There are a number of specific foods; however, that you will want to avoid in almost every circumstance because they provide virtually no health benefits while posing plenty of health risks. Here are ten foods you should never eat again if you care about preserving your long-term health:
- Soda. Regular soda is a huge source of sugar and a variety of other chemicals that have been linked to several different types of cancer. These provide absolutely no nutritional value to you and can lead to diabetes as well. Even diet soda carries risks, as it’s made with a lot of chemicals to make up for the lack of sugar, and these have been linked to diseases and cancers.
- Canned Tomato Sauce. You might not associate canned tomatoes and tomato sauces with high fructose corn syrup when you’re making spaghetti and meatballs. However, when it comes to hidden sources of sugar, your favorite canned tomato sauce is likely one of the sweetest culprits, secretly contributing to increased rates of obesity, diabetes, coronary artery disease, and dental decay.
- Deli Meats. Nitrates may sound like a ticking time bomb, which isn’t far from the truth when you consider the levels of sodium, preservatives, and additives that lend deli meats—like ham, salami, and bologna—their rosy shade. Adults who regularly partake risk increased rates of heart disease, and cancer. While studies show that meat lunching kids are prone to learning issues and behavioral conditions.
- Artificial Sweeteners. You might have made the swap from refined white sugar to an artificial sweetener—like acesulfame potassium, aspartame, neotame, saccharin, or sucralose—because artificial sweeteners contain fewer calories. Numerous studies have linked low- and zero-calorie foods and beverages to heightened risk of metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, weight gain, and cardiovascular disease. In fact, many food scientists consider aspartame “the most dangerous substance on the planet.” If you need a touch of sweetness, use natural agave syrup, honey, or real maple syrup sparingly.
- Margarine. People choose margarine over butter because it doesn’t have cholesterol in it, but what you need to pay attention to is what IS in it! Margarine is extremely high in trans-fat, which can damage your blood vessels and even increase your cholesterol.
- Bottled salad dressings. The worst thing you can do to sabotage a fresh, nutritious, crisp salad is by drowning it in bottled salad dressing! Even the fat-free or reduced fat dressings are packed with sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial colors.
- Whole dairy. Aside from the fact that whole-milk dairy products contain far too many saturated (or bad) fats, they’re also jam-packed with another ingredient that will put you off your cereal—bovine growth hormone (BGH). This synthetic hormone is engineered in a lab to boost the milk production of cows.
- Hot Dogs. By hot dogs I’m really referring to any smoked, cured, or salted meat that contains chemical preservatives. However, hot dogs carried the brunt of food criticism thanks to medical and media reports. For instance, findings from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine claimed that processed “hot dogs should carry cigarette-style warning labels!” It turns out America’s favorite ballpark treat is so full of sodium, chemicals, and toxins that regular weekly consumption can increase your risk of colorectal cancer by about 21-percent. Luckily, chemical free hot dogs and sausages are yours for the taking at organic butchers and often straight from the farm.
- Potato chips. Before you reach for that bag of potato chips; think again! These are filled with a lot of fat and calories, but did you know they are also loaded with dangerous chemicals? Most chips are made with acrylamide, which is created when foods are fried at extremely high temperatures. This chemical is linked to cancer, which can result in death.
- White bread, refined flours. By definition, white bread and refined flours in general are toxic for your body because they have been stripped of virtually all vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other important nutrients. Because of this, the body does not know how to properly digest and assimilate these so-called foods, which can lead to health problems. Refined white flour has also been bleached with chlorine and brominated with bromide, two poisonous chemicals that have been linked to causing thyroid and organ damage.
Source: activebeat.com