To follow a healthy diet, the key is to eat right kind of foods. All your efforts may go in vain if you are performing rigorous workouts but eating wrong foods. Some of the foods to be avoided while following a diet have been discussed below. These foods always come in the way of weight loss and good health.
1. Potato Chips & French Fries
There is no denying that whole potatoes are filling and also has health benefits due to its potassium content. But, when it comes to French fries or potato chips, they are extremely high in calories and not healthy as well. It tastes so delicious that one ends up eating too much at one go. As per studies, these foods lead to weight gain when compared to other foods. Also, potatoes when consumed in baked, fried or roasted form, it contains harmful substances like acrylamides which may lead to health risks like cancer. Hence, it’s good to eat boiled potatoes instead.
2. Sugary Beverages
Some of the beverages with high content of sugar like soda and cold drinks are most fattening foods. These foods lead to weight gain and also affect your health in the long run when consumed excessively; check nutrisystem lean 13 reivews online to learn further. Sugary drinks contain high calories and liquid foods don’t necessarily make you feel full. As a result, you end up drinking more sugary drinks than your regular intake. If you are determined to lose weight and follow a healthy diet, you should give up on these sugary drinks for good. It will certainly have a huge impact on your weight and help you remain fitter.
3. White Bread
The disadvantage of having white bread is that it is highly refined and consists of added sugar. In addition, it is rich in glycemic index and increases your blood sugar levels in no time. Eating white bread in the morning has a higher risk of obesity or weight gain than a whole wheat bread. In order to follow a clean diet, you can consider healthy alternatives like brown, multigrain and whole wheat bread. However, you should also remember that whole wheat contains gluten. Hence, switch to almond flour bread or cornbread.
4. Candy Bars
If you want to avoid unhealthy foods to follow a healthy diet, candy bars should be discarded from the food list. They contain high amount of added sugar, refined flour and oil which are harmful for your health especially if you are trying hard to lose weight. Such foods are not only high in calories, but also contain low amount of nutrients. A chocolate candy bar can easily contain around 200 to 300 calories and large sized brains contain over 300 calories. You will find many stores that sell candy bars which may be hard to resist. However, if you are serious about weight loss, you should avoid having it. When you crave for some tasty snack, choose a piece of your fruit or handful of almonds as a healthy alternative for candy bars.
5. Sugary Fruit Juices
Fruit juices are available in supermarkets in abundance. They are highly processed and contain a lot of added sugar. The sugar and calorie content is similar to that of a soda. Instead of sugary fruit juices, its best to eat whole fruits as they contain fiber and require you to chew them. As a result, it aids in good digestion. When you have fruit juices, there is a high chance of consuming in big quantities. Therefore, whole fruits are the healthier alternatives over fruit juices. If you wish to quench your thirst, water is the healthiest option for everyone.
6. Cakes, Cookies and Pastries
Pastries, cakes and cookies contain unhealthy ingredients such as refined flour and added sugar. In addition, it contains trans fats which are not only harmful but also associated with many health diseases. Certain diet meal programs like Nutrisystem ensure that the diet foods are devoid of transfat and sugar levels. These types of foods do not provide satiety when you eat them and you will soon feel hungry. As a result, your body ingests high amount of calories on a daily basis which often leads to weight gain and obesity. These low nutrient foods are irresistible and hence if you have a sweet tooth, consider having a piece of dark chocolate as an alternative. Dark chocolate contains antioxidants and are low in calories and sugar too. The bottom line is that you should avoid these foods.
7. Alcohol
Not many people are aware that alcohol contains higher calories than protein and carbs. The trick is to consume alcohol in moderation as it is associated to weight gain. If you consume alcohol on a regular basis, you will not only gain weight but suffer from other health conditions. Also, the alcohol type makes a huge difference on your health. Beer can lead to weight gain, whereas wine can be beneficial if not consumed in excess quantities.
8. Ice Cream
It is hard to resist delicious food like ice cream. Not only children, but even adults are fond of ice cream and some are addicted too. The hard fact is that it contains high calories and is packed with sugar and cream. Ice cream can be had in small quantity but people end up eating in large quantities which often leads to weight gain. As a result, controlling weight becomes quite challenging. Therefore, ice creams should be avoided from your diet and if need be, you can prepare ice cream at home using less or no sugar with healthy ingredients like fruits and yoghurt. Fruits contain natural sweetener and hence sugar can be avoided as well. Always make it a point to use smaller bowls as there is less chance of eating large amounts of foods.
Thus, the worst and unhealthy foods are junk foods as they are highly processed ones. They are loaded with sugar majorly and also contain refined flours and added fats. To ensure that you are eating healthy foods, always check the food label before purchasing foods from the supermarket. Be watchful as sugar has different names and manufacturers use them to mislead consumers.