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Eliminate Six Unhealthy Foods
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For the next few weeks, work on eliminating the following foods from your diet. (Don’t worry, you’ll be able to bring them back—in smaller portions—later on.)
| 1. |
Soda. This is probably the number-one source of empty calories in the American diet, and a slew of studies suggests the bubbly beverage may play a key role in the obesity epidemic. Researchers at the USDA found that the obesity rate is higher among soda drinkers. And another study suggests that drinking just one 12-ounce soda a day can result in a gain of 15 pounds a year. Think you’re safe with diet soda? Think again. Drinking a single can of soda—diet or regular—increases your risk for metabolic syndrome. This is the term given to a cluster of conditions, including high blood sugar, high blood pressure, high levels of triglycerides (a blood fat), low levels of HDL (“good” cholesterol), and a large waistline (35 inches or more for women, 40 inches or more for men). Plus, the artificially sweetened drinks may increase your cravings for other calorie-laden sweet foods. |
| 2. |
Foods with trans fats. Foods that contain this fat (think cookies, cakes and processed foods) are also typically loaded with calories. Not to mention, trans fat is a serious threat to your health. Trans fats clog your arteries even more than saturated fats and they raise your LDL (or bad cholesterol) while reducing your HDL (or good cholesterol). Finally, trans fat may also cause body fat to be stored in the abdominal area; belly fat is associated with a greater risk for heart disease. |
| 3. |
Fried foods. Foods that are fried in oil offer a double-whammy: First, they’re high in calories. Second, they could increase your risk for cancer. Fried foods from restaurants are typically cooked in oil that’s been used over and over again, which can cause the development of dangerous by-products that have been linked to a variety of diseases. |
| 4. |
White bread. This sandwich staple is made from refined grains, which have been stripped of the germ and outer bran layer, and therefore, most of their nutritional value. Refined grains lack the B-vitamins, vitamin E and disease-fighting phytochemicals of whole-grain bread. Plus, whole-grain bread has two to three times the fiber of white bread. (Fiber has been shown to help keep you fuller longer.) |
| 5. |
Regular pasta. You’re being asked to pass on regular pasta for many of the same reasons as white bread, but there’s one difference worth noting. Regular pasta is made from a type of whole-wheat flour called semolina, which does offer some benefits even though it’s not whole grain. The wheat particles in semolina are much bigger than the flour particles found in most refined flours. Their size makes it difficult for the body to convert regular pasta to blood sugar quickly, so it doesn’t send your blood sugar level soaring (and then crashing down) the way other foods made from refined flours can. |
| 6. |
High-fat dairy products. Milk, cheese and yogurt are great sources of calcium and protein, but if you’re opting for full-fat or even two-percent versions, then you’re getting way more calories and fat than you need. Plus, the type of fat in dairy is saturated, the kind that is linked with clogged arteries. |
For smarter alternatives, check out Switching to Healthier Foods.
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