There is some truth to the saying that you are what you eat. The food choices you make each day are strongly associated with weight gain and your risk of chronic disease, such as heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. Avoid the foods known to raise your risk of developing serious health problems.
Stick Margarine
Stick margarine can contain trans fat, a man-made fat known to contribute significantly to cardiovascular disease. Other foods that contain these damaging fats include baked goods such as biscuits, doughnuts and cream-filled cookies, pound cake, fried foods, crackers, packaged foods, restaurant foods and snack foods. Check ingredient lists for partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, a common name for trans fat, and ask the restaurants you frequent if trans fat is used in food preparation.
Sugary Cereals
Added sugar in food can lead to weight gain, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Many breakfast cereals contain a high amount of sugar. Regular Cap'n Crunch is 44 percent sugar, and Corn Pops and Fruit Loops are 41 percent sugar. Sugar contributes plenty of calories -- but no nutrients -- to breakfast cereals.
Bacon Cheeseburgers
Bacon cheeseburgers are loaded with saturated fat, which raises harmful LDL cholesterol and leads to heart disease. Fatty meats, butter, tropical oils, and full-fat milk and other dairy products contain saturated fat. Instead, choose lean cuts of meat and dairy products that are fat-free or 1 percent fat.
White Bread
White bread is made from refined flour, which is processed and stripped of fiber and nutrients. White bread and other refined carbohydrates, such as white rice, pastries, bagels, sweets and candy, wreak havoc with blood sugar and insulin levels, and cause hunger, weight gain and type 2 diabetes. Choose whole-grain foods instead.
Fruit Yogurt
Sweetened, blended and fruit-on-the-bottom yogurts are a major source of sugar in the diet, according to Clemson University. Instead, choose healthy and calcium-rich low-fat plain yogurt. Mix it with fresh or frozen thawed fruit, nuts or sunflower seeds for a low-sugar alternative.
Sweet Soft Drinks
Soda and other sweetened soft drinks are the biggest source of added sugar in the American diet. A Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha from Starbucks contains a whopping 78 g of sugar, far more than the American Heart Association's recommended daily limit of 24 g for women and 36 g for men. One typical 12 oz. serving of a sweetened soft drink such as cola or sweet tea has 40 g, or 10 tsp., of sugar. Avoid sugary drinks to reduce your risk of weight gain, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Salty Snacks
Salty snacks such as pretzels and potato chips, and other foods such as fast foods, pizza, soups, condiments and packaged foods, are loaded with sodium. The recommended limits of sodium are 2,300 mg for healthy adults and 1,500 mg for African-Americans, middle-age adults, and those with high blood pressure, kidney disease and cardiovascular disease. Excess sodium can cause fluid retention in susceptible individuals, paving the way for high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, and heart and kidney disease.
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