Author: Jessica Serdikoff

Outside of my office, I display a selection of healthier products. I rotate them each month, but apple cider vinegar (ACV) has graced those shelve on more than one occasion. When it does, without fail, someone will survey the shelves, pick up the bottle, and ask me one of two things: 1) do I take a shot of it each morning? or 2) is this stuff really all it’s cracked up to be?

The Pros (or at least the claims)

Before we can establish if ACV deserves all the hype it has been getting, we should probably back up and establish what the hype is in the first place. For starters, when people refer to ACV, they are generally referring to the raw, unfiltered stuff, which is bit murky and contains more enzymes and beneficial bacteria; the label may also say that it includes the “Mother” (which is a good thing).
Type “apple cider vinegar benefits” into Google (you will get nearly 13 million results!) and here are the various health conditions that it is said to help:

• acne
• bad breath
• cancer prevention
• cholesterol & heart health
• dandruff
• diabetes
• digestion
• energy
• hiccups
• indigestion
• sinuses
• smelly feet
• sore throat
• sunburn
• teeth whitening
• weight loss

No wonder people are going nuts over it! Impressive health claims aside, ACV remains a pretty darn useful tool in a healthy kitchen. At only three calories per tablespoon, it’s an amazing, minimally processed way to add a punch of flavor to food without sugar, salt, or excessive fat. In your journey to better health, finding ingredients like ACV can be the difference between bland, boring food, and meals that you’re excited to eat. That’s not nothing!

The Cons

It’s one thing to claim that ACV benefits all of those conditions; it’s quite another for it to actually work. If you’re thinking that ACV sounds too good to be true, you’re right. You can find a handful of studies, particularly ones that link vinegar in general (important! Not ACV specifically) with improved insulin sensitivity. This has direct implications for diabetes prevention and management, but also other conditions associated with the hormonal consequences of out-of-whack insulin: acne and weight loss in particular.
However, these studies are way too small, as well as too few and far between, to draw any serious conclusions; and even if they were stronger, they still wouldn’t show that ACV is any healthier than other vinegars.
Long story short: there isn’t a lot of research to support the over-the-top claims people are making. However, science may not be the be-all-and-end-all of apple cider vinegar effectiveness. Research on alternative and natural forms of medicine is poorly funded, so waiting for “proof” that ACV works is not particularly realistic. Really, it isn’t lack of evidence that is all that noteworthy here. If the only downside to taking a shot of ACV in the morning were that it may not make much of a difference, that’s not a very compelling argument not to do it.
But it’s not the only downside.
Here are the compelling arguments against ACV:

• Over time, it can cause serious dental erosion.
• It can decrease potassium levels in the body; this risk is particularly high when combined with certain medications.
• Without proper dilution, it can cause topical chemical burns and irritate the tissue lining the mouth, throat, and stomach.

Vinegar is strong stuff! It’s crucial to dilute it properly, and everyone’s sensitivity to its strength can vary. Either prolonged use or improper dilutions can cause serious harm. No matter what the internet tells you about ACV’s ability to “alkalize” the body, the fact is, it is an acid. It is corrosive. It has consequences when overused or misused.

The Bottom Line: Fit or Flop?

I have to give a big ole FLOP to the standard shot of ACV, even ones that are diluted with water. The amount of vinegar you would likely need to ingest to see significant improvements in your health would be more than enough to put you at risk for the consequences of consuming so much acid.
There will always be people who want you to believe that there is a magic bullet to get you to where you want to be. I wish I could tell you it were true, that the only thing standing between you and your health goals is a tablespoon of vinegar every day. Unfortunately, true change is hard work, and nothing can replace a nutritious diet and active lifestyle. So go ahead, use that ACV, but try it in a salad dressing drizzled over a plateful of veggies, and leave the shot glasses for the college kids.

There is a lot of confusion permeating the aisles of supermarkets across the country, but perhaps none quite so palpable as that felt when standing between the packages of butter and margarine in the cold, far reaches of the store. One decade, we are encouraged to replace butter with margarine. The next, it’s the very opposite. There are butters blended with oils, oils blended with other oils, infused butters, vegan spreads, local butter, whipped butter, and more marketing hype than the average shopper can even hope to digest.
To answer this butter-versus-margarine question, we have to consider why butter was vilified in the first place (and whether it’s still valid), and why margarine has recently fallen from grace (and whether those claims are warranted).
Butter’s downfall was its saturated fat content, which became the scapegoat for cardiovascular concerns after Ancel Keys’ research in the 1950s’ linking saturated fat to high cholesterol and heart disease. Since then, we have been taught that we need to replace the saturated fat in our diets with unsaturated fats.
Coincidentally, margarine starts as an unsaturated fat (generally a vegetable oil, which is code for corn or soybean oil) but must be tampered with a bit because unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature. For margarine to compete with butter in the American kitchen, it had to be the same, spreadable consistency. The tampering that scientists did was hydrogenation, a process that alters the chemical structure of an unsaturated fat to make it look and act more like a saturated fat (butter).
What we did not anticipate, however, was that hydrogenation would actually create a third type of fat: the trans fat (dun dun dunnn). Trans fats are now known to be much worse for our health than saturated fats were ever thought to be. (Tip: read up on trans fats here). The short version of the story is this: margarines made with hydrogenated oils (a.k.a. trans fats) are far worse for your health than butter.
Problem solved, Q.E.D., butter is better than margarine…right?
Not so fast.
Margarines used to contain hydrogenated oils, but companies know that consumers don’t want them in their products, and the FDA has ruled that by 2018, they have to be out of the food supply, anyway. Some have replaced the hydrogenated oils with mono & diglycerides, which can be a sneaky way of hiding trans fats in a product, but manufacturers aren’t required to disclose that information, so it’s hard to tell.
Others, however, don’t, and actually contain pretty straight-forward ingredients. The brands on the shelf that market themselves as being “simple” or “pure” are actually not that bad, and this coming from the dietitian who, full disclosure, spent years on a crusade against margarine. Look for a margarine with a higher total fat and calorie content (this is important; fat is not to be feared), but a much higher emphasis on monounsaturated fats, as opposed to saturated fat (like in butter) or polyunsaturated (like in vegetable oils). The ingredient list should short and pronounceable without a chemistry degree.
So maybe these select few margarines are not particularly worrisome, but are they better than butter?
Ten years ago, I may have (begrudgingly) said yes. They are still more processed than butter, but butter’s saturated fat content would have driven me away. However, more and more these days, Keys’ research is being called into question. Saturated fat, in fact, may not be as strongly linked to heart disease as we once thought. Before you go reaching for that stick of butter, though, keep in mind that even if some of a food can fit into a nutritious diet, loading up on it is not the wisest choice, and large amounts of saturated fat are still not recommended. It is also important to note that not all butter is created equal, and to get the most ideal breakdown of types of fats, you want to look for those pricey sticks made from the milk of pasture-raised cows.
(I have to pause here to acknowledge all the readers falling out of their seats trying to get me to bring up coconut oil as a third alternative. Honestly, it deserves its own article, not a 250 character footnote in this one. Another day, my friends. Another day.)
Really, the answer is not so much “which is better,” but rather, which will you enjoy more in small quantities? This is key. Whichever you choose, select the highest quality possible to maximize benefits and minimize drawbacks, and no matter what, use it sparingly. Nuts, seeds, and avocados are more nutrient-dense and less processed than either spread. Try baking cookies with well-mashed avocado instead of butter, or spreading your morning toast with a little almond butter. These are the real answers in The Great Fat Debate.

Ask any attractive celebrity or model what her secret beauty tip is, and I guarantee you, she will say water. With over half of the human body being water, it’s no wonder that we need it to stay healthy. The human body needs enough water to digest food, allow cells to grow and survive, flush the body of waste, lubricate joints, deliver oxygen throughout the body, aid cognitive function, regulate body temperature, and manufacture hormones. (Phew!) Without it, we wind up dehydrated: our skin dries and is more prone to wrinkles and breakouts, we become lethargic and foggy, we are more likely to snack and have trouble shedding excess weight, and the list goes on.

Ok, fine, so we need water. But wait! How much do we need?

Interview a random sample of people on the street, and chances are, they will not even hesitate when they robotically rattle off, “8 glasses a day.” It seems simple enough, but is it true? Where did that rule come from? Does everyone need that much?

Normally, I would do a fun little “pros/cons” set-up and then draw conclusions, but truth be told, I couldn’t find a single shred of evidence supporting the 8×8 rule. No one seems to know where this health tip originated!

Still, water remains a crucial piece of the health puzzle; it helps us look, feel, and function our best. Here are some generally helpful facts about staying hydrated:

– As a population, we are not drinking very much water, only averaging about four cups per day. Nearly one-quarter of us do not drink any plain water at all throughout the day. Not one sip.

– Most individuals stay adequately hydrated by listening to their thirst signals. The *: As we get older, our thirst signals weaken, and may not be as reliable.

– Daily water needs vary by body size, activity level, overall health, diet, metabolism, and even where you live. The Institute of Medicine recommends about 13 cups for men and nine cups for women, though these are still very general guidelines.

Still confused? Here are some signs that you might not be getting enough water:

– Dark yellow or strong-smelling urine

– Dry mouth

– Fatigue

– Muscle cramps

– Dizziness

– Abdominal pain

– Lethargy

– Confusion

On the flip side, a growing percentage of individuals are actually consuming too much water, which can also be dangerous. This is especially common among athletes who are trying to stay hydrated during intense workouts. Though water replenishment is essential, individuals in these circumstances are also losing electrolytes, and only replacing the water can lead to a host of chemical imbalances in the body. Here are some signs that you may, in fact, be over-hydrated:

– Completely clear urine

– Swollen hands

– Nausea

– Dizziness

– Confusion

THE BOTTOM LINE: FIT OR FLOP?

FLOP! An over-generalized water recommendation for the entire human population is about as useful as that dress that suspiciously claims to be “one size fits all.”

No one is arguing that water is not important. Not only do we need it to survive, as mentioned above, but it can be a powerful health tool in less clinical ways, too. It is common to mistake thirst for hunger, so staying hydrated can ward off mindless munching; and focusing on drinking plenty of water can shift intake away from sweetened or alcoholic beverages, each with its own host of benefits.

In the end, eight glasses of water a day may not be a terrible place to start; but be sure to also listen to your thirst cues and use the super-scientific hydration test of observing the color of your urine. If you’re not thirsty and your urine is a pale lemonade, you’re on the right track. If you’re feeling thirsty or your urine is pretty dark, keep drinking.

Cheers!

You want to lose weight, so you go on a diet. It encourages smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day, claiming you will rev up your metabolism and curb overeating. I don’t need to point fingers here. There are countless diets, studies, and even health professionals that recommend this rule of grazing.

What if I were to tell you, however, that this small meal/high frequency plan is actually what I put people on when they want to gain weight? (Yikes.)

Is it possible that this way of eating can benefit both groups of people? Or, is one being misguided?

THE PROS OF GRAZING: WHAT DIETS CLAIM

– You never feel so ravenous that you’re prone to overeating to the point of discomfort.

– Going too long without eating can slow metabolism.

– It provides a constant energy supply.

– It works for Jennifer Aniston, and don’t you want to look like Jennifer Aniston?!

THE CONS OF GRAZING: WHAT RESEARCH SAYS

– Our “mini” meals may not be quite as mini as we think, so instead of six small meals a day, we’re eating the caloric equivalent of six full meals a day. Oops.

– Going too long without eating can slow your metabolism, but “too long” is more like six hours or more. Skipping full meals can work against you, but waiting to eat a meal until around that five hour mark is beneficial. (Eating every five hours works out to be around three meals a day.)

– When we eat too frequently, we have a constant circulation of insulin. You know it as that stuff that controls blood sugar, but it is also a very powerful fat promoting hormone; it turns on the body’s processes for creating and storing fat. Not so great when we want to lose weight!

– We don’t solve the real issue of overeating: relying on external cues to start and stop eating, like emotions, convenience, habit, and the sight and smell of food. Sure, feeling too hungry can lead to eating too much and too quickly, but feeling adequately hungry is just a normal part of life. It’s our bodies saying, “Hey! It’s time to eat now!” When we eat every two or three hours, we tend not to feel hunger strongly or at all.

