Have you ever considered how many of the foods that we consume on a daily basis could be doing us more harm than good? You could easily reach for some cereal or a frozen pizza when you’re busy and convenience comes calling. But some of these go-to favorites are jam-packed with hidden sugars, saturated fats and chemicals that add up fast.
Let’s check out the 10 foods that are so bad for us, we shouldn’t even eat them.
Breakfast Cereals
Even when sold as the healthiest meal of the day, most cereals are full of sugar and fillers. These “sugar bombs” are going to spike your blood sugar, making you lose energy and want even more sugar later.
They’re low in fiber and other nutrients, so they’re a terrible breakfast food.
Soda and Sugary Juices
Soda is just liquid sugar, containing no nutrition. With high-fructose corn syrup and other sweeteners, soda can make you fat, diabetic and unhealthy.
Diet options may be better, but artificial sweeteners are not for the faint of heart. Studies show they cause all kinds of health issues. Drinking water or plain tea instead of soda is a huge improvement.
Packaged Pastries and Snack Cakes
These pastries and cakes are usually composed of refined flour, sugar, and a slew of additives and artificial flavors. They’re also chock-full of trans fat and can make your cholesterol spike.
Cakes & pastries satisfy you with a quick glug of sugar and then leave you craving more; and eventually obese & unhealthy.
Instant Noodles
Instant noodles are highly processed, high in sodium, preservatives, and artificial ingredients. Even one serving can provide over half of the recommended daily salt.
They are so high in sodium that they will eventually lead to hypertension and kidney problems, which makes them a less than ideal food choice.
Processed Meats
Hot dogs, bacon, and deli meats are delicious but are packed with nitrates, a carcinogen known to cause cancer. They’re also high in sodium and saturated fats, which increase your risk of heart disease.
You will be able to improve your health by eating good cuts of meat or plant-based alternatives.
Margarine
Previously considered a better option than butter, margarine is high in trans fat, which increases bad cholesterol and decreases good cholesterol.
Even trans fat free margarine can be loaded with additives and refined oils that aren’t healthy, so it is best to include (limited) natural fats in your diet.
Deep-Fried Fast Foods
French fries, fried chicken and other fried foods are loaded with unhealthy fats and calories. Frying also releases carcinogenic molecules such as acrylamide, which has been linked to cancer.
Eating these foods frequently can make you gain weight and put you at higher risk of cardiovascular problems.
Potato Chips
Potato chips are tempting but mostly void calories, high in salt and bad fat. You can easily overeat many servings of potato chips; they are one of the main fattening foods on the planet.
Their salty nature can also raise your blood pressure, which is not ideal for your heart health.
Candy
Candy is just sugar with no nutrition. Too much sugar has many health problems, from tooth decay to obesity and diabetes. Candy will give you an energy boost in an instant but usually cause you to crash and then start revolving the sweet temptations again.
Store-Bought Salad Dressings
They may sound harmless, but most store-bought dressings are high in bad fats, sugars and artificial preservatives. Some have high-fructose corn syrup, which makes a nutritious salad into a calorie-filled dinner.
Try making a simple home-made dressing with olive oil, vinegar, and herbs; you’ll be a lot healthier.
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