11 Unhealthy Foods You Mistake As Healthy and Their Surprising Swaps

From- 

I did not copy all of the foods listed here, sometimes the alternatives are just as unhealthy as the originals!  Info was given, for instance to substitute hemp or almond milk for dairy.  But no one should drink these types of milk, too processed, not fresh, too much packaging.

1. Pasta < Spaghetti Squash

Eating spaghetti squash will help fill up your plate without adding a ton of calories. Each cup of the cooked squash contains only 42 calories – 2 percent of the daily calorie intake on a 1,500-calorie diet, or 1.5 percent of a 2,000-calorie diet. Due to the squash’s low calorie content, substituting spaghetti squash in place of spaghetti pasta dramatically reduces the calorie content of your meal; substituting a cup of squash in place of pasta saves you 179 calories. If you normally eat spaghetti once a week, the calorie difference in switching to spaghetti squash translates to 2.5 pounds of weight loss over the course of a year.

Each cup of cooked squash contains approximately 10 grams of total carbohydrates, including 2.2 grams of fiber.

One cup of squash contains vitamin A, several B vitamins, as well as vitamins C, E and K. In addition, spaghetti squash provides a source of the essential minerals calcium, zinc, copper, manganese and selenium.

2. Soy Sauce < Coconut Aminos

There is a lot of misinformation out there about the health of soy. One things for sure though, unfermented soy has been shown to be a hormone disrupter, particularly an estrogen mimicker. It’s recommended that people with autoimmune disease or any sort of endocrine system imbalance (thyroid, hormones, adrenal glands) avoid soy because of it’s thought-to-be negative affects on the body.

Instead, opt for coconut aminos, which are just a tad sweeter than soy sauce, without the soy or wheat that soy sauce contains.

The most notable benefit of coconut aminos is its impressive amino acid content compared to soy-based sauces. Commonly described as the “building blocks of protein,” amino acids are vitally important to human health. They contribute to the repair and rebuilding of muscle tissue, help to enhance overall brain and nervous system function and assist in boosting the immune system and physical energy levels. Second only to water, protein is one of the most important substances in our bodies, which is why it is nutritionally beneficial to consume a diet that is rich in amino acids.

3. Agave Nectar (refined sugar) < Raw Honey

Though most health food stores carry it, the trendy sugar substitute, agave nectar, shockingly contains 70 to 80 percent fructose, which is more than what’s found in high-fructose corn syrup. Most agave is laboratory-generated super-condensed fructose syrup, without any nutrients.

Raw honey has anti-viral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties. It promotes body and digestive health, is a powerful antioxidant, strengthens the immune system, eliminates allergies and is an excellent remedy for skin wounds and all types of infections.

4. Gatorade (or any energy or sports drinks) < Coconut Water

It’s better than a sports drink. Dubbed “nature’s Gatorade”, coconut water is a natural isotonic drink that provides many of the same benefits as formulated sports drinks, including the electrolytes calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium and potassium, but in their natural form.

5. Margarine < Butter or Ghee

Margarine is nothing more than chemicals, sugar and dairy and is created in a lab. There is nothing natural about margarine. It’s made from trans fat, which is known as the artery clogging fat. It also increase LDL levels (the bad cholesterol) and lowers HDL (the good cholesterol).  

Butter or ghee (which is clarified butter), on the other hand, packs some great nutritional value!

Butter is a great source of vitamins A, D, E and K. Trace minerals are found in butter such as manganese, chromium, zinc, copper and selenium, which is a powerful antioxidant. Butter contains more selenium per gram compared to herring or wheat germ. What’s more, butter is also a great source of iodine.

The fat in butter is great for your immune system and boosting metabolism. (Fat doesn’t make you fat, sugar makes you fat!) It’s also great for skin health and cognition.

Butter contains Wulzen Factor – This is a hormone like substance with many functions. It can prevent stiffness in the joints, as well as arthritis. It is also responsible for ensuring that calcium is deposited in the bones rather than in the joints. Note that the Wulzen factor can only be found in raw butter and cream.

Ghee is just butter with the milk solids removed, making a it a great option for those unable to handle standard dairy.

Always opt for organic to avoid hormones!

6. Sugar < Cinnamon

Sugar cause inflammation and inflammation causes disease. It’s really that simple.

7. Store Bought Salad Dressings < Olive Oil & Apple Cider Vinegar

These contain so many ingredients, like filler and added sugar. All totally unnecessary. Instead, drizzle some olive oil and ACV instead, maybe a sprinkle of celtic sea salt and you’ve got a  great – and easy – dressing! You still want to keep olive oil to a minimum, eat only occasionally.  Eat whole olives instead!  Use lots of tomatoes or guacamole on your salads!

8.  Conventional Beef < Grass-Fed Beef

Skip the hormones and chemicals and opt for a pure, organic option. Full of protein, vitamins and minerals, grass-fed beef is an easy option to add to your families menu.

9.  White Rice < Cauliflower Rice

This cruciferous veggie has been linked to cancer prevention due to it’s nutrient support to 3 body systems closely related to cancer – detox system; antioxidant system; and inflammatory/anti-inflammatory system. Imbalances in any of these systems can increase the risk for cancer, but this awesome veggie supports them all!

10.   Milk Chocolate < Dark Chocolate

Milk chocolate = sugar and dairy. Whereas dark chocolate – over 70% cacao – is actually good for you! Quality, high cacao chocolate contains fiber, iron, magnesium, copper, manganese and other minerals. It’s full of antioxidants, which protect you from free radicals – one of the things that lead to disease. It’s also thought to be good for your brain!

11.  Cake or Cookies < Fresh Fruit with Cacao Nibs and Coconut Milk

Gluten, sugar, dairy – you know by now if you’ve been watching and/or reading my info for a while now that these 3 components are no-no’s in my book. They lead to inflammation, disease, gut troubles, decrease immunity, increase brain fog and for many, cause skin issues and so much more.