Supermarket Skeptics -- How Healthy is Your Trolley?

For many of us, implementing changes in our diet (and even, carrying on the same bad habits) requires a trip to the supermarket. Only a lucky few have any nearby farmer's markets, and although whole food supplements are readily available through home internet shopping, they are still supplements, and organic vitamins can't substitute for the real thing. The supermarket can be a confusing place, though - today we cast our eye over several common supermarket bamboozlements designed to keep companies in business … with the unfortunate side effect of ruining your health.

Do You Buy Any of the Following?

If you do, you might be sabotaging your health, even though you have the best of intentions.

Organic items of processed food

Organic doesn't automatically equal healthy. There are quite a lot of organic manufacturers that seek to differentiate themselves in other ways than simply getting the 'organic' label - New Chapter is a great example. Remember, brown sugar can be organic, wine can be organic, and even marijuana can be organic. Does that mean any of the above are healthy? Not necessarily.

Fruit drink

Fruit drinks often have very little juice in them - they are mostly water. They also often have lots of artificial preservatives and sweeteners. Having a fruit drink is unfortunately very different to having fruit - or even to having fruit juice! Cast your sceptical eye over drinks that say 'juice drink' or 'juice cocktail' also.

Yoohoo as a 'milk drink'

In fact, Yoo Hoo is a 'chocolate drink'. It has less calcium that a couple of spinach leaves. Real milk (in moderation) is much better for you - don't kid yourself into thinking Yoo Hoo is anything but junk food.

Products that claim to be made with 'natural flavors'

There are soooo many products that are 'health-washed' by claiming that one or another of their ingredients is natural. Gasoline has some natural ingredients … is it good fro you to drink? I'm not saying that natural is bad, only that there is more to health than a single natural ingredient.