If we take a close look at it, the fitness area is aptly resembling a religion that closely narrows down the dimensions of good and evil to offer its followers a strong guide to personal life. Honestly, similar mechanisms are also used in large parts of the fitness community. To substantiate this fact, we only need to look at the food choices given to certain traits. In this respect too, there is a clear distinction between good and evil, because while some foods are stylized into so-called superfoods, other foods end up on a symbolic blacklist that contains all foods that are said to harm the organism by some trait. In reality, however, there are no monochrome divisions in black and white in both religion and food. Not least for this reason, it is important to work out the gray nuances that relativize the much-favored prohibition mentality. Accordingly, in the following article, we would like to introduce you to seven foods that are actually better than your reputation.
Food 1 - White potatoes
The classical potato, which has been an important staple food for centuries in our latitudes, has often been pilloried in the circles of health-conscious people because of their poverty of micronutrients. In addition, potatoes are usually associated with very high calorie foods such as sour cream, bacon, butter and cheese, which continues to damage their reputation, although similar associations are commonplace with regard to sweet potatoes. In fact, the potato is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates and at the same time has a comparatively low energy density, making it ideal as a saturation supplement. Although the cousin of the potato determines the headlines of the fitness magazines, it should not be concealed that the conventional potato also has much to offer in terms of its content of micronutrients. For example, at this point it should be mentioned that an average serving already covers 70 percent of the daily requirement for vitamin C. In addition, the potato is a very good source of vitamin B 6 and also contains the same amount of fiber as the highly acclaimed sweet potato.
Food 2 - coconut
Why the coconut enjoys such a bad reputation, is actually obvious, because the tropical plant is finally known for its high fat content. The fact that a large part of these fats is attributable to the saturated fatty acids, the coconut in the past has brought the last coffin nail. In fact, the saturated fatty acid content is as much as 90 percent. What you may not have known so far, however, is that saturated fatty acids are by themselves not the sarong nails for your cardiovascular system, to which they are often explained. Rather, it is the case that your organism also depends on the intake of saturated fatty acids, as these, like the unsaturated fatty acids, are required for the production of hormones and enzymes as well as for the breakdown of vitamins. Astonishingly enough, coconut is one of the best sources of these saturated fatty acids. Coconuts contain a high concentration of medium chain fatty acids, in short MCTs, which are both fast digestible and provide high levels of energy. In addition, according to the latest scientific findings by the organism, MCTs are much less easily stored in the form of depot fat than other short-chain or particularly long-chain fatty acids.
Food 3 - Popcorn
Its bad reputation is not due to popcorn, but rather to the large amounts of butter, sugar and caramel with which snack is usually combined. So it's no wonder that a large portion of popcorn is already cracking the 1,000-calorie mark. Apart from these additives, which give the popcorn its irresistible taste, it is actually a very healthy food, which is composed mainly of medium and long-chain carbohydrates. In addition, a not inconsiderable amount of fiber ensures an additional slowing of digestibility. On the premise that you do without butter, sugar and caramel, you can in truth hardly have a better snack, because a medium portion has a considerable volume and beats it with only 110 kilocalories to book. You can make sweet popcorn using, for example, stevia, cinnamon and vanilla extract. This not only ensures a considerable calorie saving, but also a very personal flavor. Of course, if you like it hearty, you can spice up your popcorn with salt, chilli and other herbs and spices of your choice.
Food 4 - Coffee
Coffee does not have such a bad reputation, but enjoys a high degree of popularity, especially in the atmosphere of the fitness community. The reason why the coffee is still on this list is because most people do not equate coffee with coffee and most do not swear by the purity of the black brew, but tend to prefer the fat and sugar-rich calorie bombs to keep faith with Starbucks and others. The skepticism presented against such products is also quite appropriate, as they sometimes contribute up to 500 kilocalories per cup to the calorie balance. So if you replace the sugar with sweeteners and the greasy coffee cream with low-calorie milk, you can enjoy the benefits of the hot drink without a guilty conscience. In particular, the caffeine contained in coffee provides an improvement in physical and mental performance, which benefits you especially in the context of performance development in training. Apart from that, coffee contains numerous micronutrients, including antioxidants, which are associated with numerous beneficial effects on the immune system and overall health. At regular coffee drinkers, scientists also found a positive correlation between coffee enjoyment and life expectancy.
Food 5 - gluten
Hardly any substance is currently so much on everyone's lips as the gluten. Few people even know that gluten is not a weird additive in the food industry, but an amino acid that is characteristically found in grains such as wheat and rye. The reason for the condemnation of the gluten is based on the actual intolerance that some people actually face gluten. The organism of persons suffering from gluten intolerance consider this protein as an external attacker being attacked by the immune system, leading to the characteristic symptoms such as abdominal cramping or diarrhea. Even though gluten-free diets are currently booming, they actually only benefit very few people, because in reality, gluten intolerance affects only around one percent of the population. Even the anecdotal reports of wholesome people about the fact that abstinence from gluten causes a significant increase in wellbeing is usually not due to the gluten itself, but to a reduction in junk food consumption. So if you do not really suffer from a diagnosed gluten intolerance, you can save money on expensive specialty foods, which typically have a significantly higher level of sugar and saturated fat than comparable conventional products.
Food 6 - Sports drinks
Sports drinks usually end up on the nutrition index due to their high sugar and other simple carbohydrate content. The problem is not the product itself, but the consumer, because sports drinks are designed for sports use and are not a substitute for water. So anyone who tries to cover his daily requirement for fluids exclusively through sports drinks should not be surprised that the unpopular pounds end up on their own ribs. Sports drinks contain carbohydrates and electrolytes to provide the body with much-needed nutrients before, during and after exercise that will ensure both energy supply and the optimization of physiological processes. In particular, those who have completed long periods of endurance or generally sweat a lot can therefore certainly resort to a sports drink, especially since the sweeteners they contain are harmless in the amounts customary for consumption. Alternatively, of course, you can also fall back on apple spritzer as the classic among sports drinks.
Food 7 - salt
The salt is still associated in many parts of society with a negative influence on blood pressure and on the development of hypertension. This culminates in the government's intention to limit daily salt intake to 2,000 milligrams. In fact, salt is not a nasty substance that should be avoided at all costs, but an essential nutrient that your body desperately needs. Unless there is a medical diagnosis for blood pressure problems, there is no reason for you to limit your daily salt intake to such an extent, especially in such a case, your kidneys provide for an excellent regulation of your salt balance. In particular, those who do a lot of sports and sweat at the same time, should keep an eye on their salt consumption, as this is excreted in large quantities in the sweat, creating a deficit that must be compensated again.
