Categories: Healthy Living

10 Unhealthy Foods and Drinks You Should Avoid

Yes, there are lots of food items at the market now, but not all of them are created the same when it comes to nutritional values and health benefits.

In fact, vast majority of the foods we eat today provides little or no nutrition yet we keep consuming them.

As a result of these unhealthy foods, lots of people have developed several health issues, including obesity, diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, heart disease, cancer, but to mention a few.

However, the basic thrust of this article is to enlighten you as regards the 10 Unhealthy Foods and Drinks You Should Avoid as well as the reasons you should avoid them ASAP.

Read through and Save yourself!

1. Most Fruit Juices

Fruit juices are often considered to be very healthy, but reverse is the case. The plain truth is that most fruit juices are somewhat more than fruit-flavored sugar water.

Although these juices contain antioxidants and vitamin C, that’s still not enough compared to the excess liquid sugar in it. In fact, the sugar in most fruit juices is as high as the ones found in sugary drinks.

You can simply substitute these unhealthy fruit juices with healthier alternatives like pomegrenate juice and blueberry juice.

However, you should have it in mind that these substitutes are only a supplements and should not be taken daily for quenching thirst; you should drink water instead.

2. Sugary Drinks

Added sugar is an unhealthy ingredient commonly used in the modern diet, and some sources of sugar are worse than others, especially the sugary drinks.

When there is excess sugar intake, it can result in insulin resistance in the body, which may later cause serious diseases like non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, but to mention a few.

Aside the serious diseases it triggers, sugary drinks are also considered the most fattening aspect of the modern diet which can drive fat gain and obesity when taken in excess.

Rather than taking sugary drinks, you can replace them with close alternatives like water, soda water, coffee or tea. If you want the water or soda to become tasty, you can simply add a slice of lemon to it.

3. White Bread

Basically, bread is derived from wheat which has some amount of protein gluten. All wheat-based breads are not ideal for people with certain diseases like celiac disease or allergy to gluten.

However, most bread, especially the commercial ones are not healthy, even for people without allergy to gluten.

The reason is that they are derived from refined wheat, which has a relatively low amount of essential nutrients [empty calories] which can result in rapid spikes in blood sugar.

If you are not intolerant to gluten, ezekiel bread and whole grain bread is an excellent choice for you.

4. Soda

There are tons of studies validating that soda intake is much likely to increase caloric intake as well as body weight, making it unhealthy for you.

Not that alone, soft drinks that are high in soda are often linked with increased hunger and decreased satiety, which may prompt people into consuming more calories than necessary.

The negative effects of soda is not limited to the above alone as it also contains high-fructose corn syrup, which may later result in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Additionally, soda is also linked with severe medical problems, such as the Type 2 diabetes.

5. Nitrites

Nitrites are used as preservatives to improve the color and appearance of processed meats like bacon, sausages, and hot dogs.

They are unhealthy for you because during high temperatures, they can blend with specific proteins in the meats to form “nitrosamines”, a toxic compounds which are said to be responsible for increased risk of pancreatic, gastric, and even colon cancers.

6.Trans Fat

This is majorly a toxic fat and they increase bad cholesterol while reducing the good cholesterol.

Trans fat is just too bad for your heath as it can damage your blood vessels. It can also increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes.

Not that alone, one tablespoon of Trans fat contains massive 100 calories, which is not ideal for your waistline.

Rather than taking the unhealthy Trans fat, you can go for butter instead; you are good with a small amount of whipped butter available in tubs.

Better still, you can opt for the trans fat free brands of stick margarine.

7. Most Fast Food Meals

The vast majority of the fast foods available in the market are nothing but highly engineered junk food.

They contain very little nutritional value. Although these foods are often cheap and require little or no cooking, but the bitter truth is that they do more harm than good to the body.

The nutritional value is so low, and you might be exposing yourself to some serious health issues when taken excessively.

8. Processed Meat

Although, unprocessed meats are considered healthy and nutritious, but the case is quite different with processed meats for they are very high in sodium.

Also, lots of researches show that consuming the latter can increase the risk of many serious diseases, including colon cancer, heart disease, as well as Type 2 diabetes.

If you must eat processed meats like bacon, sausages, pepperoni, etc. then it is imperative to choose wisely; try buying from local sellers who don’t add legions of unhealthy ingredients.

You can also replace processed meats with real cheese.

9. Hydrogenated Oils

Any other oil aside the olive oil, coconut oil, or other specific plant oil are not good for human consumption.

Hydrogenated oils are commonly used in preparing fried foods and fast foods, and they contain a significant amount of calories.

These oils are often difficult for the body to break down, while the byproducts are even nothing but toxic.

Additionally, Hydrogenated oils are very high in trans fat, which increases bad cholesterol and lowers good cholesterol, and thus making your body become totally out of whack.