Health
These 6 ‘healthy’ foods won’t help you lose weight, nutritionist warns
While some foods are considered healthy and nourishing, they might not always be optimal for weight loss.
Registered dietitian nutritionist Ilana Muhlstein spoke with Fox News Digital in an interview about certain foods that could stunt health and fitness goals.
“There’s definitely a big difference between healthy and healthy for weight loss,” the Los Angeles-based expert said. “This is something that I see so many people struggle with.”
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It’s possible to eat healthy foods yet still pack on pounds, she noted, “which is not healthy for your overall body, especially if you have weight to lose.”
Registered dietitian nutritionist Ilana Muhlstein is the author of the weight-loss book “You Can Drop It!” and is known as NutritionBabe by her two million followers on TikTok. (BODi)
Here are six surprising foods that might not help you lose weight.
1. Granola and oats
While granola is a classic topping for healthy snacks like yogurt and smoothie bowls, Muhlstein likened it to a “crushed-up cookie.”
“People look at it as super healthy, but those oats are usually being tossed with nut butters, oils, maple syrup, honey, thrown-in chocolate chips and coconut shavings,” she said. “They’re baked, it’s dense and a cup of granola can be 600 calories.”
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Even a sprinkle of granola can add up to 200 calories, according to Muhlstein.
“[It’s] really not a great bang for your buck when you’re talking about filling up on foods and staying within a healthy calorie range for weight loss,” she said.
A sprinkle of granola can add up to 200 calories, according to the nutritionist. (iStock)
While oat-based foods like overnight oats and oatmeal can work well for people who are athletic, they might not be the best choice for those on weight-loss journeys, Muhlstein said.
“It kind of sits with them … they’re not able to burn it off so quickly,” she said. “It’s really good before a workout, as you’re taking those carbs and using them efficiently.”
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Muhlstein recommends pairing oat recipes with yogurt or protein powder for a more optimal meal.
2. Nut butters
Nut butters are “not a protein source,” even though whole nuts contain protein, the nutritionist stated.
Nut butters are not a good source of protein, the nutritionist said. (iStock)
They can be used to add flavor or healthy fat to recipes like salad dressing, stir-fry or smoothies, she said.
“If you are trying to eat peanut butter for protein and you’re having a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you are having a lot of calories, a lot of carbs … and very, very little protein overall,” Muhlstein noted.
3. Chia seeds
Seed-based snacks like chia seed puddings have grown in popularity as a healthy breakfast option.
Chia seed puddings, however, can be made with sweeteners like honey, maple syrup and coconut milk, which make them “very high in calories” and low in protein, Muhlstein revealed.
Chia seed puddings can be high in calories due to added sugars, the expert cautioned. (iStock)
“It has plenty of good, healthy fats and could be great for your digestion, [with] Omega-3s and fiber,” she said.
“But overall, it’s not the slimmest choice if you’re trying to drop pounds on the scale and maintain a leaner frame.”
4. Avocado
While avocado is well-known for being a healthy fat, eating too much can hamper weight-loss goals.
Most women only need about one avocado’s worth of fat in a whole day, according to Muhlstein.
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“When you get a salad with half an avocado on top of the dressing, on top of the nuts and everything else, it’s probably a lot,” she said. “I usually recommend about a quarter to a third of an avocado at a time.”
Most women only need about an avocado’s worth of fat per day, the nutritionist advised. (iStock)
5. Sourdough bread
During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, many people turned to baking sourdough bread, which spiked its popularity.
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While sourdough does have some healthy qualities, as it’s fermented and can have a lower glycemic index, Muhlstein pointed out that it “still has calories.”
“It’s still not cauliflower,” she said. “It’s really funny how many people almost treat it like it is.”
Sourdough bread has been touted as a “health food,” the expert noted, but it still contains calories. (Andy Cross/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
Some of Muhlstein’s clients have made a habit of baking a loaf of sourdough every week and then eating the whole thing, she said.
“It’s really not working for their weight loss,” she said. “But it’s the last thing they think is the problem, because it’s been touted as such a health food.”
6. Pesto
Pesto can be a delicious condiment on salads, vegetables and other dishes, but it is usually made with “lots of olive oil, lots of Parmesan cheese and lots of pine nuts,” Muhlstein cautioned.
