What is a Health Halo?

If you’re trying to eat healthier, you already know you should be including lots of fruit, vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains.

But when you step into a grocery store, things get a bit more complicated. The majority of store shelves are crammed with a tempting assortment of pre-packaged and convenience foods.

So, how do shoppers know which foods are healthy options?

Most people turn to nutrition and health claims found on food packaging labels to help them decide which products to pick and which to skip.

You may think you’re doing a good thing adding “healthful” sounding foods to your cart – but in reality, you may end up taking in way more calories, sugar, and unhealthy ingredients than you intend!

This is because most product nutrition claims don’t mean a heck of a lot when it comes to the actual healthfulness of a food.

Healthy sounding claims are actually a marketing trick used by food manufacturers. Nutrition buzzwords – i.e. “natural, organic, paleo, low in calories/fat/sodium” – are intentionally used to help convince you to buy.

This concept is known as a health halo – the perceived healthfulness of a product based on a single quality or health claim.

And it works!

Here’s what happened when the Health Halo was studied…

One study offered participants two samples of yogurt, cookies, and chips labeled “organic” and “regular.” Participants believed the organic foods were lower in calories and tasted better and healthier compared to the regular foods.

The catch? Both the organic and regular samples were the exact same organic foods! Proving the power of slick marketing!

Some researchers also conclude, consumers experience less guilt when they believe they’re choosing a healthy option, which then justifies larger portion sizes and increased calorie intake.

The 2 most common nutrition claims that contribute to health halos?

There are two buzzwords that are often aligned with making a healthful food choice that we want to highlight as they’re so commonly used – but they’re also 2 of the most misleading!

FAT-FREE/LOW-FAT/REDUCED FAT

Shoppers tend to believe “low in fat” equates to low in calories. Not the case!

When fat is removed from a food, it’s usually replaced with unhealthy ingredients (think chemicals) and sugar (usually lots of it!) to improve texture and flavor.

All that added sugar can increase calorie count big time (hellooo bigger waistline), AND end up being worse for your health overall than if you’d just had a bit of the full-fat original!

Common examples of reduced-fat foods perceived as healthy include yogurt (flavored varieties are loaded with added sugar and other fillers), bottled salad dressing, peanut butter (think cute teddy bears or squirrels), and commercially baked snacks, like crackers, muffins and cookies.

GLUTEN-FREE

The term “gluten-free” has become synonymous with healthy – whether you need to avoid gluten for a health reason or not!

Gluten-free does NOT equate to low-carb, low-calorie, whole grain, high fiber, low sugar, or organic.

Remember: gluten is a protein found in wheat, spelt, kamut, rye, and barley. A gluten-free food doesn’t contain any of those grains that contain gluten – that’s it!

Yet, you’ll see “gluten-free” slapped on the labels of foods that NEVER contain these ingredients to begin with.

Case in point? Potato chips.

Potato chips (should) contain potatoes, oil, and salt. There are generally no gluten-containing ingredients in chips, but food manufacturers still utilize the “gluten-free” label freely to help drive sales.

And no, sorry, eating an entire bag of fried potato chips isn’t a healthy option – even if the bag reads “gluten-free”. Gluten-free chips, cookies, and snack foods are still chips, cookies, and snack foods.

How to Avoid Falling for Health Halos

On a positive note, just because a food (or food-like) product features a health halo-type claim doesn’t mean you can’t have it. It just means you shouldn’t overestimate the healthfulness of a product based on a word or two!

Here are 4 tips for how to NOT fall for those alluring products…

  1. Read nutrition labels…very carefully. Investigate the calorie, fat, and sugar content per serving to determine whether a food is the best choice for your health goals.
  2. Read ingredient lists….very carefully. For example, if you’re trying to eliminate added sugars, you’ll want to steer clear of any products that list some form of sweetener in the first few ingredients. 
  3. Pay attention to portion sizes. Stick to a single serving and measure if you’re tempted to overeat. Did you know that the average person generally eats 2-3 times the normal portion size for carbohydrate-heavy and/or salty snack foods? Eek! 
  4. Prepare your own snacks. Avoiding pre-packaged snacks helps you control ingredients. How about trying your hand at baking your own veggie “chips.”
RECIPE:

We know you’ve probably seen numerous recipes for kale chips – but have you actually tried them? They’re incredibly easy to make and even yummier to inhale all in one sitting 😉

Oven-Baked Kale “Chips”

Ingredients  

Large bunch kale, washed and thoroughly dried

1 Tbsp olive oil OR avocado oil

1 tsp sea salt

Preparation                

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  2. Remove stems from kale leaves and discard. Tear remaining kale leaves into bite-sized pieces.
  3. Toss kale leaves with oil and sea salt. Spread on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake till edges begin to crisp, about 15-20 minutes. Watch closely so as to not let the “chips” burn!
  4. Serve warm right from the oven.
REFERENCES  

Health Writer Hub, author Dinethra Menon: The ‘Health Halo’ Effect – Perception and Myth

How do I know if I’m being duped by marketing claims?

