There
is no shortage of research regarding "bad food" choices. The lists are
endless, and they are made up of many convenient favorites.
Unfortunately, quick food is often less healthy. The goal should be to
get the most nutrition and the least amount of toxins out of your
calories. With a little effort, it is possible for nutrition-conscious
shoppers to educate themselves regarding food facts and to avoid
stocking their kitchens with "bad foods."
Soda
Soda
tastes so good, but it tops every list of foods to avoid. For starters,
the empty calories suppress cravings for healthy, fresh foods.
AllNaturalInfo.com posts studies showing a direct link between soda and
osteoporosis, obesity, tooth decay and heart disease. And we still love
it. The average American drinks 56 gallons of soda per year.
Chips
The
major danger with chips is mindless munching. Even if it were possible
to stick to the serving size, one ounce of potato chips packs 10 grams
of fat. And who really stops after two handfuls? Lifescript.com
recommends replacing the chips with rice snacks or popcorn cakes.
Fried Foods
Donuts,
fried chicken and French fries hit the top of most "foods to avoid"
lists. They are virtually soaked in saturated fat. According to
AllNaturalInfo.com, the other huge problem is that vegetable oil spoils
easily. Aging, blood clots, inflammation and cancer are all associated
with the free radicals released from rancid oils.
Processed Meats
Flavorful
hot dogs, bacon and sausage are packed with calories, saturated fat,
nitrates and sodium. The American Dietetic Association attributes high
blood pressure and heart disease to elevated sodium intake. One hot dog
contains around 600 mg of sodium. That is a huge chunk of the
recommended daily allowance, which is no more than 2,000 mg.
Added Sugar
Sugar
is natural in healthy staples like milk and fruit. But "added sugar" is
a sneaky calorie-booster that creeps into foods and contributes to poor
nutrition. The Mayo Clinic writes that added sugar causes weight gain,
tooth decay and heart disease. They recommend no more than six to nine
teaspoons of added sugar per day. Most Americans are consuming 22!
White Bread
Sometimes
there is nothing better than a new bag of squishy white bread.
Unfortunately, it consistently appears on lists of foods to avoid. The
American Dietetic Association warns that white bread is packed with
simple carbohydrates that digest like simple sugar, causing blood sugar
to rise and then crash.
Corn-Fed Beef
"Factory
grown" or corn-fed beef is common and inexpensive. In his article for
the NY Times, author Mark Bittman writes that most cattle ranchers are
forced to pump their livestock full of corn, antibiotics and hormones
to keep prices down and ranches running efficiently. The end product is
fat-marbled beef tainted with unnatural ingredients.
Full Fat Cheese
Unfortunately,
many people sabotage their otherwise healthy diets by eating full fat
cheeses. DietaryFiberFood.com charts fat content so that consumers can
make informed purchases. Full fat cheddar cheese, for example, contains
21.09 grams of saturated fat per 100 grams, while low fat cheddar
yields almost five times less, 4.34 grams.
Energy Drinks
The
Mayo Clinic lists a number of reasons to avoid energy drinks. Increased
blood pressure, weight gain and irritability can result from the
excessive sugar and caffeine in most energy drinks. They also warn that
consuming too many energy drinks has led to heart attacks, seizures,
manic episodes, chest pain and sudden cardiac death.
Microwave Popcorn
Microwave
popcorn is an easy, low-fat snack that seems harmless. Sadly, the FDA
is now revealing the liberal use of a chemical called perfluorooctanoic
acid, or PFOA, on many microwave popcorn bags. According to Pubmed.gov,
even small amounts of PFOA have been shown to cause cancer and liver
tumors in rats.
source: www.livestrong.com
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