Certainly, you are what you eat. Your foremost step towards a healthy lifestyle is to realize that most NOT to eat foods are often tasty, but killers. While grain products, caffeine and alcoholic beverages are well known unhealthy foods with great taste, the list does not end there. There are many unhealthy foods that you must be avoiding, but for now here, we would like to highlight 10 food products to be avoided by everyone.
Keep reading!
1. Artificial sweetener- the bitter sweet substitute
The artificial sweeteners and other sugar substitutes termed sugar-free may indeed help you cut down calories, but definitely are not magic bullets. While they work well for weight management, they are venomous to your health. Ironically, these zero calories products, for your waistline are as bad as the high calorie- sugar. A recent research conducted at the University of Texas, where two mice were fed with artificial sweetener and free-diet respectively, proves to be an evident justification to this statement. It was found that the mice fed with artificial sweetener had higher blood sugar level than the one left on free-diet. One of the major side effects found by excessive use of artificial sweeteners is a fluid loss in the human body.
So, it’s time now that you to give this unhealthy product a thumbs down and switch to a natural and organic sugar substitute- honey.
2. Margarine- better than butter, but not best
Margarine is prepared using vegetable oil, and for this reason it has been considered a healthy substitute for butter. The myth buster here is, that though margarine has comparably less cholesterol and saturated fat than butter, the high salt content and trans fat in margarine causes severe clogging of arteries in the human body. The saturated fat present in margarine increases blood cholesterol level, eventually leading us to heart diseases- dietary experts say. If you are looking for a softer and healthier spread, taking reference from nutritionists, we suggest you to go for sources that contain monounsaturated fat (olive oil is the best bet).
3. Frosting-the icing not so cool
We know that it’s difficult to resist that tempting icing on cakes and cookies, but for your good health, you got to bid farewell to that fancy frosting. Researches say that frosting is the only item in the grocery stores today that has huge amount of trans fats, and trans fat, is an enemy of your body shape. Moreover, trans fat reduces good cholesterol and increases bad cholesterol, giving way to rapid development of belly fat and heart diseases. So, when you see that delicious cake coming to you at the party, force yourself to say-please, no frosting!
4. Processed baked food- easy for plate, uneasy for stomach
Those pre-packaged yummy baked food products undeniably give you effortless food on plate, but what to your stomach? As these food products are created aiming longer shelf life, they contain high sugar content and preservatives to keep them eatable for quite a time. Their unhealthy ingredients cause skin inflammation, increase calories in your body and also build unwanted fat around your glands. Also, they are not easy to digest. Instead of picking this unwholesome wrapped stuff, kill your snack desires by grabbing some fresh fruit.
5. Food Dyes- a rainbow of risks
Food colors or dyes might make food tempting and presentably good, but they are a major reason for the increasing cases of food poisoning in children today. The severity of food dyes have been so vast that many health advocates tried to band food dyes because of their adverse effects on human and animals, both. It was found that certain food dyes contain synthetic chemicals and contaminants that cause cancer. Take those toxic food color bottles off your kitchen shelve now and make use of leftover fruits and vegetables to add in that good look to your food.
6. Starch Food- friend to energy, foe to health
While there are still debates going on whether to eat all starchy food or not, experts say that health is best when one refrains from starchy foods like pasta, rice, bread, French fries, cakes and cookies, etc. All these foods, though seem good for extracting nutrients, they are high in starch. Scientifically, some starches metabolize quicker than sugar, causing rapid increase in the blood sugar. Studies have proved that starchy foods also contain a chemical called acrylamide, which, when inhaled in large amounts leads to severe brain and sensory diseases. Now that you know you have been eating a lot unhealthy stuff all the while, scratch of that starchy food product from your dinner menu and switch to a no-starch diet today.
7. Soda- a bottle of sugary acid
Do you know that when you drink Soda, you drink nothing but a can of water with about 10 packets of sugar in it?! Besides having high sugar content, this not so healthy drink also contains carbonic acid- a very corrosive ingredient, just enough to damage your health. Also, caffeine in soda reduces calcium from bones, which eventually weakens your bones and in severe cases, it leads to dysfunction of the bones as well. The good old fashioned H2O is always the best way to quench your thirst, but if desire something flavorful, squeeze in some citrus fruits for a relishing and relaxing taste.
8. Soya Sauce- poisons slowly and secretly
Soy sauce- a hidden ingredient which has known to cause more disasters to health than any other sauces. Though soya contains less calories and has certain good vitamins, the high sodium content in soya is the sole reason it must be taken off your ingredient list. Nutrition experts say that most cases of skin inflammation, bloating and hypertension in the human body are a consequence of eating products containing soya sauce. Replace soya sauce with a healthier option- the maple syrup; and believe us, you won’t know the difference in taste!
9. Dairy Products- all that’s white, is not always right
Over the years you may have been taught that dairy products are good for your health but, let us correct you here. Dairy products are good for energy, but certainly not for health. After extensive researches and surveys, US dietary experts have come to conclusion that dairy products build saturated fats in human body. These saturated fats not only cause problems like obesity and indigestion, but also are a huge risk to your heart. Instead of choosing whole dairy products keep yourself healthy, switch to skim or low-fat dairy products.
10. Theatre Popcorn- the calorie bombs
The interval of that movie is not for you to go and gobble up calories, so why those calorie bombs– popcorn?! It has been found that theatre popcorn is prepared using coconut oil, which consists about 90% of saturated fat. Ironically, even when you eat a medium sized theatre popcorn tub, you consume calories equivalent to three fast-food burgers and going worse, a saturated fat equivalent to a full stick of butter. Thus, make your movie breaks healthier by ordering some healthy snack or an energy drink to keep you relished all through.