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“When you have that dipped with your bread, and it becomes excessive, it is a very high-calorie condiment,” she said.
A pesto recipe can be thinned out with lemon juice, Greek yogurt or nutritional yeast instead of cheese and nuts, the expert suggested. (iStock)
The nutritionist recommends thinning out a pesto recipe with lemon juice, Greek yogurt, or nutritional yeast instead of cheese and nuts.
Adding more basil will help thicken the recipe, while more water will help blend it.
“I know that sounds sacrilege to some chefs, but if you are really trying to get the flavor, there are ways to make a leaner pesto,” Muhlstein added.
A Costco-brand cold and flu medicine has been pulled from shelves by the thousands.
A total of 8,640 boxes of Kirkland Severe Cold & Flu Plus Congestion Day and Night packs were recalled by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) last week.
This is following the FDA’s proposal to ban the use of oral phenylephrine as an over-the-counter nasal decongestant in early November.
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After “extensive review,” the FDA concluded that the active ingredient in the product (oral phenylephrine) is “not effective” as a nasal decongestant.
Nearly 9,000 boxes of Kirkland Severe Cold & Flu Plus Congestion Day and Night were recalled for quality control issues. (iStock)
Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, said he agrees with the recent pushback against the ingredient.
“This chemical is shown to be ineffective against cold and flu in its oral form, except at a dose that has some heart toxicity and can lead to palpitations, arrhythmia and high blood pressure.”
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The FDA stated that the Kirkland recall was related to quality control issues, noting in the official recall that the “released product should have been rejected.”
This was a Class II recall, which the FDA describes as a “situation in which use of, or exposure to, a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.”
Recalled boxes of Kirkland Severe Cold & Flu Plus Congestion had lot numbers P139953 or P139815 with an August 2026 expiration date. (eBay)
Katy Dubinsky, a New York pharmacist and founder and CEO of Vitalize, confirmed with Fox News Digital that the recall most likely occurred due to deviations from CGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practice).
“[That means] the product failed to meet required quality control standards and should have been rejected before release,” she said.
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“To guarantee all products meet strict safety and quality guidelines, the FDA made a Class II recall, which suggests low consumer risk and typically addresses issues unlikely to cause serious harm.”
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Manufacturing inconsistencies and labeling errors can cause “many” CGMP deviations, according to the pharmacist, as well as other procedural issues rather than ingredient problems.
“Acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, guaifenesin and phenylephrine – the listed active ingredients – are widely used as well as considered safe when taken as directed,” she said.
Pharmacist Katy Dubinsky told consumers to stop using recalled lots of this product. (iStock)
Dubinsky instructed consumers to stop using the recalled lots and consult with a health care professional if concerns or symptoms arise after taking the product.
“However, there is no need for panic,” she said. “Recalls like this are important to keep products safe and help people trust the over-the-counter medications they rely on.”
Recalled boxes of the Kirkland Cold & Flu product had lot numbers P139953 or P139815 with an August 2026 expiration date.
Fox News Digital reached out to the FDA and Costco for comment.
Bird flu (H5N1) continues to spark warnings around the country.
On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the country’s first severe case of bird flu in a human.
The patient, who lives in southwestern Louisiana, is currently hospitalized, according to a release from the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH).
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The infected person is known to have been exposed to sick and dead birds that are “suspected to have been infected,” the same source stated.
The LDH is working with the CDC on genomic testing of the virus infecting the hospitalized patient. Fox News Digital reached out to the department for comment.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday confirmed the country’s first severe case of bird flu in a human. (iStock)
There have been a total of 61 human cases throughout the country since April.
No human-to-human transmission has been reported, leading the CDC to maintain its stance that risk to the public is low.
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Despite the low risk, California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday declared a state of emergency due to the bird flu.
The declaration follows an outbreak of the virus among dairy cows in Southern California farms, according to the news release on the governor’s website.
“This proclamation is a targeted action to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need to respond quickly to this outbreak,” Newsom said in a statement.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday declared a state of emergency due to the bird flu. (Mario Tama)
“Building on California’s testing and monitoring system — the largest in the nation — we are committed to further protecting public health, supporting our agricultural industry, and ensuring that Californians have access to accurate, up-to-date information,” he continued.
“While the risk to the public remains low, we will continue to take all necessary steps to prevent the spread of this virus.”