Reading the labels is key! By reading the labels, you’ll be able to see what the ingredients are, as well as the nutritional breakdown. A lot of times marketers will add key marketing buzz words just to make you think their product is healthier than the next one on the shelf.
What are the most common buzz words to look out for?

The most popular ones are “gluten free” (aka: GF), “low-fat”, “fat-free”, “reduced fat”, “low sugar”, “no added sugar”, and “low sodium”.
How can these products actually make me gain weight if they’re supposed to be healthier for me?

When people see these buzz words, they equate the product to being healthier. And when people think something is healthier, they tend to eat more of it, and not be as conscious of portion size.

The post What is a Health Halo? appeared first on No Limits Fitness.

About No Limits

No Limits Fitness provides step-by-step programs to help busy adults get the body they’ve always wanted, without restrictive diets or time-consuming workouts, so they can lead more fulfilling lives. Life is a much better experience in a strong, healthy body!

Recent Posts

Crunch-Free Zone: 5 Exercises For Stronger Abs

By Will Matthiessen • 19 Apr, 2024
Crunches.  The go-to core exercise for a lot of gym goers. Yet, it’s one of the worst ab exercises you can do. Shocking, I know. You’re probably wondering why it’s one of the worst. Crunches put force on your spine and oftentimes strain on your neck. They force your spine into flexion, which is generally what people are told not to do in order to protect their back. Aside from the pressure it puts on your spine, crunches don’t activate your core muscles to the extent that a lot of other dynamic core exercises do. If your goal is to have sculpted abs like a lifeguard on Baywatch, crunches are not your solution. Aside from the aesthetic aspect, a strong core is important for your body’s balance and stability, posture, and reduction of back pain and other injuries. If you want to develop a rock hard core, here is a list of exercises better than the old fashioned crunches that you can start incorporating into your workouts: The Hard Style Plank Put your forearms on the ground and your arms set shoulder width apart. Your arms should be parallel to your body. Once you’re up in the plank, imagine squeezing your elbows to your knees and your knees to your elbows. Don’t be surprised if you start shaking like a leaf as soon as you create that tension. Dead Bugs Lie on your back with your arms straight up and your hands above your shoulders. Bend your legs at a 90-degree angle with your toes facing up at the ceiling. Imagine pushing your belly button into the ground and keeping your body tight enough to where if someone was pulling on your limbs, you’d be able to resist it. Next extend your right arm and left leg at the same time, without touching the ground. Keep pushing your belly button into the ground to avoid arching your back. The right leg that is still bent should stay completely still while the other leg is in motion. Bring your arm and leg back into the start position and then switch sides. When it comes to Dead Bugs, one of our favorite sayings applies: “Slowly is holy. Faster is disaster.” If you want to increase the intensity, add a kettlebell to the stationary arm. If you want to significantly increase the intensity, press the kettlebell once you’ve reached the fully extended position. Reverse Crunches Lie down flat with your back on the floor and your legs straight down, toes pointed up. Press your lower back into the floor and pull in your belly button as you lift your legs together up off the floor. Push your heels through the ceiling at the top and slowly lower them back to the ground. Fun, right? Double Kettlebell March Hold two heavy kettlebells in the racked position. Pull your belly button to your knees and your knees to your belly button to find max tension in your core. Once you feel that tension, slowly lift one knee up 90 degrees and then switch legs. Hollow Rocks I’ve saved the worst (I mean best) for last. Lay down on the ground with your legs a little bit off of the ground as well as your shoulder blades and head. With arms extended over your head, rock back and forth like a banana rocking back and forth on a counter. Or a see-saw…take your pick. Alright, now that I’ve given you the secret sauce to getting rock hard abs, it’s time to get to work people!