– You have to constantly think about food. Rather than eating, enjoying it, and moving on to other wonderful things in life until the next meal, you finish eating and almost immediately have to start thinking about what to eat at the next snack. It’s exhausting!

– It may harm our digestive tracts.

THE BOTTOM LINE: FLOP!

Can you lose weight by eating small meals frequently throughout the day? Probably, if you understand what “small” means for your body.

However, too often, this idea of grazing only perpetuates underlying problems: overeating, obsessing or worrying about food, ignoring hunger signals, and trying to be in control rather than in charge of your body.

It is far better for the human metabolism to space out meals, and preliminary research even suggests that a long overnight fast (12-14 hours) may be critical. We need to fuel our bodies regularly throughout the day, but “regularly” is only three meals and maybe one mini snack, depending on how your meals fall. If you eat breakfast at 6:30am and lunch at 1pm, yes, you probably need something mid-morning to tide you over; if breakfast is at 8am and lunch is at noon, probably not.

Here’s the rub, though: if you take this article to heart and start rigidly eating only every five hours because I said so, you would still be ignoring your body’s important messages over some external cue (me). Listen to your body. Are you physically hungry or emotionally hungry? Is your stomach growling, or is it just “time” to eat? If you’re unsure, wait twenty minutes. Either you will forget about eating, in which case you were not truly hungry to begin with, or you will get more hungry and therefore more confident that food is the appropriate solution.

Research overwhelmingly supports set meals over constant snacks, but you may feel hungry before that four or five hour mark. If that’s the case, eat something, but also take a look at what you had the meal before; perhaps it was too low in calories, a certain nutrient (carbs, protein, or fat), or fiber to hold you that long. Make a note of it and tweak it next time.

Life is really just one big experiment, anyway. Don’t be afraid to try something new and see where it takes you. You may be surprised.

Hi, my name is Jessica Serdikoff, and I am a chocoholic. (Ok, ok, I kind of really hate that word, but I am definitely a dedicated chocolate enthusiast.) I probably eat some form of chocolate most days of the week.

I am also a registered dietitian.

Fortunately, these two sentences do not have to be at odds.

Most of chocolate’s benefits are tied to the cocoa bean’s high flavonoid content, a type of antioxidant, or compound that has anti-inflammatory effects on the body, basically. (That’s a good thing.) None of the research proves that cocoa causes any positive health outcome, but here are just some of the associated benefits:

 – Promotion of a healthy population of gut bacteria (arguably the hottest topic in health research at the moment)

– Lower body mass index (a commonly used measure of a person’s leanness)

– Reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes through improved blood sugar regulation

– A neutral effect on cholesterol levels, despite containing saturated fats

– Lower blood pressure

– Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease

– Improved memory

The evidence supporting overall improved cardiovascular functioning is particularly strong. Even so, there is a mantra that we must remind ourselves of when it comes to wellness: if some is good, more is not always better. There are also plenty of caveats to all of the research.

First of all, you don’t need to eat pounds of chocolate to get the benefits. Really, only a small square on a regular basis is all that’s recommended.

Second of all, it’s the cocoa that seems to have the majority of the benefits, so diluting it with cream, sugar, and other less nutrient-dense ingredients can cancel out its positive effects. That means that the double chocolate chunk muffin at your local coffee shop and the chocolate coated candy bar at the checkout lane of your favorite retailer are still best saved for occasional treats, and don’t really count as “superfoods.” We want to go as dark and as pure with our chocolate as possible to reap all of its purported rewards. Most experts say anything above 72% is fine, but really, the darkest you can palate is ideal.

If you’re more of a milk chocolate person, even 72% might seem like a reach. I get it. I was once in those same shoes, and now I even enjoy 100% unsweetened chocolate (seriously). It takes time, patience, and a little activity involving mindful eating.

