How to eliminate bad food from your diet

Let’s face it, bad food is everywhere. From fast food joints to quick and easy heat up at home microwavable meals, it’s hard not to live a not so healthy lifestyle. There is hope, though. If you are looking to switch to a more healthy way of living, here are a couple of things you can do.

The fundamental key to success is lifestyle modification – you need to remove and avoid certain things which are the opposite of your desired lifestyle. For example, if you are trying to read more, then why not pick up a book instead of watching YouTube? The first thing you need to do is change your old habits.

Beverages

When it comes to drinks, most of us prefer ones which are packed full of sugar and without any vitamins or minerals. Not only are they insulin spiking, but they lack any nutritional value whatsoever. Juices, “designer” coffees and even energy drinks are all sugar-filled so if you are looking for a change, switch to something which is 100% natural and calorie-free - water.

Salad dressings

Most people don’t enjoy eating a bland salad and that is where salad dressings come in. They help make bad food taste good with their heaps of fat and sugar. Most of them are also loaded with omega-6 PUFAs that contribute to systemic inflammation. Next time you are preparing a salad, opt for a healthy dressing consisting of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a bit of sea salt.

Dairy

Many people are allergic to dairy these days, but for those who aren’t don’t make the mistake of using low-fat and non-fat dairy products. Not only are they missing vital fat-soluble vitamins, but going low- or no-fat also eliminates the conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a healthy, natural trans-fat.

Bad fats and oils

Both trans-fats and added omega-6 PUFA-rich oils are unhealthy. Omega-6 fatty acids are necessary in the human diet, but only in small amounts. Ideally, the ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 is 2:1, which is the evolutionary norm, but our common diet tends to promote a ratio closer to 20:1, leading to increased systemic inflammation. Another danger lies in the inherent instability of PUFAs since when they are heated, like in a deep fryer or on a skillet, omega-6 PUFAs quickly oxidize making them even unhealthier and more inflammatory.

Meat

Processed meats and meat products are full of preservatives, sweeteners and binders, and are not nearly as beneficial as fresh animal flesh and bones. Factory farmed meat intake should also be limited, while grass-fed and pastured animal products should be strongly favoured for their beneficial nutrient content and fatty acid composition.

Processed Foods

Energy bars, sugary snacks and chips - these are all foods fall under the category of mindless eating which require low energy expenditure to break down and digest. Also, these foods are usually made with the usual suspects of PUFAs and sugar.

Sweets

Need we go into details? Sweets not only spike insulin levels but cause oxidative stress and cause plenty of stomach bloating.

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