If you want to add years to your life there are certain foods and ingredients you should not eat. Eating these certain foods are harmful to your health and well being. Such foods are all either man - made or man altered. Eating and drinking them on a regular basis will take away years from your life and guarantee that the years you are left with will be riddled with sickness, disease and very likely obesity. The foods I’m taking about are processed foods. Below is a list of foods that you should avoid as much as possible if you want to live a long and healthy life.
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Soda: Regular soda or diet is acidic to our bodies. It takes 32 cups of water to neutralize the acid in just one can of soda in your body. All of this acid in your body puts a tremendous strain on your kidneys. Your body also uses its own alkaline minerals (calcium from your bones and magnesium from your muscles) to help neutralize the acid. This can eventually lead to osteoporosis, weak muscles, tooth decay and brittle bones that fracture easily. Soda also contains the worst form of sugar in the world which is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Diet soda has large amounts of aspartame a type of artificial sweetener which has been known to cause Cancer in lab test and many other health issues.
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Aspartame: Aspartame is usually known by the brand names Equal or Nutrasweet and are poisonous to our bodies. Some documented side effects of aspartame are eye damage such as blindness or decreased vision, blurring, eye pain and dry eyes. Having nerve problems such as seizures, headaches, migraines, memory loss. Aspartame can also cause heart palpitations, shortness of breath and high blood pressure. Digestive issues such as diarrhea, nausea and stomach pain and ulcers. Aspartame has been know to cause skin and allergies issues, endocrine and metabolic issues. The most severe effects of aspartame poisoning are death, irreversible brain damage, birth defects, including mental retardation. Splenda is no better than aspartame. Splenda can cause headaches, rashes anxiety, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach cramps, depression, memory loss, moody, seizures, and chest and body pains. A great alternative to aspartame and Splenda is Stevia. Stevia is all natural, non-calorie sweetener that is healthy for you as well.
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Farmed salmon: Farmed salmon is lower in vitamin D than fresh caught and higher in contaminants such as carcinogens, PCBs, and pesticides like dioxin and DDT. If you like to eat Salmon eat wild-caught fish, not farm-raised.
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High fructose corn syrup: High Fructose corn syrup is found in just about every product on the market today. From sodas to cough syrup you will find HFCS are one of the ingredients that are in them. Try to find alternative products and foods that don’t contain HFCS in them. Most organic foods and products don’t have HFCS in them.
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Hydrogenated oils: Hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils contain trans-fatty acids, which are fats that are not found in nature, and that your body CAN NOT metabolize. They accumulate, clog your arteries and cause inflammation. Hydrogenated oil is used by the food industry for the sole purpose of prolonging the shelf life of foods, in other words to maximize profits. Hydrogenated oils are referred to as the Silent Killer. “Trans fat is responsible for at least 500 deaths from heart disease in NYC each year.” (1) These bad fats are found in deep fried foods, margarine, baked goods, and most processed packaged foods. Be aware and read labels, Look for the words “Hydrogenated” or “Partially hydrogenated” on package labels. If you see them, do NOT purchase the product.
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Nitrite cured meats: If you eat hot dogs, bacon, ham, luncheon meats, corned beef, smoked fish or any other type of processed meat; you are most likely consuming nitrites. Cured meats made with sodium nitrite or sodium nitrate have been found to contribute to a variety of negative health effects. Nitratescan be converted into nitrosamines, which are potent cancer-causing chemicals, in your body. If you are concerned about nitrites and want to avoid them in your diet, you must cut out most all foods that contain them such as, hot dogs, luncheon meats, sausages, bacon, and processed meats.
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Processed foods: Processed foods are extremely unhealthy and loaded with chemicals and preservatives that your body was never meant to ingest. Processed foods include all packaged foods in boxes, cans, jars, bags or frozen cartons that contain ingredients other than a basic food. Although the appeal behind them is convenience and indefinite shelf life they are harmful to your health because, they make you toxic by adding to the waste pile, they don’t nourish you, even though your stomach may be physically full, the body thinks it still needs more food because it hasn’t gotten nourished from what is in the stomach, they use up digestive energy, they contain no water to transport nutrients or carry away waste from your body like veggies and fruit do. They make you fat!
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Tap water: Regular (unfiltered) tap water is acidic and contains toxins like fluoride and chlorine. No matter what you read or hear in the news, you should try to avoid drinking tap water. The best sources of alkaline water are distilled water or filtered water using reverse osmosis. What's best for our body, are real foods. Real foods are not processed or minimally processed. I have one rule of thumb "If man made it, don't eat it." Real foods are alive and filled with natural nutrients. They will help you live disease free well into your golden years.
Sources: 1- New York Times: “Fat substitute is pushed out of the kitchen, 2- public health nutrition 2001 Apr; 4(2):183-9. 3-The New England Journal of Medicine, June 24, 1999. 4- CSPI's Guide to Food Additives.
