20 Bad foods for your health (avoid them!)

Here is a list of 20 foods that are generally very unhealthy.
If you want to lose weight and avoid chronic diseases, then you should not
eat a lot of these foods.
In many cases, the best choice is to avoid them altogether.
In this article, healthy alternatives are mentioned whenever possible.

1. Sweet drinks

Added sugar is the worst ingredient in modern diets.
However, some sources of sugar are worse than others, and sugary drinks are the worst.
When you drink sugar calories, the brain does not “save” them as food.
For this reason, people do not automatically compensate by eating fewer other foods instead, and eventually increase their total calorie intake dramatically.
Sugar, when consumed in large quantities, can lead to insulin resistance in the body, which is strongly related to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. It is also linked to various serious diseases, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Drunk in large amounts, sugary drinks can lead to fat accumulation and obesity.
Alternatives: Drink water, sparkling water, coffee or tea instead. Add a slice of lemon to the water or sparkling water to add a little flavor if needed.

2. Most pizzas

Pizza is one of the most popular “mufflers” in the world.
Not surprising, since it tastes great and is incredibly convenient to eat.
The problem is that most commercial pizza preparations are made with really unhealthy ingredients.
The dough is made from very refined wheat flour, and the meats in garnish are usually processed. Pizza is also extremely rich in calories. Not to mention the cheese used and added protein.
Alternatives: Some pizza sellers use healthier ingredients. Homemade pizzas can also be very healthy, as long as you choose healthy ingredients.

3. White bread

Bread is usually made from wheat, which contains gluten.
Because of this, all wheat breads are a bad idea for people who have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.
Most commercially available breads are not healthy, even for people who tolerate gluten.
Indeed, the vast majority of them are prepared from refined wheat, which is low in essential nutrients (empty calories) and leads to rapid peaks in blood sugar.
Alternatives: For people who can tolerate gluten, ezekiel bread is an excellent choice. Wholewheat is certainly better (or “less bad”) than white bread.

4. Most fruit juices

Fruit juice is supposed to be good for your health, but it’s wrong.
Many fruit juices (industrial of course) are in fact only sweet water with fruit flavor.
It is true that the juice contains antioxidants and vitamin C, but this must be relativized in relation to the large amount of liquid sugar.
In fact, fruit juice contains as much sugar as a sweet drink such as Coca-Cola or Pepsi, sometimes even more.
Alternatives: There are fruit juices that have health benefits despite their sugar content, such as pomegranate juice and blueberry juice.
However, they should be considered as supplements, not as something you drink every day to quench your thirst. Drink water instead.

5. Industrial vegetable oils

Over the last 100 years, the population has increased its consumption of added fats.
This is explained by a large increase in the consumption of refined vegetable oils, such as soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil and canola oil.
These oils are very rich in omega-6 fatty acids, which humans did not consume as much before.
There are many serious problems with these oils. They are very sensitive to oxidation and cause an increase in oxidative stress in the body. They have also been associated with an increased risk of cancer.
Alternatives: Use healthier fats such as coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil instead.

6. The margarine

Margarine was previously considered a healthy alternative to butter.
Fortunately, most people have now realized that this is far from true.
Margarine is a highly processed pseudo-food that has been designed to look and taste the same as butter.
It is rich in artificial ingredients, and is usually made from industrial vegetable oils that have been hydrogenated to make them stronger. This significantly increases their trans fatty acid content.
Keep in mind that manufacturers are allowed to label their products “free of trans fatty acids” as long as they contain less than 0.5 grams per serving, which remains a significant amount.
Alternatives: Use real butter instead, preferably from cows fed on grass.

7. Pastries, cookies and cakes

Most pastries, cookies and cakes are extremely unhealthy.
They are usually made with refined sugar, refined wheat flour and added fats, which are often very unhealthy fats such as shortening (high in trans fatty acids).
These delicious sweets are literally some of the worst things you can put in your body. Almost no essential nutrients, but tons of calories and unhealthy ingredients.

8. Potatoes, french fries and chips

The whole potatoes, white, are very healthy.
However, the same can not be said for products that are made from potatoes, such as french fries and potato chips.
These foods are very high in calories, and it is easy to eat excessive amounts. Several studies link the consumption of fries and chips to weight gain.
These foods may also contain large amounts of acrylamides, carcinogens that form when potatoes are fried, baked or grilled.
Alternatives: Potatoes are best eaten boiled. If you want something crisp to replace the chips, try the mini-carrots or nuts.

9. Gluten-free junk food

Gluten-free is in fashion these days.
About one-third of the population is actively trying to avoid gluten according to a 2013 survey.
The problem with many gluten-free diets is that people are replacing foods containing gluten with processed junk food that happens to be gluten-free.
These gluten-free alternatives are often high in sugar, unhealthy oils and refined grains such as corn starch or cassava starch. These refined starches lead to rapid peaks in blood sugar, and are extremely low in essential nutrients.
Alternatives: Choose foods that are naturally gluten-free, such as unprocessed plants and foods of animal origin. A junk food without gluten is always junk food.

