Foods Bad for Health to Avoid
Getting the right and healthy food to eat can be a bit confusing, and determining which one is healthy for weight loss and certain conditions or to avoid chronic diseases can be a lot of tasks. In this article, healthy food choices are mentioned when needed.
Here is a catalog of foods that are unhealthy for you.
Sugary Drinks
Extra sugar is believed to be one of the worst ingredients in the modern-day diet. Although it is also believed that some sources of sugar are better than others, but in particular, sugary drinks are harmful. Drinking liquid calories means that you are increasing your calorie intake because your brain does not register them as food. When there is a large amount of calorie intake, it could lead to health conditions such as type 2 diabetes and heart conditions. In addition, a large number of sugary drinks could lead to obesity because you will most likely gain a lot of fat.
Alternatives
Drink water, coffee, tea, soda water, or add a slice of lemon to water to provide a burst of flavor.
Sweetened Breakfast Cereals
Wheat, oats, rice, and corn are processed cereal grains that are mostly eaten by children, with additional milk. To make them a little more enjoyable, it is shredded, roasted, pulped, rolled or flaked and most times they have a large amount of sugar which is the major downside of cereal breakfasts. The added sugar is not unhealthy for you.
Alternative
Prepare a homemade oat porridge or go for breakfast cereals that have low sugar content.
Most Pizzas
Pizza is a very common junk food; on the one hand, junks are extremely unhealthy, on the other hand, the ingredients used in making most of these pizzas are unhealthy. Pizzas are mostly high in calories due to the ingredient such as refined dough and heavily processed meat.
Alternatives
If you must eat pizzas, make them by yourself and use healthier ingredients in making the pizzas.
White Bread
Eating a large amount of white bread is unhealthy because of the use of refined wheat, which is quite low on fiber and essential nutrients, which can, in return, trigger high blood sugar.
Alternatives
Whole grain bread is a lot better and healthier.
Most Fruit Juices
Most people believe that most fruit juices are healthy for consumption because it contains some antioxidants and vitamin c and also has a large amount of liquid sugar. However, the fact is, most fruit juices contain the same quantity of sugar as most carbonated drinks.
Alternatives
Some fruit juices have proven to be beneficial to the health despite having a lot of sugar content but should be taken on few occasions and not habitually.
Gluten-free Junk Foods
A lot of people replace healthy foods that contain gluten and replace them with processed junk foods that are gluten-free; these processed junk foods often contain a high amount of sugar and refined grains like starch, tapioca, or corn starch might result in high blood sugar and. Coupled with these, they are also very low in essential nutrients.
Alternative
Go for unprocessed plant and animal-based foods or others that are naturally gluten-free.
Fried, Grilled, or Broiling food
Frying, broiling, and grilling are among the worst methods of cooking health-wise. Food that is prepared using these methods is often unhealthy. A lot of bad chemical compounds are formed when food is heated too much. Chemical compounds like acrylamides, acrolein, heterocyclic amines, oxysterols aromatic hydrocarbons. Many of these chemicals are discovered when foods come under heavy heat and are usually linked to cancer and cancer symptoms.
Alternatives
A milder method of cooking such as boiling, steaming, and blanching is healthier and even improves health. These methods are better health-wise, compared to the above-mentioned.
Pastries, Cookies, and Cakes
Eating any of these in excess is unhealthy. The ingredients used to make them are harmful, especially when they are taken in large quantities, for example, refined sugar, wheat flour, and added fats. They are always very tasty but lack essential nutrients and have too many calories.
Alternatives
Stay away or reduction in the size of intake or going for dark chocolate and dessert.
French Fries and Potato Chips
French potatoes and potato chips are unhealthy, unlike white potatoes. This is because they are very high in calories. A lot of researches have linked weight gain to the consumption of French fries and potato chips.
Alternatives
Boiling potatoes is the healthiest form of eating potatoes.
Agave Nectar
This sweetener is most times marketed as being healthy, but it is very high in fructose and highly refined. A large amount of fructose and added sweeteners are very dangerous for the health. Instead, stevia and erythritol are healthy and calorie-free alternatives.
Low-fat Yogurt
Yogurts, especially Greek yogurts, are healthy, but some have been discovered to be quite unhealthy. This is because they have a very low amount of natural and healthy fat as well as a very high amount of sugar, meaning that most yogurts have had their main component, which is natural fats, replaced with unhealthy ingredients.
Furthermore, most yogurts have their healthy bacteria killed, due to the fact that they pasteurize and do not contain probiotic bacteria, unlike most people believe they do.
Alternatives
Choose natural full, healthy fat yogurts that contain active and live cultures.
Low Carb Junk Foods
You should be careful about eating processed foods. Replacement of real foods with processed ones is dangerous as they are often packed with additives.
Alternatives
Aim for foods like egg, seafood, and leafy greens, especially if you are on a low carb diet and like foods of naturally low carb.
Ice Cream
Ice creams are very delicious but have a large amount of sugar in them. Coupled with this, they also contain addictive and are easy to overeat. Plus, they have high-calorie content.
Alternatives
Try homemade ice creams with the use of fresh fruit and lesser sugar, or try going for a healthier brand of ice cream.
Candy Bars
Candy bars are very unhealthy due to the presence of a large amount of sugar, refined wheat flour, and processed fats. They also contain tiny and insignificant amounts of essential nutrients.
Alternatives
Take fruits and dark chocolate instead.
Processed Cheese
Moderate consumption of cheese is healthy, but when taken in excess, it is unhealthy. Processed cheeses are different from healthy ones. The unhealthy ones are often times made to look like real cheese with filler ingredients to give it an appearance and texture like healthy cheeses. When buying cheese, be sure to get cheeses that contain dairy and a tiny amount of artificial ingredients.
Alternatives
Get a regular cheese like mozzarella, feta, cottage, and vegan cheese.
Most Fast-Food Meals
Most fast-food joints dish out junk foods. These foods are prepared in mass and are low in nutrients. They might be cheap and affordable but have a high-level risk, some of which can lead to certain diseases.
Alternatives
Go for healthy options.
High-Calorie Coffee Drinks
Coffee contains high amounts of antioxidants and has many health benefits. People who take coffee have a lower risk of severe illnesses like diabetes and Parkinson’s. However, ingredients such as syrups, creamers, and sugar used to make coffee are unhealthy. In fact, they are harmful to you.
Alternatives
Plain coffees are better, and they have a small amount of heavy cream and are rich in full-fat milk.
Anything with Added Sugar or Refined Grains
Avoiding this is very important to maintain a healthy diet. Or consuming foods moderately with added sugar, refined grains, or artificial trans fats is better. Often used in modern diets, but very unhealthy and harmful to you.
Alternatives
Go for whole foods that are nutrient-dense, like fresh fruits and whole grains.
Most Highly Processed Foods
The easiest way to lose weight and at the same time keep a healthy diet is by staying far away from processed foods as much as possible because they contain an excessive amount of sugar or salt.
Alternatives
Confirm the ingredients and contents from the label before buying and eating a lot of veggies and whole foods.
In conclusion, most modern diets have a large amount of junk food. You can keep a healthy diet by staying away from the above-mentioned foods. To take charge of your health and feel great about yourself, focus on whole foods and listen to your body’s cues. Also, be careful of under or over-eating.
