In America, there is certainly no shortage of unhealthy food. In fact, there are many food choices, that people spend countless hours trying to decide what they should eat and what they should avoid like the plague. While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states that it is OK to eat all foods in moderation, there are some foods so nutritionally void (and commonly, even excessively eaten) that they should be avoided at all costs. Skipping these foods will have you well on your way to a healthier heart and a smaller waistline.
Soda
According to the experts at Whole Food and More, a single can of soda has more than 10 tsp. of sugar. It also has around 150 calories and is loaded with caffeine, sulphites, sodium and artificial colors and flavors. Soda wouldn't be so bad if Americans didn't drink so much of it. Whole Foods and More reports that each one of us consumes an average of 56 gallons of soda per year. Soda consumption is linked with obesity, osteoporosis, tooth decay and heart disease. It is also nutritionally void, containing almost no vitamins and minerals.
Doughnts
There are dozens on lists on the Internet about the "worst foods to eat" and doughnuts are on almost every single list. Aside from having nearly no vitamins and minerals, these deep fried snacks have between 10 and 20 grams of fat and range from 250 to 500 calories each, depending on size and type. Doughnuts are fried in oil, meaning they are high in trans fats and saturated fats, which are directly linked to heart disease. They are comprised primarily of processed white flour and processed white sugar, then often topped with more sugar.
French Fries
French fries are considered the cigarettes of nutrition, according to Jennifer Lee, author of "Five Worst Foods Americans Eat Daily." An average serving of French fries contains 400 calories and 20 grams of fat. Fast food french fries are cooked quickly at such a high temperature that they have been shown to create acrylamides, a cancer causing agent. They are also loaded with saturated and trans fats, which are the worst kind for your heart. Many fast food French fries have fat mixed into their potato product, then are partially fat fried before shipping. They are then fried in fat again and coated with salt before they get to you.
Fried Fish
Fried seafood is like a melting pot of unhealthy eating. Not only does it contain high levels of saturated and trans fats like French fries, but it also produces cancer causing acrlyamides. On top of that, many types of seafood scavenge for their food, eating pollutants and getting exposed to high levels of mercury from industrial pollution. If all that wasn't bad enough, shellfish, shrimp and lobster are sometimes contaminated with bacteria and viruses that cannot be killed by traditional cooking methods and can lead to food poisoning. Switch to broiled or steamed wild Alaskan salmon, which has heart healthy fats and is not contaminated with mercury.
Fast Food Hamburgers
Large fast food hamburgers can contain more than 1000 calories and 50 grams of fat. If you're eating a large fast food hamburger for lunch every day, you are consuming half of your daily calories and 80 percent of the total fat you need without even factoring in your French fries, soda and desert. This type of food puts an added strain on the heart as your arteries become clogged with cholesterol and your blood vessels narrow ans stretch. Much of this fat is saturated and trans fat and fast food products are notoriously laden with additives like high fructose corn syrup.
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