Top Foods to Never Eat

Top Foods to Never Eat

Margarine
Made from vegetable oils, margarine boasts lesser saturated fats than regular butter. For this reason, people consider it the healthier alternative.

However, margarine is full of trans fatty acids (TFAs), or simply trans fats. TFAs are fats that occur when vegetable oil-based products are solidified.

TFAs in our diets contribute to clogged arteries, restricting the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart and causing heart attacks.

A 2011 study published in The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry noted that mice fed a high trans-fat diet for 24 weeks showed plaque buildup in the arteries.

Researchers concluded that trans fats inhibit the activity of a vital protein that regulates cell renewal and strengthens the heart’s immunity against disease.

Processed Meats
Meat preserved by smoking, salting, drying or adding harmful preservatives like nitrates is processed meat. This includes bacon, ham, sausage, salami, beef jerky, canned and smoked meat.

Research has shown that eating processed meat contributes to fatal heart disease, cancer and premature death.

A 2013 study published by BioMed Central collected comprehensive lifestyle data on 448,568 men and women from 10 European countries.

Researchers concluded that people who consumed processed meats were at a 44 percent greater risk of premature death due to heart disease and cancer.

Processed meats also have high salt content that increases blood pressure. The nitrate preservatives also clog arteries and increase blood sugar levels.

In 2010, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health evaluated 1,600 case studies from four continents and concluded that processed meat consumption increased diabetes risk by 19 percent.

Frosting
That store-bought frosting from a tub might taste great on cakes and cookies, but it's packed with problems. "It's one of the only items in the grocery store that still has trans fats, which are terrible for your health and waistline," says Melina Jampolis, MD, physician nutrition expert and coauthor of The Calendar Diet. "Trans fat raises bad cholesterol, lowers good cholesterol, and causes inflammation, which can lead to belly fat and diseases ranging from heart disease to diabetes." On top of that, tub frosting is loaded with sugar, and high-sugar diets contribute to premature wrinkles. Yikes.

Bagels
If you're prone to skin problems and tempted to grab a bagel before you go in the morning, think twice. "Bagels have a massively high glycemic index, which increases insulin and leads to increased inflammation in the body, which is shown to possibly accelerate aging and worsen acne and rosacea," says dermatologist Dr. Elizabeth Tanzi, codirector of the Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery in Washington, DC. Opt for an English muffin with peanut butter instead.

Fruit Juice
Most people are generally shocked to learn that fruit juice (in abundance) is actually quite harmful for them. First off, most varieties you see at the store are pasteurized, which basically renders these products useless because they are stripped of much of their nutrition.

Heating juice denatures (or kills) the chemical makeup of vitamins and minerals and unless it is truly “raw,” it is little more than flavored fructose.

If you make it fresh at home, a glass of fruit juice here and there won’t hurt you; but when consumed every day it does a considerable amount of damage because it causes a major spike in blood glucose

Think of it in this way: When you sit down to drink an 8-ounce glass of orange juice, you’re consuming the juice of 4 medium-sized oranges in literally seconds or a few minutes at the most. Compare this to how long it would take to eat 4 oranges, and you can quickly see how eating fruit in its whole form is best.

How many people can even eat 4 oranges at once? It would take quite a while to comfortably consume this amount of fruit in one sitting. Just think about all the calories burned as you peel, chew and digest these 4 oranges. It might not seem like much, but it’s a lot more than simply slurping down a glass of OJ in 10 seconds!

So, remember these key points about fruit juice before you make fruit juice part of your everyday breakfast experience:

When you eat 4 oranges in one sitting, your blood sugar naturally (and gradually) climbs up and descends down like a bell curve – Nice and easy.
When drinking the juice of 4 oranges in a short time, your glucose levels rise up immediately and then suddenly drop down making you “crash,” which contributes to chronic fatigue and the desire for another boost.
This sudden crash is called hypoglycemia and, because our bodies aren’t designed to consume this amount of fructose in one sitting, normal insulin levels cannot handle the amount of sugar in our blood and it puts extreme stress on the body. (1)
This is why drinking juice on a regular basis can lead to obesity. If the body cannot metabolize the excess fructose in the blood, where else is all that extra sugar going to get stored?
And last of all, even if someone theoretically drinks their juice slowly and stretches it out for 30+ minutes, they’re still lacking the fiber.
By design, fruit contains a considerable amount of soluble and insoluble fiber to help aid the digestion process, help us feel “full,” and to feed the probiotics in our gut. Regularly drinking juice robs the body of this vital nutrient and is oftentimes associated with diarrhea and other GI concerns.

Soy Protein

Contrary to popular belief, soy products are not healthy for you; at least, that is, unfermented soy. Miso, Natto, tempeh, and tamari are one thing. But eating edamame, soy milk and soy protein is quite another.

First off, nearly 100% of all soy grown in the U.S. is genetically modified and is “Roundup ready,” which means that it has a chemical pesticide to “naturally” repel bugs.

Secondly, most people lack the enzymes necessary to digest unfermented soy, similarly to how many people are lactose intolerant. This causes indigestion, gas, bloating, and a whole slew of GI issues.

Third, it is generally accepted that long-term use of soy dietary supplements like soy protein is unsafe because it has been linked to the following: (2)

Allergic rhinitis (hay fever)

Asthma

Breast cancer

Cystic fibrosis

Endometrial cancer

Hypothyroidism (under-active thyroid)

Kidney disease

Urinary bladder cancer

And many more…

All of these reasons are great reasons why soy is definitely one of the “health” foods you should never eat.

Fast food salads: At least you’re not ordering a burger, right? Wrong. Some fast food salads pack in more calories and fat than a burger and fries with all their extra toppings and fatty dressings. Do your research before assuming that the healthy menu options live up to their name. An even better option is to make your own salad instead and choose a vinegar based dressing.

Fast food french fries: Speaking of fast food, when McDonald’s released the ingredients in their French fries, people were surprised to find out there were 17 on the list. Instead, make your own with just a few simple ingredients.

Soda

Dietitians and doctors all agree: Soda should be nixed from your diet completely. "One can of soda is like a can of water with 10 packets of sugar in it," says nutritionist Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RD, CDN, and director and owner of BTD Nutrition Consultants, LLC. "The recommended amount of daily sugar for a woman is about six teaspoons or 24 grams, and soda has way more than that." Good old fashion H2O is still your best option. If you want to jazz it up, add a slice of fresh fruit for flavor.