Foods To Avoid

Limit Your Intake of the Following

There are certain foods to avoid if you are serious about your health. We all know that maintaining a nutritious diet is difficult at any age. From eating out, to the shortcuts we take to meet a hectic schedule, good nutrition often takes second place. While an occasional fast food run is hard to resist, there are certain foods to avoid in order to safeguard your overall health and well-being.

Foods To Avoid

Each day another news report warns consumers that what used to be good for you is now bad for you, or vice versa. Do we really have to work that hard to stay healthy? The following are some basic foods to avoid if you want to achieve optimal health.

• Salt - over time, the extra salt in your diet will increase the amount of calcium that is excreted in the urine which can lead to bone loss. Consuming too much of this mineral can also lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and kidney stones. Food companies are responding by cutting the sodium in their products by 20 percent over the next five years.
  
  NOTE: Most Americans consume one and a half times the recommended 2,300 milligram daily limit for salt. Try using spices as an alternative to salt. 
  

• Fat - for more energy and to stay mentally sharp, eat less fat. Canadian researchers found that a high fat diet prevents the muscles from converting food into energy. When you eat high fat foods regularly, the excess fat is stored in the muscles which slows their ability to burn fat We do need some fat in our diet, but none of us needs as much fat as we actually consume. Consume only the "good fats" or unsaturated fats with Omega-3 fatty acids that enhance cardiovascular health and lower the risk of heart attack.
  

• Refined food - sugar, flour, white bread, potatoes, cornflakes and other refined foods are high glycemic index foods and therefore cause a spike in blood sugar levels which can pack on the pounds and eventually lead to adult onset diabetes. These simple carbohydrates are digested and absorbed quickly requiring a large rush of insulin to clear the glucose. Over time, insulin becomes less effective and less of it is made. Insulin makes it harder for the body to withdraw fat for energy so the less of it released, the better.

• Soft drinks - the calories in soda aren't the only reason to avoid carbonated beverages. The phosphoric acid can deplete the calcium in your bones. Also, many sodas contain sulfites and sodium benzoate which can exacerbate the symptoms of those with asthma. Cut out energy drinks which contain caffeine and guarana which may lower your blood pressure. Instead, drink mostly water and green tea that is not sweetened with sugar. 

• Dried plums - although dried plums are a good source of fiber, they also contain unhealthy amounts of sorbitol, which is a sugar alcohol that can cause gas and bloating.

• Canned tomatoes - the resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A, a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to various ailments. Instead, choose tomatoes in glass bottles or in Tetra Pak boxes which do not contain the resin linings.

• Farmed salmon - it is not natural for salmon to be fed soy and poultry litter. As a result, farmed salmon is lower in vitamin D and higher in contaminants such as carcinogens, PCBs, brominated flame retardants, and pesticides according to the Director of the Institute for Health and Environment at the University of Albany. Instead, eat wild caught Alaskan salmon. (If the package says fresh, Atlantic salmon, it is farm raised).

• Corn-fed beef - cows are herbivores and evolved by eating grass. But farmers feed their cattle corn and soybeans to fatten them up faster. A recent study by the USDA and Clemson University found that compared with corn-fed beef, grass-fed beef is higher in beta carotene, vitamin E, omega-3s, calcium, potassium and magnesium and lower in saturated fats.

Avoid sugar. Consuming too much sugar can lead to fine lines and wrinkles. Sugar forms harmful molecules called advanced glycation end products (AGEs) that weakn the skin's support system. Too much sugar can also result in weight gain and metabolic disorder (a precursor to diabetes). The rate and amount of glucose entering the bloodstream has a profound effect on the operation of the body. Too much too soon and too fast can be extremely damaging. It not only makes the body store fat more readily and withdraw it from storage less easily, it also taxes the effectiveness and supply of insulin.

The fastest way to cut down on sugar is to eliminate added sugars, which means eliminating most packaged foods. Avoid soda and drinks sweetened with non caloric sweetener. Even eating too much fruit, such as mangoes and bananas, dumps a lot of sugar into your system.


What are the sugar names to look for?

• Agave syrup
• Barley malt
• Beet sugar
  
• Brown sugar
• Cane sugar
• Corn sweetener
• Corn syrup
• Dextrose
• Fructose
• Fruit juice concentrate
• Glucose
• Golden syrup
• High-fructose corn syrup
• Honey
• Lactose
• Malt syrup
• Maltose
• Maple syrup
• Molasses
• Raw sugar
• Sucrose
• Turbinado sugar

The information provided is not intended to diagnose, treat or prevent any disease.  As always, consult with your doctor before making any changes to your diet.

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