You know what they say: “You are what you eat.” In today’s high-cholesterol and trans-fat loving world, this age-old saying has begun to physically manifest itself more than ever before.
Hectic lifestyles have made us lazy consumers. Seldom do we check the ingredients of the products we pick up at the supermarket.
We just buy what is popular, without considering how it may affect our health. But our diet has a direct effect on our health and well-being.
According to the World Health Organization, the majority of the world’s population lives in nations where excessive weight gain is a bigger killer than malnourishment.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women in the United States.
An unhealthy diet is the window to obesity and chronic heart disease. When planning a healthy diet, there are certain foods that we must avoid at all costs to begin transitioning toward better health.
When you are trying to be healthy, sometimes knowing what foods are bad for you is as important as knowing which foods you should be eating. While there are, sadly, a wide range of unhealthy foods out there, some stand out from the crowd in terms of the risks they pose if eaten. Below are foods you should never, ever eat if you truly want to be healthy.
Hot dogs on the fourth of July or a ham and Swiss sandwich are about as American as it gets. But there is a reason why they are on this list of foods that are bad for you. Processed meats might taste incredibly good, but they are not exactly good for you!
As a matter of fact, a study came out just this year which linked an increased or high consumption of processed meats with an increased risk for colon cancer. Unfortunately, this includes not only hot dogs and ham, but deli meats, sausage, bacon and other processed products.
A European study found that people who drank a 12-ounce sugar-sweetened soda daily were 18 percent more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes over a 16-year period compared with those who did not consume soda. Previous studies in the United States found that daily soda consumption increased the risk of Type 2 diabetes by 25 percent.
These beverages raise the levels of blood sugar in the body and over time, this can mean problems like insulin resistance, which can eventually turn into full-blown diabetes. And they won’t help your waistline, either.
Eating these fat-laden foods on a regular basis increases cholesterol and clogs arteries. This leads to heart problems. A 2015 study published in the Journal of American Heart Association showed a positive association between fried food intake and heart failure.
Also, a 2014 study published in the American Society for Nutrition journal showed that frequent fried-food consumption was significantly associated with risk of developing incident Type 2 diabetes or coronary artery disease.
Deep-fried foods like French fries, potato chips, onion rings, fried chicken and breaded cutlets are exceptionally delicious, but also exceptionally unhealthy.
Oil contains fat, and in order to deep-fry food, you need lots of it. Deep-frying is also a slow process, allowing foods to absorb a lot of the fat.
We live in a world where convenience is king. I know this. It’s hard to find fresh produce and to only eat what is in season, kind of. When you buy canned foods, however, you are also buying BPA – a toxic chemical linked to reproductive abnormalities, neurological effects, diabetes, heart disease and a heightened risk of breast and prostate cancers. Canned foods that are highly acidic, such as tomatoes for example, cause the BPA to leach into your food. I recommend you avoid canned foods, whenever possible, and stick to what’s fresh and season. You can also switch over to glass containers or frozen foods instead.
Read More: http://www.trueactivist.com/10-foods-you-should-never-eat/
Ramen noodles are the traditional go-to food of college students across the country, but they don’t exactly make for a healthy meal. They are loaded with calories while provide very few nutrients and are over-the-top high in sodium. Sodium diets are linked to increased blood pressure, which in turn is a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes. Consumption of these noodles have been linked to increased cholesterol and other health problems as well.
A 2014 study published in the Nature journal states that the body does not digest artificial sugar, which then goes to the intestine and is absorbed by intestinal bacteria, altering their behavior.
As more people look to lower the calories in their diets, artificial sweeteners are replacing natural sugar in many products.
However, recent research has shown that artificial sweeteners increase the risk of diabetes by raising blood sugar levels and negatively affect the body’s immune system.
According to results, this causes rapid weight gain. It also prevents sugar breakdown, significantly accelerating the risk of diabetes.
In addition, although artificial sweeteners are sweeter than sugar, they tend to increase sugar cravings and sugar dependence because there is a strong correlation between repeated intake of a flavor and preferred intensity for that flavor.
Regardless of what side of the genetically modified (GM) fence you sit on, avoiding GM ingredients is not easy. Some say that more than 75 percent of the food in grocery stores is genetically engineered or contains GM ingredients. Corn and soybeans top that list. And while corn may be the more prevalent crop, much of the GM corn goes to livestock feed. Soybeans and their products, however are in a surprising array of products we consume. Around 93 percent of soybeans grown in this United States have been genetically modified, reports Environmental Working Group. Meaning that if you want to avoid GM foods, watch out for labels that list soy proteins, soybean oil, soy milk, soy flour, soy sauce, tofu or soy lecithin unless they are certified organic or GMO-free.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has stated that microwave popcorn bags are lined with certain chemicals (PFOA) to keep the grease from leaking out. When these bags are microwaved, the chemicals leak into the popcorn.
A 2010 study published in Environmental Health Perspectives found that consumption of PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) chemicals might cause thyroid disorders. If left untreated, thyroid disorders pose the risk of turning into thyroid cancer.
Exposure to PFOA chemicals is a cause of breast, kidney and testicular cancer. These chemicals also increase cholesterol levels and, consequently, the risk of chronic heart disease.
At one point we were supposed to give up butter for the healthier option of margarine, but there was just one little problem. Early margarine was chockablock with trans fats, which deliver a double-whammy to cholesterol by raising LDL ("bad") cholesterol and lowering HDL ("good") cholesterol.
Many margarine have been reformulated over the years, but not all margarine are created equal. In general, notes the Mayo Clinic, the more solid the margarine, the more trans fat it contains, so margarine that comes in stick form has more trans fat than tub margarine. Also, if you’re watching your processed food intake, remember that margarine is highly processed — so you’re better sticking with butter or olive oil.
