What Foods Should I Never Eat?

Most people think that they are quite healthy eaters. However, when they learn more about nutrition and gain deeper insight into their diets, they find out that they've been unwittingly eating unhealthy foods. We can't blame them, given that food labeling and advertising can be misleading. Buzzwords like "organic", "all-natural" and "sugar-free" can also be quite confusing.

In this article, we're going to talk about three foods that you should avoid or limit consumption of to maintain optimum health (Dr Axe).

Refined Sugars

All healthcare professionals agree that people should avoid refined sugars. Refined sugars include table sugar, brown sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and processed grains. Unlike unrefined sugar from natural sources, like fruit, honey, and maple syrup, consuming refined sugar in high amounts can have significant health implications. 

When consumed in excess, refined sugars can increase your risk for cancer, throw off your cholesterol profile, and negatively affect your insulin sensitivity. Refined sugars also reduce the efficiency of white blood cells, weaken the immune system, and affect your ability to fight off disease and infection.

Aside from containing empty calories and offering no nutritional benefits, refined sugars can rob you of essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium. As a result, your bones may weaken, you may experience tooth decay, and you'll be putting yourself at risk for osteoporosis, among other diseases (Urban Remedy).

Refined Vegetable Oils

Refined vegetable oil is another food item that you should exclude from your meal plan. If you simply can't avoid it, work to restrict your consumption of it as much as possible and replace it with unrefined oils, such as extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil (TIME). 

The main reason why you should work to limit refined vegetable oils in your diet is that they can cause inflammation in the body. This is because vegetable oils have a high content of omega-6 fatty acid. Excessive consumption of omega-6 fatty acids can lead to chronic inflammatory conditions including cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative diseases (NCBI).

Carbohydrates

Nowadays, high-fat, low-carb diets are all the rage. For instance, the ketogenic diet has gained exceptional popularity in recent years. If you want to eat a high-fat diet, make sure to reduce your intake of carbohydrates so that you can maintain a healthy weight.

If you consume both fats and carbohydrates in high amounts, you may be at risk for insulin resistance and obesity. Contrastingly, low-carb diets can improve blood circulation, boost fat loss, and aid in overall weight loss. Low-carb diets can also help you control your appetite, which will make managing your weight far easier in the long run. 

Bottomline

In conclusion, you should avoid or limit refined sugars, refined vegetable oils, and carbohydrates in your diet. But steering clear of these three foods, you'll be able to maintain a healthy weight and keep your body functioning properly. 

References

https://draxe.com/health-foods-you-should-never-eat/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3335257/

http://time.com/5342337/best-worst-cooking-oils-for-your-health/

https://www.thankyourbody.com/vegetable-oils/

https://urbanremedy.com/top-10-reasons-to-avoid-refined-sugar/

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