Top 3 Unhealthy Things To Watch Out For In Food
(And how we can help)
Healthy eating can be a minefield these days, we know! ‘Eat as many carbs as you can’ says one source. ‘Avoid carbs altogether’ says another – totally skipping the fact that most of us only have a vague idea of what a ‘carb’, or carbohydrate, actually is anyway! And it seems that, every week or two, a new ‘superfood’ bursts onto the market that we simply must be having. But what about the 6 ‘must have’ superfoods we bought last week?!
Sorting through all the contradicting claims and reams of new information can be exhausting, so we wanted to break it down into something nice and simple – just three things to be thinking about when you’re choosing what to eat. * Most of us already know this stuff, but the simple things sometimes get lost in the whirlwind of ‘What should I be eating?!’ Be mindful of your consumption of the following three things, and you’re a big step ahead in the healthy eating game!
Be sure to read through to the end to see how we can help you step up your healthy eating plan.
The Not So Healthy Foods To Eat In Moderation
- Sugar – Addictions are something none of us want, and sugar is literally addictive. Excess sugar triggers a dopamine rush to the brain, which spikes a huge ‘feel good’ factor, but this can only be recreated through higher and higher doses of sugar. And higher and higher doses of sugar put more and more strain on your pancreas, liver, kidneys and heart. (See this article for more on the specific effects of excess sugar.)
Sugar is a sneaky one and comes labeled as many different things, in foods you wouldn’t necessarily suspect. Common alternative names for sugar include: corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, fruit juice concentrates, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, invert sugar, lactose, maltose, malt syrup, raw sugar, sucrose, sugar syrup, cane crystals, cane sugar, crystalline fructose, evaporated cane juice, corn syrup solids, malt syrup. Watch out for them! - Salt – According to the School of Public Health at Harvard University, the excess consumption of salt (aka ‘sodium’), puts strain on the kidneys, increases fluid retained in the body, and increases blood pressure. Increased blood pressure puts more strain on the heart and will eventually lead to stiffer blood cells, which is one of the precursors to heart attack and stroke.
‘People can make a key dietary change to help lower their risk: Eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, which are naturally high in potassium and low in sodium—and eat less bread, cheese, and processed meat, as these and other processed foods are high in sodium and low in potassium.’ – source: Health Risks and Disease related to Salt and Sodium.
- Fat – Fat, the dreaded ‘f’ word! You’ve probably heard by now that there are ‘good fats’ and ‘bad fats’, but which one is which? ‘Good fats’, also known as ‘unsaturated fats’ such as the fats found in many nuts, vegetable oils, avocados, and fatty fish such as salmon are actually beneficial for your health when consumed in moderation.It’s the ‘bad fats’, or ‘saturated fats’ and ‘artificial trans fats’, that clog arteries, contribute to heart disease, and are linked with colon and prostate cancer. Saturated fats are found in animal products – meat, dairy, eggs. While artificial trans fats are found in heavily processed food, often named on the label as ‘partially hydrogenated fat’. Both of these types of fats are ones to cut down on in order to find and maintain good health. More information can be found in the article Good Fats vs Bad Fats: Get the Skinny on Fat.
How did you go? Did you already know all of these? Was it good to get a little reminder of the top three unhealthy things to watch out for in your everyday eating?
We know you have the best intentions, but sometimes finding the time and inspiration to cook fresh, healthy meals that are light on sugar, salt, and fat is hard. And we know you probably don’t normally associate vending machines with the words ‘fresh’, ‘healthy’, ‘clean eating’, but we like to break the moulds!
Earlier this year, Gecko Vending partnered with the cutting-edge, fresh, and healthy meal provider YouFoodz to offer a massive leap forward in Australian vending machine experiences. Now you can not only get your snacks and beverages from a Gecko Vending machine, you can find healthy, fresh options for literally every meal of the week. Click here to check out the reaction from radio station Triple M Brisbane’s team when a YouFoodz healthy meals vending machine was installed in their workplace.
Click here to get more info on our YouFoodz’ offerings. And call us on 0417 779 562 or email info@geckovending.com.au to get the healthy food revolution rolling in your workplace!
* Disclaimer: We sell a wide variety of food in a wide variety of vending machine options, we’re not dieticians. But healthier customers are happier customers, and we’re invested in you being a happy customer, so we’re putting the time in to bring you what we hope is helpful information. For specific dietary advice, please see a qualified professional.
