Bad Foods that Are Actually Good
By Sara Butler
There are a lot of foods out there that get a bad rap they just can’t seem to shake. But, the truth is there are a lot of foods considered bad for your health when they are actually very healthy for you. Of course, every food should be consumed in moderation, but here are a few foods you don’t have to avoid like the bubonic plague any longer!
Peanut Butter
Yes, peanut butter has a lot of calories, but it also has a lot of good fats in it that are good for your body. The fat in peanut butter will help you to feel more satisfied for longer and it will provide you with a nice punch of protein, Vitamin B, and folate. Just remember a tablespoon or two should do you just fine!
Beef
For a long time, people shied away from beef due to its levels of saturated fat and cholesterol. It was thought to be a heart attack on a plate for several years and there are probably people out there who consider that to still be the case. But, the truth is lean cuts of beef are a great source of iron and protein. You just need to steer clear of meats with a lot of fat in them and instead reach for leaner cuts such as flank steak, filet, and sirloin. Any that don’t have a lot of fat marbled through them should be great.
Chocolate
Oh, chocolate! For many years the sugar and fat in this beautiful brown concoction were thought to be dangerous to your health and your waistline. Plus, things that are good for you aren’t supposed to taste good, right?
Wrong! Dark chocolate is full of something called flavanols (not flavanoids). These antioxidants have been found to be good for the health of your cardiovascular system because they have a natural blood-thinning effect. They also help to reduce the amount of cortisol, a stress hormone, in people who are under a lot of stress. Just make sure you don’t eat too much to relieve the stress in your life, otherwise, you might be battling more than just stress!
Potatoes
Potatoes have definitely been vilified for the last decade or so since they rank high on the glycemic index and raise your blood sugar quickly. The spike in blood sugar can be an issue for people with pre-diabetes or diabetes. The good news is that potatoes are an excellent source of all sorts of healthy things. They have potassium, fiber, and Vitamin C. The glycemic index doesn’t really matter unless you’re eating the potato plain with no other foods. In fact, its glycemic index value can change by pairing it with some olive oil since it will help the absorption of carbohydrates into your system! So go ahead, have a potato!