Living an active lifestyle is important if you want to stay fit. However, it does not just stop there. Believe it or not, your diet has a lot more to contribute to your physical and mental fitness than just exercising alone.
Though it is quite easy to mess up healthy food choices, a balanced diet should always be your number one priority when preparing meals. For some people who have never struggled with their weight, they can easily pick up any food or snack in the grocery store without thinking about its impact on their health.
What is in your kitchen that is putting you at risk of the most detrimental diseases known to mankind? Here are five of the unhealthiest foods that you are probably consuming at a daily basis.
Potato Chips
This is perhaps the most enjoyed snack in the entire country and one of the unhealthiest foods that you can pick up in a grocery store. Potato chips are fat-filled bad carbs that do nothing but add numbers to your scale and waistline.
In fact, you can consider potato chips as “cancer in a bag” as they contain the chemical acrylamide – a carcinogen that is formed when foods are baked or fried at high heat.
According to Prof. Dale Hattis of Clark University, several thousand of cancer cases per year in America are most likely from acrylamide consumption.
Processed Meats
The American Institute for Cancer Research states that smoked, salted, cured and chemically preserved meats are linked to colon cancer. As these products tend to contain too much fat, salt, sugar and cholesterol, they also contribute to obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and other lifestyle-related diseases.
Processed meats are delicious and inexpensive. But as much as you enjoy them, you have to throw them out and source your meats from lean unprocessed sources.
Microwave Dinners
For people who cannot seem to find the time to prepare their own meals, microwave dinners are a God-sent blessing. However, do not be fooled by their size. Frozen dinners may be tiny but they are loaded with calories.
According to Livestrong.com, there is a popular brand of chicken pot pie sold in grocery stores that has 1,020 calories per serving and has 64 grams of fat. Although there are low-fat versions of microwave dinners, they are still heavily seasoned with sodium and are highly processed.
Instead of buying microwave dinners, you can meal prep once a week and cook healthier meals. It is a lot like eating a microwave dinner but only better and healthier.
Soft Drinks
The easiest way to gain weight is to drink soda regularly. As delicious and refreshing as they are, soft drinks can actually double your risk of getting pancreatic cancer by simply drinking a few glasses a week.
Aside from pancreatic cancer, you ultimately increase your risk of cardiovascular diseases as well as developing diabetes by simply consuming two and a half glasses of soda every day. If you are a daily soda-drinker, it is best to completely get rid of them from your diet and start living a more healthy life.
You can create your own refreshing and fizzy drink by mixing carbonized water and healthy fruit juices. They are healthier for you and your family and you will lose weight fast.
Margarine
Margarine has many uses for many different dishes. But regardless of its reputation as the cholesterol-free and healthy alternative to butter, it is still a source of trans fats. Trans fats can damage your blood vessels, elevate cholesterol and cause coronary diseases.
Olive oil and other monounsaturated fat sources are better alternatives to butter and margarine.
If you have any plans for staying active and fit, it is only vital that you throw away any food from your fridge that contributes to the downfall of your health. If you do not make this change as soon as possible, your family’s state of health might be at risk.
By studying about clean and healthy eating, you can help restock your kitchen with nutrient-dense foods that will supercharge your health. Keeping wholefoods and fresh produce in sight will help you stay determined in preparing healthy meals for you and your family’s benefit.
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