How To Lose Weight Without Counting Calories

By Juan Perez • 05 Apr, 2024
One of the first recommendations you’ll hear for someone wanting to lose weight is to begin by counting calories. Although weighing your food and counting calories does work for some people, the reality is that this approach to weight loss has an astonishingly high failure rate. If this strategy is “based in science”, why does it fail more than 95% of the time? The Top 3 Issues With Counting Calories The number of calories in the foods you eat are estimates. This is where the concept of counting calories being “based in science” can be misleading. The FDA allows companies to use 5 different formulas to estimate calories and a standard deviation up to 20% is acceptable. This means that something listed as 150 calories exists on a range between 120 calories and 180 calories. How ripe is your banana? The ripeness affects caloric availability. The second issue is that as individuals we each absorb a different amount of the calories from the food we consume. Thirdly, Americans are notoriously bad at determining healthy portion sizes. Our super-sized culture has heavily influenced our concept of a normal sized portion. The good news is that there is another way to lose weight without counting calories. The Three Pillars of Nutrition Whether or not you’re a card-carrying member of Camp Calorie Counters, the foundation of your nutrition is built upon three pillars: Food Quality, Food Quantity and Food Timing. Food Quality All calories are not created equal. The popular 100 calorie snack bags do not offer the same nutritional value as 100 calories from fruits or vegetables. When the majority of your meals are composed of minimally processed single ingredient whole foods (lean protein, fruits and vegetables), you’re more likely to get the micronutrients your body needs to thrive. Food Quantity As mentioned earlier, Americans aren’t known for our skills at eyeballing healthy portion sizes. Although using a food scale to determine portion sizes can be helpful, it isn’t always practical. This is the reason we recommend learning to use your hand as a guide to determine portion sizes. You can’t take a food scale with you everywhere you go but you’re always allowed to bring your hands!

Six Movement Patterns Your Program Needs

By Chava Cruz • 07 Mar, 2024
There are six fundamental movement patterns that every good program will include. Push, pull, hinge, squat, lunge, and loaded carry. These are all everyday movements that our bodies need in order to function more efficiently. Push Incorporating a variety of push exercises like the bench press, shoulder press, triceps presses and push-ups will help strengthen your upper body muscles. These exercises primarily target our chest, shoulders and triceps. Don’t want the wings under your arm that shake real bad when you wave? Start pushing.  We use push movements with tasks as simple as pushing doors open and pushing grocery carts to more difficult tasks like lifting ourselves up from a seated position. Pull Pull exercises are the counter to push, creating a balance. They primarily target our back, biceps and rear delts. It is crucial to have just as many pulls in your plan to avoid injury and overuse of your upper body muscles. Some popular pull exercises include bent over rows, single arm row, lat pull downs and trx rows. Aside from your muscles getting stronger, these exercises will improve your posture and help you pick things up like kids and animals. No kids or animals? You still have to pick up groceries or laundry, nice try. Hinge Hinging is something we do often without realizing it. It primarily targets our hips, lower back, glutes and hamstrings. Some of the most common hinge exercises are deadlifts, kettlebell swings, and hip thrusts. Performing hinge movements will help improve your stability, flexibility and hip mobility on top of strengthening your lower body. The more mobile and flexible you are, the easier it is to move. Hinge exercises will also stabilize your core muscles which is the root of everything. Daily tasks that mimic the hinge movement are bending over to lift heavy objects and bending to prepare to sit or stand. Squat Similar to pull being the counter to push.. The squat is the counter to hinge. You shouldn’t have one without the other. It’s kind of like having a plate of food without the silverware. You could do it, it’s just going to get messy. Squats primarily target the quads, hamstrings and glutes. Some of the most common types of squats include goblet squat, back squat, front squat, overhead squat and sumo squat. Performing these exercises will strengthen your lower body muscles and improve your core and stability. Daily tasks that involve squats include lifting heavy objects (after you’ve performed a hinge to go and get it), sitting down and standing up. Lunge Everyone's favorite, lunges. Aside from creating rock hard quads, the lunge is essential to a functional body and injury prevention. Reverse lunges, forwards lunges, lateral lunges and split squats are all examples of what you can incorporate into your program. Imagine falling and not being able to get back up. Not everyone wants to rely on life alert. Practicing and staying consistent with lunges will help allow you to avoid a fall in the first place because of the stability they create, but also to be able to actually get yourself up off of the ground when you need to. Loaded Carry Ah, loaded carries. You either hate them or love them but either way you’re going to be stuck doing them at some point. Loaded carries create a strong core which in return helps with your balance and stability. They will also improve your grip strength. Carrying groceries from the store to your car becomes a lot easier the more you practice these. Different types of carries include farmers, suitcase, racked, overhead, and mixed. We carry things every single day and we do it in different ways depending on the object. Include a variety of carries in your program so you’re prepared to carry anything. Conclusion Performing all six of these movement patterns every week will ensure that you are moving better day to day. The better we function and move properly, the better we feel and the healthier we will be. If you would like to meet with one of our experienced personal trainers to discuss incorporating these 6 movement patterns in your training program, click on the button below to schedule a free consultation.
Show More
Share by: