Eating foods that are high in nutrients are essential for a healthy body, but in order to improve your diet you must also avoid foods that are damaging to your health. It can be hard to know which foods to avoid when starting on a new diet. Here is a list of foods you should never eat if you want to improve your overall health.
Microwave Popcorn
On a list of what not to eat, this may come as a surprise. Microwave popcorn contains a number of artificial ingredients, including ones that are potential carcinogens. The popcorn bag is coated in a chemical that becomes perfluorooctanoic, a known toxin, when heated. The butter flavor is also created from artificial ingredients. A better option is to pop your own using a small amount of vegetable oil instead of butter.
Table Salt
While too much sodium is unhealthy in general, table salt is particularly bad for you. This type of salt is processed, removing the nutrients and introducing toxic chemicals through the cleaning and enrichment procedures. Table salt can cause a number of health problems such as heart disease and high blood pressure.
Processed Meats
Processed meats such as sausage and bacon have been linked with a number of diseases, from obesity to high blood pressure to certain types of cancer. They’re also full of artificial ingredients and preservatives that detract from any nutritional value they may have.
Factory Farmed Meat
Not only is factory farming bad for animals, but the meat produced by these farms is full of hormones and other additives that aren’t healthy for humans. If you’re wondering what to eat instead, soy protein is an alternate source of nutrition that’s popular with many vegetarians. It can be used as a meat substitute in a variety of dishes.
Sugary Drinks
Sugary drinks such as soda are high in calories and sugar, both of which can harm your diet. In addition, the sugary and acidic content can erode your tooth enamel and lead to cavities.
Improving your diet is a lifestyle change and it’s okay to take it slow. Eliminating these unhealthy foods from your home is an easy way to eat healthier without making any truly dramatic changes.