Doctors discuss bird flu risk
Sam Scarpino, PhD, director of AI and life sciences at Northeastern University in Boston, said the “tragic case” in Louisiana is evidence of the “widespread nature” of H5N1 in the U.S.
“It also reinforces the very serious situation we are facing,” he told Fox News Digital.
“We need to take more decisive action to control the spread of H5N1 in animal populations.”
“We need to take more decisive action to control the spread of H5N1 in animal populations. Until then, we will continue to see human spillover cases, and some of them will unfortunately be severe.”
Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health and Fox News senior medical analyst, pointed out that this severe case represents just one instance of the infection and is not necessarily cause for alarm.
No human-to-human transmission has been reported, leading the CDC to maintain its stance that risk to the public is low. (iStock)
“We’d have to know more about the patient’s particular medical details,” he told Fox News Digital. “We can’t conclude [from one case] that it’s becoming more severe in humans.”
Previous iterations of bird flu have had a 50% death rate in humans, Siegel noted, but the 61 human cases in the U.S. this year have been “very mild.”
“That is actually a good sign, that the virus is mutating away from severity, as traditionally H5N1 makes humans very sick,” he told Fox News Digital.
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The most critical thing to watch, according to the doctor, is whether bird flu will begin to spread from human to human.
“That’s the key thing we’re concerned about — that it doesn’t get into the upper respiratory tract among humans,” Siegel said.
“Bird flu is a group of influenza viruses that primarily circulate among bird populations,” an expert told Fox News Digital. “However, influenza viruses are also known to jump species, and bird flu has done this a few times in history.” (Uli Deck/picture alliance via Getty Images)
“It hasn’t up until now, and that’s because it would take some mutations — at least one. We’re tracking that, but probably not closely enough.”
The vast majority of recent human cases have stemmed from direct contact with animals, he said — “but it’s now spread into the cattle population and into milk, which worries a lot of people, including me.”
Rebecca C. Christofferson, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences at Louisiana State University, commented to Fox News Digital about the potential for a pandemic.
“Nobody wants another pandemic.”
“Bird flu is a group of influenza viruses that primarily circulate among bird populations,” she told Fox News Digital.
“However, influenza viruses are also known to jump species, and bird flu has done this a few times in history.”
A researcher wears a protective suit while collecting samples of wildlife where the H5N1 bird flu virus was detected in Chilean Antarctic territory in Antarctica. (Reuters/Instituto Antartico Chileno)
“The more the virus gets into mammals and then the more it passes from mammal to mammal, the greater the concern that it will adapt to mammals and spread more easily among them and then spill over into humans,” Christofferson added.
“Nobody wants another pandemic.”
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The good news, Cristofferson said, is that it’s easy to protect yourself from catching bird flu.
“If you have to handle birds or suspected ill animals (or be around ill people), wearing gloves and masks and washing your hands will protect you as it does with other respiratory viruses,” she said.
For those who are feeling “stuck” or overwhelmed while striving for work-life balance, some experts recommend adopting a “pendulum lifestyle.”
Coined by Dr. Jeffrey Karp, Ph.D, a professor of biomedical engineering at Brigham & Women’s Hospital Harvard Medical School in Boston, the pendulum lifestyle is defined as a “concept that acknowledges life’s natural ebb and flow, and empowers you to thrive amidst the swings.”
“Rarely are we in balance … it’s just unrealistic and an anxiety-inducing expectation,” the doctor told Fox News Digital in an interview.
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Seeing the world as a pendulum fosters a more compassionate mindset and alleviates the pressure to be perfect, Karp said.
For those who are feeling “stuck” or overwhelmed while striving for work-life balance, some experts recommend adopting a “pendulum lifestyle.” (iStock)
With this approach, people can take small steps to “swing the pendulum,” enabling them to feel more emotionally, mentally and physically “balanced” during the day, according to the expert.
This could also empower individuals who feel “stuck” when facing daily challenges, he said.
“Looking at nature, there are so many cycles, so many things that are kind of going back and forth, like night and day …. changes of seasons, and the waxing and waning of the moon,” noted Karp.
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The pendulum lifestyle involves daily “self-check-ins” where the person gauges their physical, emotional and mental energy levels, Karp said. They can then take immediate steps to move their levels in a positive direction toward the ideal balance.
