Are you looking to swap out unhealthy foods for healthier ones? I have a few tips on what top four foods you should avoid when trying to eat clean on a daily basis.
Refined carbohydrates
The reason to avoid refined carbohydrates is because it’s high on the glycemic index and can cause rapid spikes in insulin levels.
Several diseases like type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and other diseases related to obesity have been linked to high insulin levels.
Some examples of what contains refined carbohydrates are sweets, white breads, chips, juices and soda. I used to eat a lot of those foods and my weight was 40 pounds more than I am today. I also didn’t have much energy and my waist was at least six inches bigger.
Trans Fat or Trans Fatty Acids
Trans fat is a chemical made through the hydrogenation of oils to help foods have a longer shelf life.
The problem is consuming this chemical can also take years off your life.
Trans Fat can increase your LDL “the bad” cholesterol. This can lead to strokes and coronary heart disease.
Some items made with trans fat are cookies, fried foods, chips and snack foods. This was part of my daily meals back in the day. I now limit those types of food and eat more greens, fruits and whole grains. This not only makes me feel better, but I look good too!
Sugary Drinks
Sugary drinks like coffee, soda and juice can increase your sugar intake by at least 20 grams of sugar a day and calories by 200 or more.
These sugars tend to be refined (see item 1) and they normally don’t fill you up, which can lead someone to consume an abundance of both sugars and calories.
This is not ideal especially if you’re looking to lose weight, body fat and have no inflammation in your body.
I personally never had much of a craving for sugary drinks, but I do have a number of clients that do or did at one time.
Those that have cut them out notice they don’t experience as many ups and downs throughout their day and their clothes fit a lot better.
You can also save some cash when you drink more water and less sugary drinks.
Gluten
Gluten is a protein composite that can be found in some grains and wheat. It helps with the texture of these types of foods.
In some cases gluten can cause bloating, diarrhea, gas and vomiting. I didn’t know much about gluten until my wife Melissa had breast cancer. After being diagnosed twice, we noticed when she would have something with gluten she would bloat, her stomach would hurt and at times she would break out into a rash and even swell up in her ankles.
Now having limited gluten in our diets, as well as our kids, we all feel better and have less gas. This is a good thing to reduce especially since I have two boys.
Other “foods” that should be limited include alcohol, saturated fat and processed foods. My suggestion is try to eat closer to “natural” rather than packaged and manmade food items.