What foods don’t belong in a healthy diet? What exactly is a healthy diet? The basics are pretty simple. Everyone needs a mix of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, plus enough vitamins and minerals for optimal health. But science is revealing that some of the food choices within these categories are better than others. Are there foods you never should eat? Not really. If you crave an ice cream sundae occasionally, have a small one. But don’t make it a daily event. Offset the chips you ate at your neighbor’s barbeque with healthier snacks at home. Healthy eating doesn’t mean eliminating certain foods altogether. However, there are some things that are best eaten only rarely. Harvard nutrition scientists have compiled the following list of foods you should keep to a minimum. Research suggests that eating these foods regularly (and to the exclusion of healthier choices) can set the stage for life-threatening illnesses such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and even some cancers. Added sugar. Whether it’s white granulated sugar, brown sugar, high- fructose corn syrup, corn sugar, or honey, sugar contains almost no nutrients and is pure carbohydrate. When you eat a lot of sugar you are filling up on empty calories, causing your blood sugar to rise and fall like a roller coaster, and can keep you from eating foods that with important nutrients and fiber. Research cites soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages as the primary source of added sugar in the American diet and a major contributor to weight gain. In fact, just one extra 12-ounce can of a typical sweetened beverage a day can add on 15 pounds in a year. That’s not only because the drinks themselves add calories, but also because those liquid calories aren’t as satisfying as solid food.
Posted on: Sat, 16 Nov 2013 14:49:33 +0000
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