It is likely that all of you have indulged in these foods formerly in your lifetime. It’s like a black hole that sucks you in and doesn’t let go…Each of these foods are delicious, but not very healthy! That is why they have landed on our list of foods to avoid.

Most people do not know to avoid them and therefore end up consuming them much more often than they should. One or more of these foods may have an effect on your weight loss.

Sure, if you get adequate exercise each week it may not have much affect on you, but avoiding them will boost you up a level higher in your goal for a lean body and healthier lifestyle.

For years I had no idea how bad these foods were and the things they were causing my body.

After researching the things I was eating, these 5 foods stuck out. Here 5 of the foods you should stay away from:

 1) White Bread

Let me ask you, when you were younger (or perhaps you still do), did/do you get two pieces of white bread and spread peanut butter and jelly on it to make a PB&J?

Don’t lie, you’ve done it.

I used to love making a PB&J sandwich with white bread because, let’s be real, it is delicious!

But as delicious as it may be, it’s on our avoidance list 🙁

White bread is a staple in most pantries, but the truth is that nearly all the vitamins, minerals and fiber found in whole grains have been completely removed. The result? A carbohydrate that is quickly processed by your body, causing your blood sugar and insulin to spike, and then drop.

With minimal nutritional value that’s quickly converted by your body into sugar, you are most likely to find yourself feeling hungry and reaching for snacks within a few hours. This result shows a correlation between eating larger quantities of white bread and being more likely to gain unwanted weight.

Solution?

Replace your white bread with whole grain or whole wheat bread whenever possible, as whole bread is positively good for your health and a great source of gamma-oryzanol, which lowers cholesterol levels if consumed on a regular basis.

Shrink your waist and lose that bloated feeling that high carbohydrates give you.

Try it yourself, replace your bread and comment how you feeling after a week or so.

 2) Artificial Sweeteners

If you don’t know anything about me, here’s a fact: I work at car dealership behind a computer desk. You may ask what does that have to do with artificial sweeteners? Patience, we will get to it.

I come to work in the morning, get situated at my desk and go grab my morning coffee or tea. It’s free at my work so, who wouldn’t?!

I used to pick my poison and wait for it to finish brewing. I am the kind of person who will NOT drink coffee or tea without sugar. Ew, absolutely appalling..not to mention bitter. But that’s just me. I have no problem with your preference.

As it came time to put sugar, two different artificial sweeteners lie beside, ready to consume. Usually 2-3 teaspoons of that artificial sweetener does the trick for me. How about you?

As I researched the things I was consuming, artificial sweeteners stood out to me. It turns out that sweeteners are much sweeter than sugar, and they can reset your taste buds to crave sugary foods. As a result, you end up eating more junk. Also those who limit their artificial sweetener use find that they have more energy and don’t have as many cravings.

I’ve since switched to regular sugar and in moderate (1-2 teaspoons) portion with coffee or tea 2-3 times a week. It has got me feeling better and more energetic.

Drop those artificial sweeteners: you’ll feel the difference.

3) Frozen Meals

One word:

Convenience.

Hello, dinner in five minutes or less!

Not going to lie; I used to eat a lot of frozen meals. I would come home from work and even at work, grab myself a frozen meal, stick it in the microwave and voila! Had myself a meal. It was like this 3-4 days a week, for quite some time.

Problem with that is it’s often heavily processed and filled with Trans fat and sodium. With daily recommended maximum dosage of 2300 mg of sodium, many frozen meals contain between 700-1800 mg of sodium which make it hard to stay within limit.

Furthermore, frozen meals are less than 300 calories. Without any other calories to supplement them, 3 frozen meals a day will not provide calories for most people. Under eating causes your body’s metabolism to slow down, making it harder to lose weight. It is also disadvantageous for those with active lifestyles.

Alternative?

Make a healthy meal at home when you have some downtime, portion it out, and freeze or chill the servings for the next day or for the whole week. That way you know you packed a nutritious and healthy meal for your lunch or dinner.

Simple as that.

Avoid that fat and salt monstrosity and choose a healthy, fresh substitute.

4) Margarine

I don’t know how many of you use margarine in your household but I rarely do. It’s a manufactured, vegetable-oil-based substitute for butter. Most of us think it’s a healthy alternative to butter, but margarine has loads of trans fats, which increase your cholesterol. Furthermore, it promotes clotting and damages blood vessels.

Your best bet: stick with small doses of butter or use heart-healthy olive oil. I personally use butter and coconut oil. Avoid the margarine.

5) High Fructose Syrup

Let’s be honest, if you eat any processed foods, you probably have too much high fructose syrup. But in today’s food market, almost everything you eat is processed.

There is a heated debate about whether high fructose corn syrup is good or bad for your body, and the scientific community has yet to reach a consensus.

However, as it stands, there is certainly some compelling evidence that it can quickly cause you to gain extra weight and even stimulate an increased craving for sugar or sugary foods.

There are also justified concerns that overeating sugary foods and foods that are high in fructose corn syrup can lead to obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease and even diabetes.

Alternative? Try these ways of avoiding high fructose syrup in the future:

• Eat more organic foods

• Eat less fast food

• Eat more fruits and vegetables

• Avoid drinking soda

Tie It Together

The key is knowing how to… hit and quit it! Portion control. Eating whatever you like once in a while, with restraint.

Eating with moderation and maintaining metabolism on point.

Do your best to avoid these unhealthy foods from your diet—or eat them on rare occasions.

Clean eating means choosing fruits, vegetables, and meats that are raised, grown, and sold with minimal processing.

Avoiding these 5 foods will make a difference in your life. Give it a go!

 

What would you add to this list? Let’s hear it in the comments.

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