You see, chocolate is not just about the flavor. If it were, sweetness would be key to offset pure cocoa’s natural bitterness. However, the experience of eating chocolate is also about the creamy texture and its richness, and these factors do not need sugar to balance them out. When we focus on them, letting the flavor linger in the background of our minds, it’s much easier to appreciate a darker square than we otherwise would.

The next time you find yourself with some chocolate, preferably one classified as “dark,” try this (or this): sit in a quiet place, in a comfortable chair. Dim the lights if you’d like. Silence is ideal, but feel free to put on some light classical or jazz music if you prefer. Unwrap the chocolate. Take one bite, and close your eyes. Move it around in your mouth slowly without biting down. How does it feel? How does the texture change as it begins to melt? Chew it slowly. Do the flavors change as you chew, or as you pass it to different areas of your mouth? How do you feel? When you’re ready, swallow the chocolate, following it as it moves down your body. Is there a taste or sensation that lingers? How do you feel now? Take a deep breath, exhale, and open your eyes.

I find that many of my clients who participate in this exercise enjoy dark chocolate more than they thought they would or usually do, and that one square is enough to satisfy them.

You may need to start with a 50-60% chocolate bar, and that’s ok. Start there, and every so often, continue challenging yourself with increasingly dark varieties. Adding cocoa powder to smoothies, oatmeal, and even savory sauces and stews can be a nice first introduction. You may also find that adding something to the particularly dark squares helps your palate. When I started experimenting with unsweetened chocolate, I found that a thin layer of all-natural peanut or almond butter and a pinch of coarse sea salt completely transformed the bitterness of the chocolate into a complex earthiness that I loved.

There are dozens of ways to enjoy chocolate’s flavors, textures, and health benefits. Let all dedicated chocolate enthusiasts unite, because if we’re mindful, we can have our chocolate and eat it, too.

Do you eat before you work out? This question sparks a lot of controversy; I meet clients and fitness experts alike who are on both sides of the fence. Some are convinced that working out on an empty stomach optimizes fat burn, while others claim that working out without fuel does more harm than good.
Let’s take a closer look at each argument.
PROS: Really, there is one primary argument for eating before exercising, and it’s kind of a big deal: our bodies need energy to perform. You wouldn’t expect your car to run on empty, so don’t expect your body to, either. Food is fuel. Without it, you risk running into the following problems:
– Sluggish workouts; you can’t push your hardest and get the most out of exercise
– Protein losses; in the absence of other sources of energy, your body may need to break down muscle to meet demand
– Injury (theoretically, at least)
– Low blood sugar and dizziness, particularly if you have diabetes
– Slowed metabolism, which can occur if your body perceives the stress of energy demand (what you burn) to greatly exceed the amount of energy available (what you’ve eaten)
– Potential overeating afterward, though the research is mixed on this one
– Lower afterburn, meaning even if you technically burn more fat during the workout, you will burn way less after it ends
CONS:
– Eating too much too close to a workout can also cause sluggish workouts; the energy isn’t yet absorbed for the body to use, and in fact, digestion slows dramatically during exercise, which can cause discomfort and cramps.
– Exercise does not burn that many calories, so a pre-workout meal or snack could very easily “cancel out” the calories burned in a workout, which is particularly troublesome if your goal is weight loss.
THE BOTTOM LINE: FIT!
Although there are arguments to be made for both, there are more benefits to eating before exercising than there are risks, and vice versa. However, it’s equally important to consider the amount and timing of the food to maximize the benefits of a pre-workout snack and minimize the unwanted side effects:
– If it’s time to exercise and you ate a full, well-balanced meal in the past three hours, you don’t need an extra snack. A well-balanced meal contains adequate calories, protein, fiber-rich carbohydrates, and heart-healthy fats.
– If your workout is scheduled for more than three hours after a meal, consider a small, easily digestible snack about an hour before the workout. This should consist mostly of simple carbohydrates with a little bit of protein (a cup of yogurt or an apple with a hardboiled egg, for example); keep fat and fiber to a minimum, as these can slow digestion. (Normally, slow digestion is awesome, but right before a workout, it’s a recipe for discomfort.) And remember, if your goal is weight loss, these calories are part of your daily needs, not in addition to them.
– If you’re a morning workout kind of person who doesn’t want to wake up an hour earlier to allow for complete digestion of a pre-workout snack, try liquid forms of carbohydrates at least 15 minutes before starting your workout. A glass of low-fat milk is my favorite recommendation, but 100% fruit juice works, too.
Consider the intensity and duration of your workout. If you’re taking a light stroll around the park for an hour, you probably don’t need to worry too much about fueling up. If you’re going to a kickboxing class or are about to run a 5K, then yes, you should probably avoid doing it on a totally empty stomach. I’ve worked both with clients who insist on snacks to fuel their 45-minute leisurely walks and those who attempt three-mile runs immediately upon waking up. Neither is ideal.
In the end, you may need to experiment a little to find the right timing, amounts, and specific foods for you. Pay attention to how your body responds to different combinations. Do you feel energized after peanut butter and a banana, or a little sluggish? Do you try to go for a run first thing in the morning, only to wind up fading or feeling a bit out of sorts? That’s your body telling you that it’s time to try something different.
Remember, food is fuel. Calories are not the enemy, but too often we underestimate what we eat and overestimate what we burn. And, if you stop to listen to it, your body may well be the best tool you have in this crazy game called life. It’s about time we sat up and paid attention to what it has to say.

