A well known saying goes like “you are what you eat”. What this message is trying to tell you is that if you eat healthy food, you will be healthy and if you choose unhealthy food, you will not be so healthy. When it comes to food, people like you and I have so many options. Right from childhood, we have been warned about foods that are not healthy for us and must be avoided as much as possible. There are some foods that experts say is bad for health. But, were these experts always right? Now it seems like they weren’t.
There are some foods that have gotten bad reputation over the years, but these foods are not as unhealthy as you think they are. Here, we list down 5 unhealthy foods that are actually healthy for you.
Dark Chocolate
Once regarded as one of the unhealthiest food on Earth, dark chocolate has its benefits too. Dark chocolate contains antioxidants and disease fighting flavenoids in hefty amounts. In addition, they are high in magnesium which reduces water retention and prevents mood swings in women. Eating dark chocolate during the time of the month also releases endorphins which reduce anxiety. Some studies have found that they can help lower cholesterol levels in the body and improve blood flow to help prevent heart diseases.
Popcorn
Depending on how your popcorn is prepared, it can be a healthy snack. The best way to prepare your popcorn is using a stove or a popcorn maker. Sprinkle a little olive oil and quality sea salt and you have a bag of healthy snack to munch on. However, it is important to avoid microwave popcorn and the bagfuls that you get in cinemas. Popcorns are loaded with nutrients. When the goodness of whole grains, fiber and polyphenols are combined, the not so healthy snack becomes a healthy one.
Cheese
You may have heard that cheese is not good for you. While this is true to some extent, there is no reason for you to avoid them completely. Cheese has a number of health benefits which makes them a healthy food. Cheeses which have a lower fat and sodium content are the healthiest. They are an excellent source of protein and calcium and contain less salt than most other food. They help protect your teeth and bones and are also full of good bacteria which helps prevent yeast infections.
Canned Vegetables
There are many types of canned vegetables you get in supermarkets that are high in sodium. This is one of the reasons they have earned a bad reputation. But then there are low sodium varieties also available. According to nutrition experts, the amount of nutrients and minerals contained in fresh vegetables is much the same as those contained in canned vegetables. To tackle the problem of large amounts of sodium in your canned veggies, you can always rinse them and then use them in your food.
Eggs
Eggs have been considered bad all this while because they are high in cholesterol. But according to some recent studies, eggs are highly nutritious. They are also known as “nature’s multivitamin” because they contain a variety of powerful nutrients and antioxidants. While the white part of the egg is rich in protein, the yolk contains all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals.
