Lifestyle, Healthy Living: Get These Toxic Foods out of Your Diet ASAP

It’s easy to become obsessive when we’re dieting or trying to take charge of our wellness. And while clean eating is a wonderful habit to develop, it’s important to not take it too far. If you try to permanently eliminate entire food groups from your diet or find yourself avoiding social situations so you don’t eat “bad” foods, you could end up missing important events, or worse, giving up entirely and binge eating.

That being said, there are a few foods so devoid of nutrition that avoiding them as best you can will be very beneficial to your health. These are a few of them.

 

1. White bread

 

Even if your body can tolerate gluten, white bread is so heavily processed that it isn’t doing your body any favors. Most white breads are made from refined wheat, which is low in nutrients and causes spikes in blood sugar. If you love bread, stick to healthy whole grain varieties like Ezekiel bread.

 

2. Margarine

 

There was a time when margarine was considered a healthy alternative to butter. It’s safe to say that those days are behind us. Margarine is a highly processed “pseudo food” that is designed to look and taste like butter, but it’s packed with artificial ingredients and industrial oil. Use real butter from grass-fed cows instead — or, if you’re vegan, make your own dairy-free butter so you know exactly what’s in it.

3. Pre-made protein shakes

You’ve probably grabbed a protein shake off the grocery store shelf a time or two, thinking you were making a healthy choice. But the vast majority of pre-made protein drinks are loaded with sugar and other ingredients you don’t want anywhere near your body. If you love protein shakes, make them at home so you can control what goes in them.

 

4. Microwavable popcorn

 

If you keep a few packets of microwavable popcorn on hand as a healthy late night snack, you’re not alone. But study after study has shown that microwave popcorn can be downright dangerous, not to mention detrimental to our health. The main problem is that the bags are coated with chemicals like perfluoroalkyls, perfluorooctanoic acid, and perfluorooctane sulfonate, which are used to line the popcorn bags but are terrible for our bodies.

Fear not: Popcorn is still a tasty and smart snack. Just pop your own the old-fashioned way whenever possible.

 

5. Agave

 

This food is still pretty controversial — agave is touted as a health food. But agave “nectar” isn’t actually a nectar at all, it’s highly processed much like high-fructose corn syrup. Liver inflammation, insulin resistance, and mineral depletion are a few side effects of too much agave, so your best bet is to avoid it entirely.

 

6. Eat other unhealthy foods in moderation

 

Remember, balance is key. Part of being healthy is allowing yourself a little wiggle room every now and then. Traditionally “bad” foods like fries, pizza, pastries, and other sugary treats should be eaten sparingly — but when you do eat them, enjoy them guilt-free. Allowing yourself some occasional splurges will help you stay on track, and it’s good for your mental health as well.

This article is originally from: Cheatsheet