We all love to splurge every now and then, but some foods are so unhealthy that they should be put on the shelf permanently. Here are five items that you should avoid for better health, and alternatives that replace them in nutritional value.
White Bread
White bread comes from refined grains, meaning it has no nutritional value. It is low in zinc, vitamin E, and magnesium. It has essentially been stripped of fibers, vitamins and minerals. It also has a high glycemic index which can cause weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Instead you should eat whole grain alternatives.
Margarine
Margarine, is a lab created vegetable oil substitute. It is sometimes labeled as a healthy butter substitute since it lacks bad animal fat, but margarine contains trans fat-arguably the worst fat of all. Trans fat can increase your blood cholesterol levels, as well as your risk for heart disease. When opting to make the healthier choice, stay away from margarine altogether and opt for real butter.
Soda
Soda, whether it is diet or regular, is something that should be eliminated from your daily intake. People who consume this sugary drink regularly, meaning one to two cans a day, have a 26% greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Soda has also been linked to obesity, kidney damage, and certain cancers.
Farm Raised Fish
In addition, diet soda’s chemical makeup raises your sweet tolerance, making it difficult to the enjoy natural sweetness in fruits like bananas or peaches.
There are a mass amount of nutritional benefits to eating fish. However, farmed fish lack a large among of nutrients that are commonly found in wild catch. The differences comes from their food sources. Wild fish consume omega-3’s from aquatic plants, while farm fish eat a high-corn diet.
American Cheese
American cheese is not really cheese. It is a factory creation made of cheese-like food. Things like milk fats, solids, food coloring and protein are blended together with food coloring. This is a mixture that you do not want entering your body.
Instead opt for a healthier cheese, like aged cheddar. It will have a more natural combination of ingredients, and lower levels of lactose.
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