Some people believe in the old adage everything in moderation.
However, there are certain things you should never put in your body. If
you need some motivation to help you say no, keep in mind that 4 of the
10 leading causes of death in the World today are diet related: heart
disease, diabetes, cancer and stroke. Eliminating these foods is a great
way to get on track to a healthier you.
1. Soda
Soda is a major factor in overweight and obesity. Drinking one can of
soda a day can add more than 1 pound of weight gain every month. A
single 12-ounce can of soda has as much as 13 teaspoons of sugar in the
form of high-fructose corn syrup.
Soda also damages the liver. Studies have shown that consumption of
too many soft drinks puts the liver in danger of cirrhosis similar to
what chronic alcoholics have. The preservative sodium benzoate may be
the cause.
Soda also has a high phosphoric acid content, a substance known to
change the urine in a way that promotes kidney stone formation. Research
found that drinking two or more sodas a day, artificially sweetened or
regular, was linked to a twofold risk of chronic kidney disease. Chronic
kidney disease includes conditions that damage and decrease the
kidney’s ability to remove toxins and maintain normal fluid balance.
Heavy soda drinkers are also more likely to develop risk factors that
will lead to heart disease. Research suggests that drinking more than
one soft drink a day is associated with an increased risk of developing
the metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a group of symptoms such
as central obesity, elevated blood pressure, elevated fasting blood
sugar, elevated fasting triglycerides, low levels of high-density
lipoprotein (HDL or “good” cholesterol). Having three or more of the
symptoms increases a person’s risk of developing diabetes and
cardiovascular disease.
2. Hot Dogs and Lunch Meat
Sodium nitrate is a salt that is added to hot dogs, bacon and other
cured meats that acts as a preservative. The reason they are so bad for
us is that when we cook them at high temps, they form Nitrosamines,
which are carcinogenic.
Nitrite-based preservatives have been linked to pancreatic cancer.
Another big reason to avoid nitrates is the link to an increased risk
of cancer in both children and adults. The Linus Pauling Institute
warns that nitrates are associated with an increase in brain tumors,
leukemia and nose and throat tumors. With these strong warnings, its
best to avoid sodium nitrate whenever possible.
3. French Fries
French fries are fried in trans-fat loaded oils. Trans fats makes the
platelets in blood stickier. Platelets are part of the blot clotting
mechanisms. These sticky little platelets could form clots that attach
to the walls of arteries that form plaque and cause heart disease later
in life.
French fries also have high levels of acrylamide, reported to be a possible cancer-causing substance.
Acrylamide is a chemical formed when frying, roasting, grilling or baking carbohydrate-rich foods at temperatures above 120°C.
“Animal tests have shown acrylamide to be a carcinogen, but until
recently no studies have demonstrated a link between acrylamide in foods
and cancer in humans. Ours is the first epidemiological study using
biological markers for measuring acrylamide exposure, and the first to
report a positive association between acrylamide and breast cancer,”
says Henrik Frandsen, senior scientist at the National Food Institute,
Technical University of Denmark.
4. Breakfast Cereal
Cereals begin as nutritious whole grains, but by the time they are
packaged and stocked at your local supermarket, they are not only
crammed with high levels of refined salt and sugar, but are completely
stripped of any real nutrients.
Cereal is produced by a process called “extrusion” which involves
high heat and high pressure to form the grain into the O’s, flakes, and
other popular cereal shapes. Extrusion destroys most of the nutrients,
including some of the chemical vitamins that are added to “fortify” the
cereal. Extrusion especially ravages amino acids leaving them highly
toxic. Protein structures are greatly altered, and as a result, new
compounds form which are completely foreign, potentially harmful, and
definitely should not be considered a healthy breakfast.
Many people believe organic cereal is a healthy option. Not
surprisingly, since high fiber, organic cereals made from “healthier”
grains are marketed as the best nutritional choice. These cereals tend
to have more protein than conventional dry packaged cereals. When the
high-protein grains are extruded they produce even more denatured
protein. So the “healthy” cereal is actually worse because they contain
more high-protein grains that have been ultra-processed.
5. Doughnuts
Doughnuts are essentially a concentrated amalgamation of refined flour,
sugar, artificial flavors, partially hydrogenated oil and extremely high
quantities of trans-fat. That’s a lethal combination.
Doughnuts are fried, full of GMO sugar and white flour, and contain
trans fat. Doughnuts are made up of about 35 percent trans fat. The
average doughnut contains about 300 calories, mostly from sugar, and few
other nutrients.
Trans fats have become synonymous with elevated levels of “bad” LDL
cholesterol. Trans fat also lower levels of heart-healthy HDL
cholesterol. High trans-fat intake has been linked to coronary heart
disease, in which fatty plaques build up in the heart arteries,
sometimes leading to a heart attack.