Six Horribly Unhealthy Foods To Avoid

Unhealthy Foods To Avoid For Better Health

In many western cultures it’s not uncommon to find processed foods that contain high doses of fat and sugar with little nutritional value. These unhealthy and often addictive ingredients are often coupled with preservatives or trans fats in order make them edible and seemingly attractive to the eye but sadly, even more damaging for your body's health! 

Constant consumption of the foods listed below has been shown to potentially leave your body open to a range of diet related bad health problems ranging from inflammation to hypertension and lots more. Read our article on the health benefits of turmeric to see what taking turmeric can do to help you with bad health and disease protection. 

Big Brand Breakfast Cereals - They’re Great  - Sorry Tony, Actually They’re Not

Some of the worst examples include breakfast cereal containing huge amounts of sugar; coffee drinks loaded with sugary syrups; canned soups heavy with salt, chemical preservatives and flavor enhancers and margarine made with hydrogenated fat and junk your body does not require. 

The breakfast cereal you choose can have a big impact on the health of your heart. In fact, 10 of the sugariest cereals currently sold in American grocery stores are between 41% and 56% sugar by weight. A study published in 2010 found that high added-sugar consumption was correlated with higher LDL (bad) cholesterol and lower HDL (good). 

Sugary Coffee Drinks: North America's Newest Obsession?

Coffee is not just for breakfast anymore. A recent study found that many people start their day with a sugary, high-calorie coffee drink from one major chain and it has almost 600 calories! That equates to 30% of your daily allowance or even more than the recommended amount if you're following an average 2k diet plan - which most Americans don't follow properly as it stands now anyways since there are no regulations about how much sugar companies put into foods!!

Canned Soup is Known for Being Very High in Sodium

Canned soup has long been known to be high on the salt scale, but recent studies show just how bad this can get. A single cup of one brand's condensed soup contains a whopping 760 milligrams of sodium! 

That means if you down an entire tin (which would give 2 1/2 servings) then your body will absorb over 1800mgs worth - not including all those other ingredients like flour and modified food starch which add  more flavor but also pack quite the sodium punch themselves. None of this adds up to equaling a healthy meal. For some healthier ideas of what you can do to increase the amount of delicious and extra nutritious cruciferous vegetables in your diet visit cruciferousvegetableguide.com.

High Calorie Soft Drinks

Your average cola drink or many of the mountain of soft drink choices contains 30 to 40 grams of highly processed sugar paired with virtually zero nutritional value. Zilch. Nadda. Nothing good at all. These drinks on their own are in large part responsible for the obesity rates in kids and adults. Pair these drinks with a diet of other highly processed fast foods and you’re will on your way to gaining weight and watching your health decline rapidly. 

Processed Meats – Tasty, Hard To Ignore But Bad For Your Health

Processed meats are not your friend. In a 2010 study, Harvard School of Public Health researchers found that consuming processed deli meat, sausage and bacon increased the risk of heart disease by 42 percent and type-2 diabetes by 19%. The worst part? Processed Meats are often high in sodium -- one slice can load on between 310 mg - 480 milligrams!

There are healthier alternatives out there made by small producers who take the time to cure their meats in the old-time ways but they generally cost considerably more and you will likely have to visit a non-brand name deli store to find them. It’s so worth it however!

Frozen Treats

Ice cream is a favorite sweet treat for millions of us, but there are some things you need to know about this delicious treat before eating it. Studies have shown that due to its high saturated fat and sugar content, eating even a modest amount of ice cream can lead to weight gain and poor heart health.  This applies to kids as much as adults. 

Ice cream is delicious but, if you do tend to eat it, buying less of a good quality ice cream is preferable. You’re still getting the fat and high sugar but, you might not get as much of the chemical additives and junk filler ingredients used in cheaper ice cream brands. Click this to see how easy it is: make your own ice cream  

Another alternative if you’re a bit of an addict is to make your own. Again, you likely can’t escape the sugar and fat but you limit it somewhat and add in some fresh or dried fruit to at least give it a bit of nutritional value while avoiding the fillers and additives of the big brands

Frozen French Fries 

Processed frozen French fries or tatter tots are often served as side dishes to breakfast, lunch and dinner in homes around the world. Unfortunately, a single 3 ounce serving of these snacks can contain more than 500 milligrams sodium with 8-11 grams of saturated fat. They are a food to avoid but the good news is you can easily make your own at home. Check this out: make your own fries

Are you tired of feeling sluggish, overweight or unhealthy? You’re not alone. North Americans and many Europeans are eating themselves into poor health with the high-fat, sugar and sodium foods that dominate our modern diets. Fortunately there are plenty of homemade alternatives to all these products! 

Try making your own healthy breakfast cereal by mixing oats with peanut butter, banana slices and raisins; enjoy a smoothie for lunch instead of soda. Go easy on preservatives when preparing dinner so it doesn't become an unhealthy meal night after night. It's time to start thinking about what we're putting in our bodies because obesity rates continue to rise - but luckily awareness is growing too.