Be good to your body.
Not all foods are good for your health. In fact, there are a lot of food items that you should consider banning from your grocery list if you want to enjoy better health. Here are some of them.
Which Foods Should You Avoid?
- Processed meats. According to a 2013 study published in the BMC Magazine, 3.3% of more than 26,000 deaths studied were caused by high consumption of processed meats. Processed meats can be considered as ticking time bombs since they contain huge amounts of preservatives and sodium, and only offer ridiculously low amounts of protein. Earlier studies indicate that preservatives can cause breathing difficulties, behavioural changes, heart damage, and cancer while excessive sodium intake can increase the risk of headaches, osteoporosis, kidney disease, high blood pressure, stomach cancer, strokes and heart failure.
- Stick margarine. While this is considered as a healthier alternative to butter by most people, you may be better off consuming the natural saturated fat found in butter than risk ingesting the trans-fat found in stick margarine. Research indicates that trans-fat increases bad cholesterol, promotes clotting and damages the blood vessels.
- Farmed salmon. According to the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University of Albany, farmed salmon has lower amounts of vitamin D and contains high levels of contaminants (carcinogens, polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs and pesticides). Thus, consuming farmed salmon on a regular basis can increase your risk of obesity, diabetes and certain forms of cancer.
- Canned tomatoes. According to an endocrinologist at the University of Missouri, canned tomatoes can do your body a lot of harm. The inherent acidity of tomatoes reacts with bisphenol-A (BPA), a synthetic form of estrogen commonly found in the lining of tin cans. BPA is commonly associated with reproductive problems, obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
- Microwave popcorn. According to a study conducted at UCLA, the perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) found in the lining of the bag may be linked to infertility in humans. Further studies show that this class of compounds can cause cancer (liver, pancreatic and testicular cancer) in laboratory animals. So, pop your popcorn the old-fashioned way.
- Toaster pastries. If you start your day by eating toaster pastries, you are doing your body a great disservice. Toaster pastries are loaded with sugar and trans-fats, and do not contain any nutrients that can be good for your body. By eating a two-pack of toaster pastries, you are loading yourself with almost ten teaspoonfuls of sugar and are setting yourself for a terrible mid-morning crash.
This list can go on and on, and may even include some of your favorite foods such as deep dish pizza, bagels, soda, fast food burgers and blended coffee drinks so do your research before putting anything in your mouth if you want to live a longer and healthier life.