“If we can visualize everything on a pendulum, we can think, ‘What’s the one step I could take today to bring the pendulum a little closer to where I want it to be?’” he said.
With this approach, people can take small steps to “swing the pendulum,” enabling them to feel more emotionally, mentally and physically “balanced” during the day. (iStock)
For example, a person who has low physical energy could visualize a pendulum with the lowest energy on one side and the highest energy on the other.
He would then do a “self-check” to identify where his energy level lies on the pendulum and what small steps could move it closer to the ideal balance point, Karp said.
“True well-being doesn’t lie in perfection or consistency, but in our ability to navigate the ebb and flow of life.”
That might mean taking a 10-minute walk, doing some jumping jacks or performing a few stretches to move the pendulum to a higher energy level position.
“This empowers the person and reminds them they are not stuck,” Karp said.
Taking a 10-minute walk, doing some jumping jacks or performing a few stretches can move the pendulum to a higher energy level position, the expert said. (iStock)
On the flip side, if it’s late at night and a person needs to wind down, she might engage in a calming exercise like meditation or listening to relaxing music as a way to swing the pendulum to a level more conducive to sleeping, the expert advised.
The pendulum lifestyle can also serve as a mood-booster, Kelp said. When someone is feeling down, watching a funny movie or practicing gratitude can help shift the pendulum.
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The approach could also help launch forward momentum if someone feels “stuck” in life, the expert said.
“When you start to realize that you’re not limited to being at that spot on the pendulum, but can take a step forward and be intentional, it’s just so empowering,” he said.
The daily check-in process could help individuals identify when they are feeling in less than tip-top shape and find ways to swing in a better direction, one expert said. (iStock)
Dr. Molly Sherb, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and a licensed psychologist at Mount Sinai in New York City, commented on Karp’s concept of a pendulum lifestyle.
“When you start to realize that you’re not limited to being at that spot on the pendulum, but can take a step forward and be intentional, it’s just so empowering.”
She agreed that the daily check-in process could help individuals identify when they are feeling in less than tip-top shape and find ways to swing in a better direction.
“That might include getting better sleep or eating a healthier breakfast … to help you wake up with a better bandwidth tomorrow,” Sherb said.
Progress, not perfection
Dr. Christopher Fisher, a psychologist at Zucker Hillside Hospital Northwell Health in Queens, New York, said the pendulum lifestyle could help those who feel pressured to achieve a perfect work-life balance.
“The pendulum of life’s experiences – whether emotional, cognitive or physical – is one of the truest expressions of what it means to be human,” he told Fox News Digital.
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“True well-being doesn’t lie in perfection or consistency, but in our ability to navigate the ebb and flow of life,” he told Fox News Digital.
Sherb agreed that the essence of the pendulum lifestyle is that it’s not always possible to strike that 50-50 equal balance.
Adopt a constructive viewpoint and ask yourself what positive changes or routines can help you achieve a more optimal level on the pendulum path, one expert advised. (iStock)
“It’s about constantly tuning into yourself … and seeing which parts of your life might need you more at certain times,” she said.
“It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach, but a more tailored approach based on what you need and what people in your life need from you.”
4 steps to implementing the pendulum lifestyle
Karp shared some specific strategies for adopting the pendulum approach.
1. Perform a head-to-toe check-in each morning
Ask yourself how you are feeling emotionally, physically and mentally. What parts do not feel at a 100% level?
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2. Make any necessary adjustments
Based on your self-check-in, consider changing your routine to accommodate your energy level or take simple steps to help move the pendulum in a positive direction, Karp suggested.
3. Be compassionate and curious
If you feel off-balance, Karp said to recognize that as part of the natural pendulum swing and to embrace it with self-compassion rather than shame and criticism.
“It’s about constantly tuning into yourself … and seeing which parts of your life might need you more at certain times.”
Adopt a constructive viewpoint and ask yourself what positive changes or routines can help you achieve a more optimal level on the pendulum path, he advised.
4. Understand your pendulum swings
It could be helpful to ask yourself specific questions, such as the following.
“What factors helped contribute to a state of feeling balanced?”
“What factors contributed to feeling off-balance?”
“What small changes can I make today to foster a sense of better balance?”
“How did I respond to feeling imbalanced and was it effective?”
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Above all, Karp said, it’s important to remember that finding balance is a “lifelong journey.”
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