Foods You Should Stop Eating

September 22, 2013 admin Nutrition

There are plenty of healthy food choices available today, and in some ways eating a healthy diet has never been easier. However, there are some foods that continue to be widely consumed yet offer very little in the way of nutritional value. For individuals who care about being healthy and fit, these foods cause nothing but trouble, and should be eliminated from the diet altogether, or at the very least only eaten on occasion.

You don’t have to eat sprouts all day to be fit and healthy, but you do have to make smart choices regarding the foods you eat on a regular basis. The following is a list of foods that offer almost no health benefits, and if eaten on a regular basis can lead to issues with not only weight gain but disease as well.

Processed Foods

Processed foods are those treated through any industrial process. They contain artificial ingredients, preservatives, and chemical additives that disrupt normal digestion and elimination, and have negative long term effects on your health. Frozen, canned and boxed foods, with some exceptions, are usually processed and should be avoided.

Fast Foods

Fast foods are among the worst offenders, as they tend to sound great when we’re hungry, but contain virtually no nutrients and are full of ingredients like trans-fatty acids that are terrible for your health. On top of that fast food meals contain way more calories than most people need to consume at a given meal, and are culpable in the obesity epidemic we are currently experiencing. The average fast food meal can be 1,000 or more calories, and often leaves you hungry in two hours or less.

Deep Fried Foods

French fries, fried chicken, potato chips, donuts, funnel cake, and onion rings are just a few of the fried foods we eat on a daily basis and none of them are good for us. They are loaded with calories and fat and raise insulin levels in the blood.

Unhealthy Fats

We need some fats in our diet, especially good ones like those found in avocados, fish and nuts, but too much of the wrong kind of fats can cause big problems. Do not eliminate fats from your diet; just eat the correct ones in the right amounts. Total fat intake should be around 50 grams per day, with only 5 grams of saturated fats.

White Flour

White flour is devoid of nutrients, and is essentially no better for you than white sugar. Choose whole grain flour as a healthier alternative. White flour causes problems in the digestive system, and should be avoided whenever possible. It is popular because it does not spoil, but as far as foods go it is one to remove from your cupboards.

White Sugar

Processed white sugar, like flour, is a pretty lousy food that is all too common, as it is put into so many other processed foods. There are plenty of natural sugars that can be consumed to satisfy those sweet cravings we all get from time to time, so ditch the sugar and eat some grapes or a peach.

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