Is eating healthy, really HEALTHY?

Back in 2019, life was ‘normal’ and people ate what they wanted and kept resolutions to start eating healthy but often returned to the unhealthy lifestyle because it was much more straightforward.

However, one day somewhere in the world, a man had soup (which wasn’t healthy for him or for humanity) that forced many people to rethink their decisions, rethink what they consumed or how food builds immunity.

A ‘healthy-eating’ wave followed the corona wave. People started consuming more green leafy vegetables, opted for healthier lifestyles, including changes in food habits, started to avoid junk food to tackle the covid wave by building their immune system.

Well, on paper, it looked as if people had finally realized the importance of healthy eating, but deep down, things had started going the other way.

Human nature had kicked in — people had started overdoing something they thought would help them.

So, I wanted to dig into this matter, and know-how everyday things we think are healthy can harm us if taken in larger than recommended quantities :

Spinach

This fact might come as a surprise to many people reading this because right from childhood with shows like ‘Popeye The Sailor Man’, we are shown how spinach is good for your health. At least, that’s what I thought before writing this article.

Well, there’s no doubt about the fact that spinach is a powerhouse of nutrients, but till now, no one has told us about the adverse effects eating too much spinach can have on our body.

Manisha Chopra, a well-known nutritionist, reveals five reasons why overeating spinach can be problematic

1. It limits your calcium absorption

Spinach contains oxalic acid. When you overeat spinach, oxalic acid binds with calcium and form oxalates (insoluble salts) in your intestines. These salts limit calcium absorption by your body.

2. You may develop kidney stones

Spinach is among those green veggies that contain the highest amount of oxalic acid. Overeating spinach may result in calcium-oxalate, which can cause kidney stones. It can also lead to hyperoxaluria, i.e., excessive urinary excretion of oxalate.

3. Nitrate can be dangerous for babies

Spinach contains nitrates, which don’t usually affect the human digestive system. However, it can cause several health concerns in infants.

4. Interaction with medications

Spinach is rich in vitamin K, which can interact with some drugs or medicines and form blood clots. Diabetic drugs are taken by patients to lower blood pressure levels, but the vitamin K present in spinach can combine with it and lower the blood pressure way too much.

5. Metabolisation

Increased consumption of spinach can result in an excessive build-up of bloating, gas, and cramps because your body needs time to digest spinach and cannot metabolize it all at once. Spinach is rich in fiber, and hence, it takes time to get digested, which can lead to abdominal pain, diarrhea, and fever.

“1–1.5 cups of spinach per day can help you fulfill your daily nutritional requirements.”

Broccoli

Another favourite health food, we tend to have a lot If you’re like me and love sauted veggies, brocolli is a must and I tend to put a lot of it. Sadly, broccoli impacts the functioning of your thyroid gland, because it is goitrogen in nature. They are those chemicals which suppress the functioning of the thyroid gland. This chemical interferes with iodine in your body, due to which your thyroid gland enlarges and leads to goitre.

“Broccoli also has thiocyanates. This compound is very dangerous because it leads to hyperthyroidism, and due to which, you experience problems like weight gain, fatigue, hair loss, and a bloated face”, informs dietician and clinical nutritionist, Anshika Srivastava.

Moreover, broccoli belongs to the cruciferous family, just like kale and cabbage, and leads to gastric issues as well as bloating in some people.

“Another reason that one must avoid eating too much broccoli is that it can give you issues with your bowel movement. Broccoli is rich in fibre which is good when eaten in moderation, but if you eat too much fibre, then your body doesn’t make as many enzymes to digest it, and hence you experience bowel irritation”, she explains.

Srivastava adds, “There are also some other side effects of broccoli. If it is not cooked properly, it increases the isoflavones present in it, due to which chances of an ischemic stroke increases, especially in women. Although it is rare and more research is needed on this topic, we can’t deny its possibility.”

Conclusion

Foods with beta carotene, the orange pigment plentiful in vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes, supply the body with vitamin A and help fight cell damage.

But too much beta carotene can cause your skin to turn an orange color.

Many fruits and vegetables are packed with fiber, as are beans and whole grains. But upping your fiber intake too much, too soon, can cause gas and bloating.

Too much fiber overall may also block the absorption of some nutrients.

“It’s always best to get your fiber from foods that contain it naturally,” Consumer Reports Health Editor Jesse Hirsch said. “Foods that are fortified with fiber may be more likely to cause stomach upset.”

Meat, chicken, fish and tofu contain protein, although too much protein can not only stress the kidneys and liver, but may increase the risk of osteoporosis, too.

For most people, eating three servings of protein-rich foods daily, including non-meat items like yogurt and quinoa, is enough to maintain good health.

Although I could have put a dozen more vegetables and fruits on this list, I went with two so that the readers don’t freak out and stop eating vegetables altogether. However, always remember too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.

Stay Healthy.