I have a confession: I used to drink soda a lot. I come by it naturally; my dad drank Coca-Cola for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and all I wanted was to be allowed to do the same. As it was, I drank at least one tall glass nearly every day.
I never really decided to “quit” soda; it happened much more organically (and much less dramatically!) than that. Before I knew it, it had been months since my last glass and I hadn’t even missed it. I simply no longer enjoy it, a concept that, as a kid, I would have found foreign. (And if you’re wondering, my thrice-a-day soda loving dad has also cut back, savoring a bottle of his new, favorite craft root beer on special occasions.)
If we can do it, I promise, so can you.

Educate yourself.

We all know soda is “bad;” that is, we “shouldn’t” drink it. I liken this to how everyone knows smoking is harmful, but that no longer works as a motivator to quit. We get it, right? Still, dig deeper than “soda is bad.” Do you know what, exactly, soda does to your body? Type “soft drink soda infographic” into Pinterest and you can find a laundry list of worrisome effects. If that feels like too much work, here are my top concerns about too much soda:

• Empty liquid calories: they won’t fill you up or nourish you but will eat up your energy allowance for the day. I know people who lose weight without changing anything except their soda habit. Seriously.
• Over 100 percent of the recommended maximum daily intake of sugar in found in one 12 oz. can. High sugar diets are being linked to everything from increased risk of diabetes to fatal heart disease.
• High fructose corn syrup is found in most sodas, and due to its fructose content it is metabolized differently in the body (not in a good way).
• Too much phosphoric acid and caffeine, two components of colas, may damage bones.
• Diet soda does not seem to fare much better, confusing our body and potentially altering healthy gut function.

Cut it back, not out.

This process should be a slow one, and everyone starts at a different place. If you normally drink soda three times every single day, your first goal might be to limit it to two times a day, two days a week; the remaining five days, you would still drink soda three times. If you tend to nurse bottles of soda throughout the day, you could try first confining them to mealtimes only. Every week or two, as you get more comfortable with a goal, progress it.

Add in other carbonation.

Sometimes what we really crave is the sensation or memory of a food. A similar beverage that reminds you of soda can help you transition. Start with flavored (preferably not sweetened) sparkling water; you can even add a splash of 100 percent fruit juice if you need a little extra sweetness. This isn’t a permanent solution, but it can help fill the soda void while you adjust to a life without fizz.

Pour it out.

This is where things get serious. When you have decreased your intake to less than once a day, gather up all of the soda in your house and get rid of it. If you have trouble wasting, simply donate it or give it to a friend (with explicit instructions to not give it back). I’d encourage you to keep one bottle to symbolically pour down the drain. Though wasteful, this is an important and empowering step to mark your commitment to change.
Now that soda is out of your home, it becomes something only available when out at restaurants and celebrations. (If you eat out frequently, you may want to consider also avoiding soda at restaurants and reserve it for truly special occasions that occur less often.)
Of course, if other people in your house drink soda and are not interested in stopping, this step may be more difficult. In this situation, you could consider labeling the sodas with other family members’ names or placing a note near them reminding you of what you aim to achieve by not drinking them.

