took probiotics kept the weight off much better than the others.

I really don't enjoy taking fist fulls of pills every day, so I enjoy this shake mix that has a huge dose of probiotics in it.
4: Soy Products
As dairy allergies became more prevalent, soy products gained popularity.
But they have a huge downside.
Dairy has become a big problem for a lot of people, including me.

Allergies for dairy-based products are skyrocketing as our dairy cows get pumped full of more and more chemicals and hormones.

Plus with rise in plant-based diets, people are looking for protein alternatives.

So millions of people are turning to soy products.

But here's the problem:

More than seventy years of studies on soy products show their adverse effects on the thyroid.(3)

Most often this shows up as hypothyroidism with its symptoms of weight gain, fatigue, lethargy and malaise. 

Soy is also naturally high in estrogen.

In layman's terms, like the beef and chicken problem above, soy can affect your hormones in a very negative way.  

And when we started messing with our hormones, the effects are wide ranging and often negative.
Instead: Try Pea Protein

Pea protein is something I had never heard of until a few years ago.

I was initially confused by pea protein's health claims because peas and soybeans seem so biologically similar.  

But it turns out that pea protein has no effect on your hormone levels whatsoever and contains no estrogen.(4)

That's why, in order to stave off hunger and build new lean muscle, I supplement my diet with organic pea protein.
5: Smoothies 
Most people make smoothies more like dessert than breakfast or lunch.
I know so many people that start their day with a smoothie.

The idea is that if you drink a mix of fruit and vegetables every morning instead of sugary cereals or granola you'll get a healthy dose of nutrients and shed pounds at the same time.

The problem is not smoothies so much as how most people make them.

Most smoothie drinkers load them up with pineapple juice, apple juice, orange juice or other sweet juices to mask the (often horrible) flavor of the veggies.

Make no mistake, these fruits contain sugar (usually fructose and glucose) that can still spike your insulin levels and be converted into fat.

If you're making smoothies with whole fruit, you're getting the fiber that comes along with that fruit which has been shown to help the body excrete sugars more efficiently.

But if weight loss is your ultimate goal, I would remove the fruit entirely from your smoothie recipe.
Instead: Make Healthy Smoothies That Destroy Fat

Of course if you remove fruit from your smoothies, you'll have a mixture that tastes something like grass clippings and pond scum.

To counter the taste of veggie smoothies I use a high-protein shake mix with a healthy dose of veggies and probiotics.  

This one in particular tastes so good and mixes so well I often don't even add anything to it.  I just throw it in a shaker with some almond milk or water and ice and off I go on my day.

by Linda Robinson is a mother, writer and health researcher from Virginia

Recent Facebook Comments:
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Nicole Lowe
I asked my doctor about some of these and he confirmed.  Going to try this pea protein
Like   Reply    2 hours ago
Camile Bridget
Have tried a lot of different protein drinks this does everything they say it will do. I have a thyroid problem & have had a really hard time losing weight. Started using this product & have lost about 7 pounds in 2 weeks. Would & have recommended this product to anyone. Very happy with this product will be ordering more.
Like   Reply    1 hour ago
Dorothy Ramsey
I agree, a good protein powder has helped me lost 17 pounds in two weeks.   Going to try this protein tho for sure, I do feel hungry quite often and I don't feel like cooking during the day.
Like   Reply    47 minutes ago
Janinne Simpson
Which protein is everyone talking about?
Like   Reply    38 minutes ago
Jessica McCarthy
Like   Reply    24 minutes ago
Jessica McCarthy
I was always hungry on keto, and that keto flu thing is very real.  A good protein and probiotics mix really helps.
Like   Reply    34 minutes ago
Melissa Jergenson
Glad I found this, I've been using American Naturel Superfood for 6 months and steadily losing weight.  50 pounds and still going!!!  If you add in a protein mix it really does help.
Like   Reply    22 minutes ago
Jeanne Simpson
Wow congratulations!!  What did you use?
Like   Reply    8 minutes ago
Melissa Jergenson
American Natural Superfood along with cutting way down on carbs.  I just walk for exercise, sometimes yoga. I have a cheat day once a week where I eat anything, but more and more I don't even need the cheat day.  Feeling fit is better than any cheat meal I could ever have!
Like   Reply    2 minutes ago
Julie Davis Watkins
I like the low carb diet but get bored with the menu options.  Having a meal shake really helps, going to try this one you suggest thank you.  Agree on the smoothies, my son will only drink them if they have pineapple juice and then he bounces off the wall like he's had a candy bar lol
Like   Reply    17 minutes ago 
Veronica Nelson-Smythe
Surprised to see whole grain on here!!!  Have to do some research...
Like   Reply    14 minutes ago
Debbie Grishow Pedersen
Soy is awful
Like   Reply    5 minutes ago
Maria C. Torez
I agree I've lost a ton of weight by switching to grass fed beef
Like   Reply    5 minutes ago
Josie Trujillo
I take care of my little granddaughter twice a week. I make a shake w protein shake and almond milk and banana and ice. We both love it! And it helps to know I'm giving her something nutritious in the morning.  
Like   Reply    3 minutes ago
Cynthia Lewis
I had the same experience you lose weight fast when you cut out this stuff.  You just need to supplement it with a filling drink or else you're cooking 3 meals a day.  No one has time for that. Going to try this superfood now.
Like   Reply    1 minute ago

Sources:
    1. Velasquez-Mieyer, P., Cowan, P., Arheart, K., Buffington, C., Spencer, K., Connelly, B., … Lustig, R. (2003). Suppression of insulin secretion is associated with weight loss and altered macronutrient intake and preference in a subset of obese adults. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders : Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, 27(2), 219–226. http://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.802227
    2. Sanchez, M., Darimont, C., Panahi, S., Drapeau, V., Marette, A., Taylor, V. H., … Tremblay, A. (2017). Effects of a Diet-Based Weight-Reducing Program with Probiotic Supplementation on Satiety Efficiency, Eating Behaviour Traits, and Psychosocial Behaviours in Obese Individuals. Nutrients, 9(3), 284. http://doi.org/10.3390/nu9030284

    3. Smithran P., Prendergast, L. A., Delbridge, E., Purcell, K., Shulkes, A., Kriketos, A., Proietto, J. (2011). Long-Term Persistence of Hormonal Adaptations to Weight Loss. New England Journal of Medicine, 365:1597-1604.

    4. Doucet E, St-Pierre S, Alméras N, Després JP, Bouchard C, Tremblay A. Evidence
    for the existence of adaptive thermogenesis during weight loss. Br J Nutr. 2001
    Jun;85(6):715-23. PubMed PMID: 11430776.

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