2013

Are you digging your own grave with your fork? 5 Foods to watch so you live longer

Are you digging your own grave with your fork? 5 Foods to watch so you live longer
[caption id="attachment_13349" align="alignright" width="394"] Top Sources of Calories in the typical American Diet Top Sources of Calories in the typical American Diet care of WebMd.com [/caption]

Anyone who’s even a little concerned about their health has thought about their diet. However, to many, a healthy diet seems like it would be a nice thing to have but is not really necessary so long as they support a healthy weight. Unfortunately, more and more evidence has of late emerged to show that even if you aren't gorging yourself on fast food five days a week, you could still be digging your own grave with your fork. Here are some ways in which you could be doing serious damage to your health without even realizing it.  Watch your intake on these 5 foods and you might find that you feel better and might just live a bit longer too.

Processed sugar


[caption id="attachment_13352" align="aligncenter" width="439"] Are you addicted to sugar? Here's a great picture care of MyWholeFoodLife.com Are you addicted to sugar? Here's a great picture care of MyWholeFoodLife.com [/caption]

While it is obvious that sweet desserts such as ice cream and cake contain huge amounts of processed sugar, there are many other food items that form significant parts of many people’s daily diets that also contain unhealthy amounts of processed sugar. For instance, many muesli bars, which are typically marketed as healthy options, are actually full of unhealthy refined sugar. Refined sugar causes weight gain, diabetes and a whole host of other problems, and can also make you feel sluggish and irritable. Satisfy your sweet tooth with fresh fruit, which has natural sugars that are healthier than refined sugars, and is also full of fiber that is needed for optimal health.

Refined carbohydrates


refined simple carbs

While it is inadvisable to cut carbs out of your diet completely, contrary to what many fad diets might recommend, if your refined carbohydrate intake is too high you may find yourself gaining weight and taking in more sugar than you need. Substitute refined carbohydrates such as white rice and white bread with complex carbohydrates such as brown rice and whole grains.

[highlight]Check out this post: Carbohydrates are killing you! [/highlight]

Sugar Sweetened Beverages (SSB's)


[caption id="attachment_13347" align="aligncenter" width="655"] Great image care of CrossFitBrio.com Great image care of CrossFitBrio.com[/caption]

Sodas are a terrible choice of beverage due to the astronomical amounts of refined sugar they contain. While sodas may be marketed as having little to no fat, they contain a ridiculous amount of empty calories. Fruit juices sold at the supermarket are also not as healthy as they may seem, as they contain large amounts of sugar without the health-giving fiber that is contained in real fruit. Water is the best choice of beverage. If you need something with a little more flavor, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to your water.

Salad dressing


[caption id="attachment_13358" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Salad Dressings: Calorie Comparison Salad Dressings: Calorie Comparison[/caption]

If you think you’re eating healthily by preparing a nice green salad but then end up dousing it in store-bought salad dressing, you are wrong. Most pre-made salad dressings are high in calories, fat and sugar. Instead of buying salad dressing at a store, use extra virgin olive oil or make your own dressing from scratch.

Sodium


[caption id="attachment_13361" align="aligncenter" width="736"] Tracking down the salt in food #infographic Tracking down the salt in food #infographic[/caption]

Most people don’t realize just how much sodium is contained in processed meats such as spam. Foods that contain MSG such as instant ramen are also extremely high in sodium. Taking in too much sodium or salt can cause serious conditions such as high blood pressure or kidney failure. To cut the amount of salt or sodium in your diet, use herbs and spices to flavor your food and not heaping on the salt. Always opt for fresh meat or fish than purchasing the canned or processed versions.

If you haven’t already done so, take a long, hard look at your diet and identify all the things you are eating and drinking that could end up eventually killing you.


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romayne Romayne Warner is a full-time self-employed blogging fanatic. Obsessed with finding small ways to save money every day, she enjoys sharing her frugal lifestyle tips and tricks with the world, she regularly writes about healthy living and health cover related topics.
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