Cut the cord, if you like.

The truly occasional glass of soda, when part of an overall nutrient-dense diet, is not likely to be particularly harmful. If possible, opt for one of the varieties made from real sugar as opposed to artificial sweeteners or high-fructose corn syrup, and consider splitting a can or bottle with a friend for a smaller serving.
Pretty soon, I’ll bet you’ll have gone months without soda and you won’t even miss it.

It used to be that nothing was more wholesome than a glass of milk. Now, it seems that little is more hotly contested. More and more people are turning to almond milk out of fear of dairy, but is this really a healthy swap?

Before we launch our debate, we have to first understand what almond milk is, and how it is made. At home, I make my own almond milk with just two ingredients: almonds, and water. A small amount of almonds are blended up with a lot of water, then the mixture is strained to remove the sediment or almond “pulp.” What you are left with is still mostly water, with a hint of almond flavor and an opaque “milky” color. The almond milk you buy in the store also contains extra vitamins and minerals, thickeners, and sometimes added sugar or sugar alternatives. Still, these beverages remain mostly water.

THE PROS

There are certainly benefits to almond milk over dairy, though they stem more from the negatives of modern day dairy than with almond milk’s own inherent virtues. First and foremost, by opting for a plant-based “milk,” we can start to reap the benefits of consuming fewer animal products.

More than that, the dairy industry often employs less-than-savory practices. Large-scale dairy farms rely on corn and soy-based feeds over a cow’s natural diet of grazed grass, which adversely shifts the ratio of heart-healthy omega 3 fats compared to inflammatory omega-6 fats. This feed is often genetically modified, which comes with its own baggage of controversy. There is additional controversy over the use and abuse of growth hormones and antibiotics with dairy cows, too.

Many claim that consuming dairy is associated with increased risk of inflammation, which can set the stage for a host of conditions, including heart disease, acne, and joint paint. There is even doubt being cast on the well-accepted notion that dairy is crucial for bone health. These claims, though worth exploring, raise more questions than they do answers, and actual research to back them up can be difficult to track down.

With that laundry list of concerns, it’s no wonder so many people are looking for an alternative, but is almond milk really any better?

THE CONS

The first thing to consider when debating purchasing almond milk is whether you can palate the unsweetened versions. Though dairy milk contains naturally occurring sugars in the form of lactose, sweetened almond milks can contain even higher amounts of added sugars, which we consume more than enough of as is. The ones with stevia or splenda are no better.

Both the sweetened and unsweetened almond milks on the market, though, have other downfalls, the largest being their lack of protein. Remember how we said above that almond milk is really mostly water? Almond milk was created as a way for anyone who is vegan, lactose intolerant, or has a milk allergy to continue to enjoy foods like cereal, oatmeal, chocolate chip cookies, and any recipe that calls for milk. It wasn’t made to be a nutritional powerhouse, and it’s not.

Almond milk is also a surprisingly processed product. It takes a lot to turn crunchy almonds into smooth, creamy milk. The thickeners added to store-bought almond milks are there to prevent separation, and though they are considered safe for consumption by the FDA, some experts question this. Carageenan in particular has raised some health concerns in the past, though any ingredient with “gum” in the name suggests, in general, that the beverage is more of a processed product than a whole food.

THE BOTTOM LINE: FIT OR FLOP?

FIT: Although almond milk has its drawbacks, it can be part of a well-balanced diet. Always choose unsweetened varieties and pair them with a little protein and fat to make up for what almond milk lacks. If you are feeling adventurous, you can even try making your own for a less processed version that is far tastier than any carton sold at the store.

…BUT ALSO FLOP. A lot of the health concerns of conventional dairy can be avoided by sourcing 100% grass-fed, organic milk, ideally one from a local farm and non-homogenized, if possible. Sure, this costs more than regular milk, but so does that pricey carton of almond milk you’re buying. If you aren’t lactose intolerant, vegan, or have an actual milk allergy, there really isn’t a strong argument suggesting almond milk is any more or less healthy than a truly high-quality dairy milk.

