Avoid These Five Types of Food

Volleyball foods and nutrition advice for volleyball players

Five Common Food Mistakes

1. Junk Breakfast Cereals Cereal products have become the standard breakfast for most people. The problem is that cereals are not as wholesome as they once were.
   
   The major change in today’s cereal is the amount of sugar in them. Most cereals on the market have high sugar content and also contain hydrogenated oil.
   
   Many cereals are loaded with too much sugar, usually containing between 9-26 grams of sugar per serving!
   
   Basically, most cereals don’t have enough healthy fiber, goods fats, or protein, and contain too much sugar, bad fats, and refined carbs.
   
   If you're concerned about weight gain, consuming too much sugar can help add fat to your belly or thighs. Sugar is also very damaging to the liver, the skin, the joints and causes inflammation and many other complications in the body.
   
   Stay away from hydrogenated oils. Hydrogenated oil & partially hydrogenated oil are “trans fats.” These fats get deposited as fat & toxins in our body and arteries. Trans fats are used as a preservative to increase the shelf life of products. This saves companies money but it’s unhealthy for you.
   
   Here are some cereals to avoid...
   
   
   • Kashi Go Lean Crunch (Alternatively, Kashi Go Lean is a better choice!)
   
   
   
   • Granola, Honey Nut Cluster (17 grams sugar/1 cup)
   
   
   
   • Most crunch or cluster cereals
   
   
   
   • Most children’s cereals (it’s like eating a chocolate bar, 24 grams sugar)
   
   
   
   • Kellogg’s Raisin bran (18 grams sugar/1 cup)



2. What about breakfast bars?
   
   Some bars you should avoid...
   
   
   • Oatmeal Crisps
   
   
   
   • Slim Fast Bar
   
   
   
   • Nutri Grain bars
   
   
   
   • Kashi Go Lean Chewy
   
   
   
   • Balance Gold
   
   Most of these bars contain processed carbohydrates, are high in unhealthy fats and/or high in sugar. Don't make the mistake of eating the bar just because it's lower in calories. For example, the slim fast bar may be in your calorie range, but the quality of the ingredients is the worst.



3. Energy Bars
   Watch out for bars that contain little protein, high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils.
   
   Some bars to avoid...
   
   
   • General Mills Oatmeal Crisps
   
   
   
   • Balance Gold
   
   
   
   • Kellog’s Nutri-Grain Bar
   
   
   
   • Slim Fast Optima Bar
   
   
   
   • Kashi Go Lean Chewy Bar
   
   
   
   • All Granola Bars; Quaker, Sunrise, Nature Valley, Sunbelt, Bear Naked (organic but still need to watch out for some of the varieties)
   
   
   
   • Balance Bar (contains 19 grams sugar alcohol that can mess with your digestive system)
   
   
   
   • Clif Bar (better quality ingredients but still high in sugar)



4. Crackers and Rice Cakes
   Rice cakes rank similarily on the Glycemic Index Food Chart to foods like waffles, doughnuts, wafer biscuits, and corn chips. They also rank higher than white bread and rolls!
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Having a high glycemic index means rice cakes are digested and absorbed very quickly into your bloodstream rather than time released energy like whole grains.
   
   Your body then quickly removes the excess toxic sugar from the blood stream, crashing your energy and making you feel tired.



5. Meal Replacement Drinks
   Slimfast and Ensure are a couple meal replacement products you probably should avoid. One can of Slim Fast is 190 calories, 10 grams of protein, and 18 grams of sugar.
   
   The sugar is absorbed very quickly into the bloodstream and this is what contributes to accelerated aging, weight gain, cellulite, hypoglycemia and ultimately diabetes.
   
   
   
   
   Fructose and especially high fructose corn syrup have been studied and found to be converted into fat more than any other sugar.
   
   When deciding on volleyball foods, be sure to notice if sugar comes first before protein on the ingredient lists. Remember, the higher an ingredient is listed, the more there is of it in the product.
   
   When considering meal replacement drinks, watch out for...
   
   
   • Slim Fast
   
   
   
   • Ensure
   
   
   
   • Boost energy drink (high sugar, artificial flavor, sweeteners)
   
   
   
   • Carnation Breakfast Drink
   
   
   
   • Special K Protein Shake (18 grams sugar)

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