Unhealthy eating top 8

A number of unhealthy ones foodstuffs that we all eat can carry health risks. With so much (and wrong) information about food and how it affects health, it's almost impossible to make good food choices. In this article, we discuss some foods that are unhealthy and if you eat them, they can have consequences for your health.

1 white bread (refined flour)

White bread has been stripped of almost all vitamins, minerals, fibers and other important nutrients, but is full of fast carbohydrates (read: sugar in disguise). Due to the lack of these essential building blocks, the body is not sure how to digest and process them. Refined white flour is often bleached with chlorine.

2 Conventional frozen meals

Most frozen meals are full of preservatives, processed salt, hydrogenated (trans fat) oils and other “goodies”. Furthermore, many frozen meals are pre-cooked for so long that their nutritional value is minimal (especially after reheating in the microwave at home). However, there are exceptions! So take a good look at the content and try organic meals in particular. Unfortunately, most frozen meals are little more than a bowl of misery, so avoid eating these unhealthy meals as much as possible and use freshly prepared meals.

3 White rice

As with white bread, white rice has also been stripped of most of its nutrients, bran and germ. Two natural components that make up rice in its brown form. Even so-called “healthy” white rice is moderate in its nutritional values. The body processes these refined foods very differently than, for example, brown rice. Brown rice is absorbed more slowly by the body and does not cause the same spike in blood sugar levels that white rice causes.

4 Pickled meat products containing nitrates and/or nitrites

Meats, sausages, hot dogs, bacon, and many other grocery store meats are often prepared with sodium nitrite and other chemical preservatives. In several studies, these drugs are linked to causing heart disease and even cancer. If you do eat pickled meat, choose uncured, nitrite and nitrate-free meat, preferably from organic livestock farming.

5 Energy bars or diet bars

If marketing is to be believed, protein and energy bars are a healthy addition to the diet. However, these meal replacements contain substances such as soy protein, refined sugars, hydrogenated fat (trans fat), and other harmful additives that can contribute to chronic diseases. Of course, not all protein and energy bars are bad. Therefore, read the label carefully.

6 Margarine

Margarine is used in many foods. It's a hydrogenated trans fat oil that you want to avoid at all costs if you care about healthy food. Contrary to popular belief, butter and saturated fats are generally not that unhealthy. As an alternative to margarine, you could think of extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil.

7 Soy milk and soy-based meat substitutes

One of the biggest health misconceptions of our time is the soy craze. This is a fact you should skip. Almost all non-organic soy ingredients are genetically modified and contain additives such as toxic chemical additives such as hexane (solvent). Unfermented soya also contains phyto estrogens that can upset your natural hormone balance.

8 Light products

Many so-called “diet” products contain artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and sucrose. Often, they also contain added chemical flavors to replace fat and other natural ingredients in order to artificially lower the calorie content.