Either way, remember that your health is not defined by any one, individual food or drink, but rather by the dietary tapestry of all of your food choices woven together.

Note: It is beyond the scope of this article to assess the environmental or ethical arguments for choosing dairy versus non-dairy milk.

Before I start this exposé of sorts, I have to tell you, I am not usually one for alarmism. I am about to share with you some very popular “diet” and “health” foods that, in reality, lack serious nutrition, but that does not make them “evil” or “forbidden.” Everyone eats unhealthy food sometimes! What irks me about these products is not that they aren’t particularly nutritious; it’s that advertisers have convinced us that they are, leading us to believe that eating them regularly will help us to achieve our health goals.

YOGURT

Would you eat a candy bar or drink a small can of soda for breakfast? Ok, maybe you would (the dietitian in me will pretend I didn’t hear that), but I doubt even if you did, that you would consider it healthy. Yet that is exactly what we do with yogurt. Now, let me back up, because yogurt does have some very important nutrients in it that candy bars and soda lack: namely, calcium, but also a little bit of protein, particularly if you opt for a Greek yogurt. However, the sugar content of most yogurts is identical to, if not greater than, some of our favorite “junk” foods! I tell my clients to stick to plain yogurt, flavored themselves with fruit and spices (the trick is to start with a ton of fruit and gradually decrease over time so your taste buds adjust), and to think of flavored varieties as liquid ice cream. Oh, and while we’re on the subject? Frozen yogurt is just low-fat ice cream, too. Sorry.

AGAVE

“Natural” sweeteners have really gained momentum over the past few years; none, arguably, more-so than agave. However, did you know that agave is almost exclusively made of fructose and that it is actually a pretty refined, processed ingredient? Even Dr. Oz said, “Just kidding!” after being called out on the reality of agave’s nutritional properties. Stick with 100% pure maple syrup, sucanat, or coconut sugar for something more natural, and remember: all sweeteners, even “natural” ones, are best consumed at a minimum.

PROTEIN BARS

Who here can honestly say they don’t wish they had a few more hours in the day? We are all busy, and when time gets tight, healthy habits are often the first to be compromised. In place of full, balanced meals, more and more we are turning to portable bars to tide us over while we work. Unfortunately, these are usually little more than candy bars with protein powder mixed in. You are better off with a handful of nuts, some hardboiled eggs and a piece of fruit, or carrot sticks and hummus.

CEREALS THAT ADVERTISE AS BEING HEART HEALTHY OR GOOD FOR WEIGHT LOSS

We won’t name names here, but there are certain cereal brands that have marketed themselves successfully as staples in a healthy diet. However, if you turn over the package, the nutrition facts panel and ingredients list tell quite a different story. Before falling for marketing hype, check your cereal for the following criteria: it should have at least five grams of fiber and less than 8 grams of sugar per serving (in fact, the best cereal options don’t contain any sugar!). The fiber should not be coming from ingredients like “cellulose” or “inulin” either, which studies have yet to show have any true health benefits. Flavor cereal naturally with cinnamon, berries, or a dash of vanilla extract.

VEGGIE PASTAS

Vegetables can be a tough sell. They are often the last part of the healthy eating equation that individuals tackle, and they look for any shortcut they can. Here is the bad news: there is no way around eating your vegetables. Pastas that promise to deliver a full serving of vegetables in every serving are nothing more than regular white pasta with some spinach or tomato puree added in. They are low in fiber and not so great in the vitamin and mineral department, either. 100% whole grain pasta is your best bet, but honestly, even if you go with a good quality white pasta and replace a third or half of the serving with non-starchy vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, and spinach are particularly great for this), you’d be better off than with a full serving of the veggie pasta. Plus, it’s way cheaper.

Did you find any of your “healthy” favorites on this list? Don’t despair! Remember, eating these foods sometimes because you enjoy them is perfectly ok. A good rule of thumb is to make 80-90% of your food choices solid nutritionally, giving you 10-20% wiggle room for treats. Ultimately, nothing beats good, old fashioned healthy, whole foods.