10. The agave nectar

Agave nectar is a sweetener that is often marketed as healthy.
However, agave nectar is not as good for you as some people think. It is a very refined sweetener that is extremely rich in fructose.
High amounts of fructose from sweeteners (not whole fruits) can be absolutely disastrous for your health.
The truth is that agave is even richer in fructose than other sugars.
While table sugar contains 50% fructose and the high fructose corn syrup contains about 55%, agave nectar contains 85% fructose.
Alternatives: Stevia and Erythritol are good for your health, natural and calorie free.

11. Yogurt low in fat

Yogurt can be incredibly healthy.
Unfortunately, most yogurts found in the shops are extremely bad for you.
They are often low in fat, but high in sugar to compensate for the lack of taste that lipids provide.
To put it simply, yogurt has been removed from healthy and natural milk fat simply to replace it with something else.
In addition, many yogurts do not actually contain probiotic bacteria, as is generally believed. They have often been pasteurized after fermentation, killing all bacteria.
Alternatives: Choose a natural, high fat yoghurt that contains live or active (probiotic) cultures. If you can get your hands on it, choose a yogurt from cows fed on grass.

12. Low carb junk food

Low carb diets are very popular right now, and have been for several decades.
There are many real foods you can eat in a low carb diet, most of which are very good for your health.
However, this is not true for low-carbohydrate alternatives, such as low-calorie sweets and replacement foods.
These are usually highly processed foods that contain very little real nutrition, just a bunch of artificial ingredients mixed together and then sold as food.
Alternatives: If you are on a low carb diet, eat foods that are naturally low in carbohydrates. A junk food low in carbohydrates is still junk food.

13. Ice cream

Ice cream is one of the most delicious foods on earth.
Unfortunately, it is also one of the most unhealthy foods. Most commercial ice creams are high in sugar.
Ice cream is also high in calories, and it’s also very easy to eat in excessive amounts. Eating for dessert is even worse, because you add all this in addition to your total caloric intake.
Alternatives: It is possible to make your own ice cream using healthy ingredients and with much less (or no) sugar.

14. Chocolate bars

The chocolate bars are incredibly unhealthy.
They are rich in sugar, refined wheat flour and processed fats. They are also very low in essential nutrients.
Processed foods like chocolate bars are generally designed to be super tasty (so you eat more), and have been designed to make it easy to eat them quickly.
A candy bar may taste good and cause some satiety in the short term, but you will still be hungry very quickly because of the way these sugar-rich treats are metabolized.
Alternatives: Eat a piece of fruit instead, or a piece of dark chocolate that is truly rich in cocoa.

15. Processed meat

Although unprocessed meat may be healthy and nutritious, this is not the case for processed meats.
Studies show that people who eat processed meats have a higher risk of many serious diseases, including colon cancer, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
Most of these studies are observational in nature, so they can not prove that processed meat has caused disease.
However, the statistical link is strong and consistent between studies, so I think there is some truth in that.
Alternatives: If you want to eat bacon, sausages, pepperoni and other “processed” meats, then choose wisely and try them at sellers who do not add a lot of unhealthy ingredients. Quality matters.

16. Processed cheese

Cheese is good for your health.
It is rich in nutrients and a single slice of cheese contains the same nutrients as a glass of milk.
However, processed cheese products have nothing to do with “normal” cheese. They are mainly made with filling ingredients that are combined and designed to look and feel like cheese.
The cheese is healthy, but the processed cheese is not. Read the labels.
Alternatives: Eat real cheese instead.

17. Most fast foods

In general, fast-food chains serve only junk food.
The majority of the food they offer is junk food produced in bulk and highly synthetic with very little nutritional value.
These places are often cheap, but keep in mind that junk food costs you twice as much.
For every dollar you save, there is a good chance it will cost you a lot more in the future. Bad health is expensive …
Alternatives: Fortunately, all kinds of healthy fast food places now offer salads.

18. High calorie “coffee” drinks

The coffee was unfairly demonized.
It is actually very healthy, and rich in antioxidants.
Studies also show that coffee drinkers have a lower risk of serious illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes and Parkinson’s disease.
Unfortunately, some ingredients are sometimes added to the coffee that turns this wonderful drink into a harmful mud.
If your “coffee” has a ton of artificial cream and sugar, it’s not good for you.
It is rich in empty liquid calories and will be just as unhealthy as any other sweet drink.
Alternatives: Drink raw coffee instead. Black coffee is better, but small amounts of cream or high-fat milk are acceptable.

19. All that is high in sugar, refined grains and vegetable oils

One of the most important things you can do to eat healthier is to read the labels.
It is important to avoid (or at least minimize) foods that contain:
-Added sugar (and high fructose corn syrup).
– Refined grains such as white flour.
– Industrial vegetable oils.
– Artificial trans fatty acids.
These are some of the most unhealthy (and most common) ingredients in modern diets.
The importance of reading labels can not be overstated, and that goes for all foods, even the so-called healthy foods.

20. Most highly processed foods

The easiest way to eat healthy and lose weight is to avoid processed foods as much as possible.
To put it simply, if it looks like something that was made in the factory, then it’s probably bad for you.
A good rule to remember is that real food does not need a list of ingredients, because real food IS the ingredient.