One of the things successful dieters will tell you is that there is a dark side to the supermarket. When you look beyond the packaging and promotion of certain groceries, you quickly begin to realize that some foods are dangerous to your long-term health. These foods are often full of trans fats, which are synthetic fats used by manufacturers to extend the shelf life of foods. The reality is that manufacturers of hydrogenated oil literally take a molecular form that has been shown to wreak havoc in the body.
The following nine foods are foods to avoid or cause damage in calories, unhealthy fats, and sodium. These foods will not only hurt your waistline, but are also potentially dangerous to your long-term health in more ways than you can imagine.
1. Cola Products: Twelve ounces of a cola drink is generally equal to about 150 calories. Cola-based products are full of sugar, corn syrup, or other sweeteners. These products have been linked to obesity, as they bathe teeth in sugars that promote cavities. High calorie intake in liquid form also leads to overeating.
2. Donuts – Donuts are deep-fried dough packed with sugar, white flour, and drenched in trans fat. A typical donut weighs in at 300 calories and contains few other nutrients besides 19 grams of fat. Unfortunately, supermarkets are overflowing with these tasty, high-calorie, low-nutrient varieties. Avoid them at all costs.
3. Fried Chicken: Although it almost sounds unpatriotic to criticize this popular dish, keep in mind that fried chicken is cooked in very hot oils, particularly partially hydrogenated oil. These trans fats are known to cause cancer, weight gain, and other serious health risks when consumed regularly. Fried chicken, whether served whole or in the nugget variety, is not a health food. For example, if you order a ten-piece chicken nugget at any popular fast food restaurant, you’re getting about 500 calories, 300 grams of fat, and typically over 1,000 milligrams of sodium. There is no faster way to increase your size than to consume fried chicken regularly.
4. Sugary cereals: Sugar is one of the enemies of a successful diet. Sugary cereals, particularly any cereal in which sugar or a sugar substitute is the main ingredient, are unhealthy. Ingredients and terms to watch out for are “sweetened” or “dyed.” Most children’s cereals are highly processed and have next to zero nutritional value. A great alternative is oatmeal served with honey or agave syrup. If you buy pre-packaged oats, check the label and see how much sugar is in it—you’ll be surprised. Any cereal that lists sugar as the first ingredient on the box should be set aside immediately. It’s a much healthier solution to buy real grain cereals and sweeten them with fresh fruit like strawberries or blueberries.
5. Processed Meats: One of the fastest ways to build a healthy habit is to do a simple Google search on what counts as processed meat. Almost all processed meats have sodium nitrite added as a preservative. The evidence is staggering, as shown by a recent study showing a 67% increase in pancreatic cancer in people who regularly eat moderate amounts of processed meat. (Pulse; 4/23/2005, Vol. 65 Number 16, p10). Traditional medicine believes this is due to the high saturated fat content in processed meat. However, more and more research indicates that it is not the saturated fats themselves, but what is actually contained in those fats, that is toxic and dangerous to your health. Health and nutrition researchers claim that toxic chemicals, heavy metals, and environmental pollutants are found within those fat molecules.
A recent study conducted at the University of Hawaii found that sodium nitrite often acts as a precursor to powerful cancer-creating chemicals and speeds up the creation of cancer cells. We strongly suggest that you read the labels on all meat products you buy. If you see sodium nitrite as a main ingredient, put the product aside before you leave it on the shelf.
6. Starbucks Mocha with whole milk and whipped cream is a very tricky cup of coffee. Think of it more like a Double Whopper with cheese in a glass. Although this drink tastes great, it weighs in at 450 calories and 13 grams of bad fat. Nothing worse than a sugar and caffeine buzz that adds to the battle of the bulge in the waiting line.
7. Monosodium Glutomate (MSG) – This ingredient is positioned as a preservative. However, it is much more insidious. MSG is actually an ingredient that actually increases your appetite. Have you ever wondered why you are hungry 30 minutes after eating Chinese food? A large body of research on MSG also shows that it is addictive. Many successful diets simply promote the idea of getting any and all foods that contain MSG. Although this sounds simple, if you start reading product labels, you’ll be rudely surprised at how many products contain this dangerous ingredient.
MSG has many aliases. Here are their dangerous identities and parts:
– monopotassium glutamate, glutamic acid, anything that says hydrolyzed (like hydrolyzed vegetable protein), anything that says autolyzed, calcium caseinate, sodium caseinate, yeast extract, soy protein, wheat protein, whey protein, any thing with fortified protein, textured protein, gelatin, soy sauce, barley malt, malt extract, maltodextrin, corn syrup, corn starch, dextrose, and citric acid.
The Food and Drug Administration has stated that if you use MSG in a product, it must be labeled that way. However, if you use, for example, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, which has MSG included, it should be labeled with its common name and not MSG. Read your food and product labels and if you see any of these ingredients on the labels, go ahead.
Do you want to be healthy and lose weight? Stay away from these foods. There is a dark side to the supermarket. If you prepare product labels and avoid these dangerous culprits, you’ll have a much easier time losing weight.