You may think you are eating a healthy diet, but some foods labeled as “healthy” can actually rob you of your energy just as much as junk food. What foods and drinks are you consuming that are depleting your energy sources?

Bagels

Nothing quite beats the delicious flavor of a perfectly toasted bagel loaded with cream cheese, but this breakfast food is not good for you. Loaded with as much as 45 grams of refined carbohydrates, bagels rapidly break down into sugars, causing your insulin levels to spike. If you regularly consume bagels, you could develop insulin resistance, which is one of the root causes of disease.

Cereal

If you want to scare yourself, take a look at the back of your cereal box. Some of the most popular cereals are loaded with sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and genetically-modified corn or wheat.

Not only is cereal highly processed, its high concentration of sugar and high fructose corn syrup cause your insulin levels to skyrocket, which will later result in an energy crash. When your energy levels crash, you may crave refined carbs once again, starting the vicious cycle all over again.

Fried Foods

Fried foods certainly hold their appeal, but they take their toll on your digestive system. In order to break down the fats in these greasy foods, your body has to work extra hard digesting it all, which will sap you of your energy.

Turkey

Have you ever noticed that your family members look as if they are about to pass out following a Thanksgiving dinner? Turkey contains high levels of tryptophan, which is a natural sedative. Your body also has to work harder to digest turkey skin, which is difficult to break down.

Fruit Smoothies

Not all smoothies are as healthy as you think, particularly if you aren’t making them yourself. While they may have fruit and veggies, they could also be loaded with sugar, which will result in an energy crash later.

Orange Juice

Although orange juice is high in vitamin C, it also contains high levels of high-fructose corn syrup, sugar, and artificial colors and flavors. Did you know that a single glass of orange juice can contain as much sugar as a soda?

However, orange juice can be healthy if you drink freshly squeezed juice. If you are willing to squeeze oranges in the morning, the juice can be rich in vitamin A, B vitamins, iron, potassium, magnesium, and calcium.

Pasta

As delicious as that pasta dish may be, it’s probably loaded in refined carbohydrates, which will result in a rapid rise in your blood sugar levels followed by a staggering drop. If you eat pasta for lunch, you might find yourself falling asleep at your desk later.

Sub Sandwiches

If you hit up your local sub shop during lunch, you could be paying for it later. Subs have quite a bit of bread, which translates into refined carbohydrates that will later cause your energy to crash. Additionally, the meats in sub sandwiches are highly processed and contain high levels of sodium, preservatives, artificial flavors, and even MSG.

Yogurt

Although often labeled as a health food, most commercial yogurts are bad for you. Although many companies claim that yogurt is rich in probiotics, the pasteurization process destroys most of these healthy bacterias.

Flavored yogurts contain high amounts of sugar and some of them even have aspartame, which accounts for over 75 percent of adverse reactions to food additives, according to the FDA. Stay away from these toxic foods altogether.

Soda

Most people are aware to some extent of the harmful effects of drinking soda. However, some people continue to reach for a can seeking a quick boost in energy. In fact, many sodas contain aspartame, which is bad for your health.

Popular sodas are filled with all kinds of ingredients toxic to your health including benzene, phosphoric acid, artificial food colors, and sodium benzoate. Eliminating sodas from your diet altogether might seem like a drastic step, but your body will thank you for it.

By reducing your consumption of these foods and beverages, you should find yourself feeling more energized throughout the day. To further improve your health, make sure that you get enough sleep and regularly exercise. Optimize your health by purchasing our online health supplements at Ameriden international. Our health supplement food features a wide variety of natural vitamin supplements that our customers rave about, including Rosavin®, our water-extracted and freeze-dried rhodiola rosea supplement.