Healthy or Hype? Don’t Get Tricked | God's World News

Healthy or Hype? Don’t Get Tricked

04/30/2015
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    Coke is jumping into the milk business.
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    You might be surprised at which foods have added sugar.
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Have you heard about Coca Cola’s new, healthy superdrink? This all-white beverage boasts lots of protein and calcium, and it’s low-sugar too! So what’s the catch? The healthy drink is good old cow’s milk—with a twist. Coke is making it “extra nutritious” by including more protein and calcium. Coke is also reducing the natural sugar in its product, which is sold under the brand name Fairlife.

The new product has some nutritionists scratching their heads. Why does a food that’s already highly nutritious need tweaking? “In general, most Americans are already getting enough protein,” says nutritionist Alissa Rumsey, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. In an interview with New York Daily News, she recommends adding an egg or some nuts for more protein and leafy vegetables for added calcium.

This isn’t the first product that touts its great nutrition in giant print on the front of the packaging. But what’s in the fine print? Often, as in the 1990s when fat in food was demonized, the offending ingredient is replaced with another that is just as unhealthy—or even worse. Getting rid of fat usually means adding more sugar to make food taste good. Now doctors say all that sugar is worse than the fat it replaces!

Why do food companies make these changes? The answer has less to do with nutrition than it does sales. General Mills, which sold $10.6 billion worth of food products in 2014, admits as much in a July 2014 blog post, “Top Food Trends Inspire New Products.” In it, the company identifies five hot trends that it is responding to in creating and revamping products: protein, bold flavors, gluten-free, indulgence, and whole grain. The blog goes on to boast “a deep understanding of our consumers—what foods they like, where they shop, and how they like to cook.”

Food fads exist because people are always looking for a shortcut to good health. Suggestions of those shortcuts almost always result in bigger sales. Some of this year’s “buzzfoods” are kale and chia seeds. Gluten is out; protein is in. None of these diet trends is bad in and of themselves. But simply adding in extra protein or sprinkling in some whole grain doesn’t make food—or the people who eat it—healthy.

The Bible tells us our bodies are temples. But in both the Old and New Testaments, God gives us all plants and animals for food. (Genesis 3, Mark 7) Food fads will come and go. Rather than getting sucked into the hype, we can try to make wise choices and eat a variety of foods in moderation. Even in our eating and drinking, we should strive to glorify God. (I Corinthians 10:31)