10 Processed Foods You Should Avoid

hello from red catfish I'm Jenna green and today we'll talk about ten processed foods you should avoid what is processed food ideally we'd shop the farmers market every day for fresh local foods and make all of our goodies from scratch in reality we live far from our food sources have to buy foods we can store on the shelf and barely have time to eat dinner much less prepare it processed foods are convenient and not all of them are bad for you pre chopped vegetables or fruits canned in their own juice are just two examples sometimes however convenience can mean large amounts of hidden sodium fats and sugar which are always bad news but who are these processed foods that you should avoid in the grocery store margarine there was a time when margarine was considered the healthy alternative to butter however the truth is that some margarine contains a lot of trans fats which is considered more unhealthy than any other fat including saturated fats trans fats increase bad cholesterol which can lead to heart disease and stroke although the link between trans fatty acids and cancer is unclear Johns Hopkins Medicine is just one institution that suggests lowering these fats as a part of their dietary recommendations for cancer patients and survivors instant ramen most college students have had the experience of powering through finals week fueled only by ramen and cheap coffee warning do not continue this habit beyond your senior year better yet stop now a packet of ramen can contain nearly 2,000 milligrams of sodium which is 5,000 milligrams more than the American Heart Association's daily recommended intake that boosts blood pressure which could lead to stroke additionally with simple carbohydrates making up most of the other ingredients ramen provides almost zero nutritional support you should also check out the amount of fat and ramen noodles who knew so many unhealthy things could come in such a small package as a healthy meal instant ramen gets a failing grade granola bars consider the granola bar also known as the cereal bar they are stuffed with Hardy grains and packaged in boxes featuring mountains and sunrises so wholesome too bad granola bars are also loaded with added sugars which digests quickly and don't satisfy hunger for long despite their healthy marketing image granola bars don't offer much in the way of good nutrition avoid them for their high simple carbohydrate count and the long ingredient list filled with difficult to pronounce words dried fruits you might reach for a handful of raisins or a few Spears of dried mango to satisfy a sweet tooth there's probably a really good reason they're so satisfying these dried fruits are a better option than skittles since they have a good amount of fiber vitamins and minerals be careful with the portion however even a small portion carries a high calorie high sugar punch the extra sugar also promises weight gain if you eat more than your body needs it adds to your body's fat store flavored nuts flavored nuts have a shelf of their own in the sounds good for you but isn't pantry whether they are maple flavored soy sauce and wasabi dusted or coated in toffee flavored nuts are packed with extra salt and sugar this extra salt and sugar can lead to weight gain diabetes and high blood pressure they're sticky sugary goodness also makes them the enemy of healthy teeth fruit snacks an enemy of both your teeth and your waistline fruit snacks maybe the grocer's most inaccurately named food most varieties are packed with high fructose corn syrup and cane sugar which could lead to weight gain which can increase your risk for diabetes and contain only a drop of actual fruit ingredients there extra sugar and gelatinous ingredients also stick to teeth providing an ideal environment for bacteria to create cavities microwave popcorn there's nothing wrong with popcorn as long as you go easy on the salt and butter and there's nothing wrong with microwaving food so what's so bad about microwave popcorn it's in the bag / floor alkyls are just one class of chemical found in microwave popcorn bags studies have linked / floor alkyls with health problems as diverse as kidney disease and poor semen quality frozen dinners frozen dinners are the next best thing to take out a complete meal of vegetables on tray and starch all on one plate right out of the microwave however frozen dinners are often loaded with sugars fat and sodium these additives can lead to weight and heart problems they can also raise your blood pressure putting you at danger for stroke if you do get frozen meals focus on organic meals with an ingredient list full of foods you recognize ketchup catsup or ketchup no matter where you stand on the spelling debate America's favorite condiment spells bad news while a little dollop of ketchup is fine the amounts we slather on to our burgers and fries is problematic as is the frequency the tomatoes in ketchup are so diluted by sugar and salt that they offer no natural value with most of the calories and ketchup coming from sugar you might as well sprinkle your fries with sugar bacon bacon contains high levels of sodium which can lead to high blood pressure and sodium is just the beginning part of the reason why bacon is so delicious is because it's loaded with saturated fat saturated fat is linked to heart disease and obesity danger also lurks in virtually all store-bought bacon because of how many preservatives it contains which are related to every health concern from headaches to cancer all things in moderation processed foods are not a modern convenience they've been around since the first barrel of salt pork sailed across the Atlantic they provide convenience and give us access to foods that would otherwise perish in transit enjoy them in moderation and use your common sense check the nutrition labels to avoid anything high in fats sugars and chemicals you can't pronounce be sure to make fresh simple ingredients the focus of your diet

Channel: Red Catfish

Views: 62,837

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Keywords: foods, diet, diet (industry), weight loss, nutrition, health, health (industry), healthy snacks, healthy, healthy breakfast ideas, healthy lunch ideas, top 10, healthiest foods, exercise, nutritious, vegetables, healthy lifestyle, fruit, vitamins

Id: S0Hdsx7pxVU

Length: 6min 34sec (394 seconds)

Published: Sat Dec 19 2015