What Foods to Avoid and Why

If it tastes good it’s probably not good for you?

Unfortunately many times this is true; there are so many very tasty foods just begging you to buy them that are unhealthy and don’t provide your body with many if any essential nutrients our bodies need.

Foods we buy at the grocery store are loaded with additives, sugar, sodium, and other non-essential items that can be and are harmful to our bodies.  We have to be reading the labels of all the foods we buy to make sure we are not feeding our families unhealthy foods that could possibly be harmful. 

List of foods or food additives that we should avoid

The following is a list of foods or food additives that we should avoid.

• Sugar

Sugar, itself that we add to our coffee and tea is not nearly as bad as the processed sugars that are added to many foods and juices in the form of high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, and dextrose.  You will find these in juices, jello, puddings, and just about anything that calls for sweetener.  You may also find it in products you wouldn’t think you would find it in.  The foods and drinks you should avoid are pops (soda), many fruit juices, and many types of cakes and cookies.  Read the labels of these items well.  These types of products are linked to obesity, cancer, diabetes; just to name a few.  Be very selective in the products you buy.

• Donuts:

- Donuts are fried in vegetable oil which is very high in trans fat. 
- Very high in sugar; one donut can have up to 300 calories without any other nutrients included. 
- Many people start their day by eating a donut or two which can affect your blood glucose levels dramatically.  Besides being very unhealthy, your hunger will only be satisfied for a short time and you will become hungry soon after eating. 

• Soda:

Whether you drink regular or diet soda both contain ingredients that are harmful to your body.  One 12 ounce can of soda has approximately 150 calories. One 12 ounce soda has approximately 55 mg of caffeine.  Soda has additives such as food colorings, and diet soda is loaded with artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, Equal, and NutraSweet.  You can improve your health dramatically by eliminating all soda drinks from your diet.

• French Fries:

- French fries and all fried foods that you can purchase at fast food restaurants are all high in trans fat. 
- They also contain a high amount of free radicals that are very harmful to your body and offer no nutritional value.
- They also contain an ingredient called acrylamide, which is linked to causing cancer.
- Besides the fact that these fried foods help contribute to the cause of cancer, they also contribute to obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and numerous illnesses that are underlying side effects to the above mentioned conditions.

•  Chips:

Besides being high in tras fat, most store bought chips contain carcinogenic.

• Seafood: Fried, such as clams, oysters, and shrimp.

Very high in trans fat, carcinogenic acrylamide, mercury, and may be contaminated with certain types of parasites that may not be killed even in very high temperatures. 

What is Left to Eat?

These bad types of foods haven’t always been around; they have become more popular in the era of fast food, which is easily attainable and the answer to a quick and easy meal.  Because it is so necessary for both parents to work, they are often too tired to prepare a healthy meal or healthy breakfast and thus they stock their refrigerator and shelves with items you can pop in the toaster or microwave, grab a fruit drink, and send their children off to school.  On the way home from work they stop by the fast food restaurant of their choice and grab dinner on the go. 

Some healthy suggestions to replace these bad eating habits might be:

• Have fresh fruit on hand such as apples, bananas, and oranges. 
• Buy only fresh orange or apple juices that don’t contain artificial sweeteners or coloring.
• On your days off, prepare healthy meals and freeze them; just remove from the freezer before leaving from work and put in the refrigerator to thaw.  When you get home pop it in the oven. 
• Keep fresh vegetables or salads on hand and make or buy the healthiest dressings you can find.
• For snacks, keep fresh vegetables on hand, fruit, cheese (in moderation), and low fat or healthy dips.  It’s almost impossible to escape the bad foods completely, but you can certainly limit them drastically. 
• Desserts are tricky; everybody needs something sweet and tasty every now and then.  Frozen yogurt with fresh fruit in moderation is an alternative to cakes, pies, and cookies. 

The main thing you need to remember is that you are in control of what you and your family eats; it is your job to make sure you are preparing and feeding those foods that are beneficial and healthy without taking away the good taste.  It does require more work on your side; you have to research and learn what items are good and what items are bad.  I suggest you start making a list so you know exactly what you are looking for when you go to the grocery store.  After a while it will become natural and you will automatically know which foods are best for your family. 

Be prepared, however, because it will be a shock to them at first; especially your children.  It will be difficult to make them understand that an apple is much better than a cookie.  They will certainly beg for a can of soda; you just have to be strong and offer them a better alternative that will satisfy their thirst and taste buds.