A nutritionist has revealed the three types of food she avoids consuming in her daily meal plan – and why even customer favorites at Starbucks and Dunkin can be disastrous for your health.
Olivia Hedlund, a functional nutrition therapy practitioner from Austin, Texas, endorses a high-protein diet with substantial amounts of healthy fats to control blood sugar.
She has previously spoken out against official USDA recommendations that meals contain servings of wheat and grains.
Now, she’s further addressed three categories of food and drink she’d ‘never eat as a nutritionist’ in an Instagram post.
Olivia Hedlund, a functional nutrition therapy practitioner based in Austin, Texas, generally endorses a high-protein with substantial amounts of fat to control blood sugar
First up, Olivia said she would go out of her way to avoid cereal.
‘There is truly and genuinely no health benefit to starting your morning with a blood sugar spike,’ she wrote of the food that many consider a breakfast staple.
She conceded that while there are ‘healthier cereals,’ even those should be consumed as a ‘snack’ or a ‘treat’ alongside foods containing protein and fat.
‘Most cereals are filled with sugar that makes us feel not full and spikes blood sugar,’ she said.
Indeed, high-carb, high-sugar foods – like many traditional breakfast cereals – are digested more quickly, leading to a spike in blood sugar that isn’t sustained, leading to a rapid drop-off in energy and increase in hunger shortly after they are consumed.
Next, Olivia said that plant-based meat is a nonstarter when it comes to eating well.
The expert instead champions responsibly-sourced meat – stressing the benefits of ‘regenerative’ suppliers, which also promote more ethical means of raising livestock while being less destructive to the environment.
‘Meat is nutrient dense and good for you if sourced correctly,’ she said.
Cereal was at the top of Olivia’s list for foods she’d ‘never eat,’ her reasoning being that there is ‘no health benefit to starting your morning with a blood sugar spike’ (stock image)
She also spoke out against plant-based meats due to the ‘hydrogenated and inflammatory oils’ that many contain (stock image)
But plant-based meat, she continued, contains ‘a ton of hydrogenated and inflammatory oils and filler ingredients to make them taste like meat.’
‘It’s a no for me.’
Lastly, Olivia shared that she would never turn to ‘on-the-go’ coffee brands, specifically citing Starbucks and Dunkin.
‘Not only can coffee become moldy but it is also sprayed with a ton of pesticides and chemicals that disrupt our whole body eco system like hormone and imbalance our blood sugar,’ she wrote.
‘Opt for coffee at home!’
Some Starbucks options – such as the super-high-sugar caramel Frappuccino – are pretty much universally derided from a health perspective.
Lastly, Olivia shared that she would never turn to ‘on-the-go’ coffee brands, specifically citing Starbucks and Dunkin (stock image)
While sticking by the rules she’d put forth, Olivia added that ‘having these things occasionally may fit into your life and that’s okay’
But other nutritionists have previously endorsed specific drinks at the chain that are more diet-friendly.
Earlier this year, registered dietitian Marissa Meshulam and registered dietitian nutritionist Kristen Carli sorted through the Starbucks menu to reveal which seven drinks they think are the healthiest.
There are options that everyone can incorporate into their diet, Carli said, because part of a truly healthy relationship food comes from enjoying treats like Starbucks.
‘Cultivating a healthy relationship with food involves between nourishing your body and enjoying the foods and drinks you love,’ Carli told Real Simple.
In recent months, registered dietitian Marissa Meshulam and registered dietitian nutritionist Kristen Carli sorted through the Starbucks menu to reveal which seven drinks they think are the healthiest
Some general tips to select a lower calorie drink include choosing a reduced fat or alternative milk option, reducing the number of syrup pumps in your drink and cutting back on toppings like whipped cream.
The seven best beverages included – but was not limited to – the Caffè Americano, Cappuccino, Iced Flat White and the Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso.
Concluding her insight, Olivia stated: ‘All this being said, having these things occasionally may fit into your life and that’s okay, nothing is perfect!
‘Advocating for education and informed decisions when it comes to eating food.’
