Unfortunately, some of the best-tasting foods are worst for your health. This is no secret. But do you really know how bad these foods really are?

When we mention soft drinks, pizzas, burgers, french fries etc., we know they are high in calories, offer no nutritional value and so forth. But there are certain man-made chemicals and compounds in them that can cause havoc in your body and cause degenerative diseases over time.

So if you think you are simply eating these foods in moderation and justify them by jogging an extra 30 min on the treadmill, well, it’s time to think again. These foods are the worst offenders and destroy your health beyond simply adding calories to your diet.

Let’s delve into some hard science.

Note: More you know how bad these foods are, the more you will be conscious of them, and I can promise you that you will start taking steps towards eliminating them as time goes by. If you think you are ok with eating these foods in moderation, at least don’t feed these poison to your kids.

Soft Drinks

Soft drinks are a multi-billion dollar industry and account for most of the beverages found worldwide.

According to this study, soft drinks contribute 7.1% of total energy intake and represent the largest single food source of calories in the US diet. Furthermore, the rise of obesity and type-2 diabetes in the United States parallels the increase in sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption. ¹https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/199296

This is not surprising as just one can of coke/Pepsi contains about 40 grams of sugar, including high corn fructose sugar. This is equivalent to 10 teaspoons of sugar. To combat the sugar, your body releases lots of insulin, a fat-storage hormone.

Over time, this results in you becoming insulin resistant which ultimately leads to type-2 diabetes. Also, don’t forget the high corn fructose sugar made from genetically modified corn. Fructose can only be metabolized by your liver and, combined with corn, can lead to a fatty liver.

Besides sugar and HCFS, these soft drinks have artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose, which can have a very harmful effect on your body. All you are drinking is a sugar-laden drink with absolutely zero nutritional value and some caffeine. I strongly advise against drinking any soft drinks ever.

Healthier Alternatives

Green tea, matcha tea, vegetable juice, lemon water.

Chips/French Fries

The next foods in the line-up for absolutely worst food you can eat are chips and french fries. Chips contain trans fat, which is the worst kind of fat you can eat. Trans-fats are created when hydrogen molecules are added to vegetable oils.

This converts these oils from a liquid to a solid. Trans-fats are added to chips and hundreds of other processed food items that are found in the supermarket as they increase the shelf life and make them taste better. Trans fats are associated with an increase in the risk of chronic heart disease.

According to dietary data from participants in the Nurses’ Health Study, where 85,095 women took part in an 8-year study, the findings supported the hypothesis that consumption of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (trans-fats) may contribute to the occurrence of CHD. ²https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/014067369390350P

French fries are no different and are made from potatoes which are fried in vegetable oils like soy and corn oil. These polyunsaturated fats turn rancid when heated at high temperatures. These oils can create aging, inflammation and weight gain, especially around your belly area. ³https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/88/4/913/4649889

So the next time, if you are ordering at McDonald’s and the friendly staff asks if you would like to add fries to your order, show them this article..just kidding:) Just say No!

Healthier Alternatives

Home Made Sweet Potato Fries made with coconut oil.

Related Articles:

Sweet Potato Health Benefits | Sweet Potato Healthy Recipe

Coconut Oil: Good Or Bad?

Donuts/Muffins

This category of foods, like doughnuts, muffins, and cookies, is made from white flour and is loaded with sugar and trans-fats. As a result, they are very high in calories and offer no nutritional value. Over time, these foods cause you to become insulin resistant, ultimately leading to type-2 diabetes.

Healthier Alternative

Homemade cookies made with natural ingredients, including whole-wheat flour, honey, and stevia.

Pizzas

Pizzas are bad. They are made from refined white flour and processed meats. Therefore, they are extremely high in calories. One medium slice can give you at least a few hundred calories.

Healthier Alternative

Homemade pizza made from whole-wheat flour and grass-fed meats and/or organic vegetables

Vegetable Oils

Conventional wisdom portrays vegetable oils like sunflower, soy oils, etc., as healthy. But that’s far from the truth. In reality, they are highly processed, can cause inflammation, and are linked to an increased risk of cancer. ⁴https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20878979/, ⁵https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22194528/, ⁶https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9844997/

Healthier Alternative

Cold-pressed coconut oils, ghee.

Related Article: Is Ghee Good For Health?

Bottom line

Any foods which are fried, made from vegetable oils, have added sugars, trans-fats, white flour, or any other refined carbs need to be completely avoided. Instead, choose the healthier alternatives that I have provided.

What do you think of this list? Would you like to add any foods you think might make this list? Let me know in the comments below!