The Foods You Should Avoid if You’re Trying to Eat Clean

When you hear the word clean eating , what do you think of? How about food? You might automatically think of all those grocery store shelves lined with products claiming to be healthy and all-natural. But the reality is that many foods marketed as natural, organic, and clean aren’t always so good for you.

How many of us want to eat clean but still end up snacking on processed foods and fizzy drinks? These are just a couple of the big food groups we should avoid if we’re trying to eat clean. It’s not because these foods are unhealthy but because our bodies have a hard time processing the ingredients from these products, leaving them completely un-nourished and not doing any good for our bodies. Here are just a few foods that are less nutrient than they are advertised to be.

Processed Meat

Sausages, bacon, and other processed meats can be delicious—but these foods are usually loaded with chemicals, additives, and sodium. Meat packaged in a tin isn’t likely to contain any nutrients beyond those found in their natural form; eating too much of it will leave you deficient in important vitamins. Eating high amounts of processed meat over a long period may increase the risk of many chronic diseases including heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

Processed meat is maintained by curing, salting, smoking, drying, or canning. In addition to increasing shelf life, processed meat may be less expensive than fresh meat. Processed meat that is fried or grilled may contain high levels of nitrosamines. They are formed when meats containing natural nitrates and amines are cooked at high temperatures, such as frying or grilling.

Sugary Drinks

It might be a nice treat now and then, but sugary drinks should not be a mainstay of your diet. Not only do they lead to weight gain over time, but they’re also bad for your health. Plus, too much sugar can disrupt your sleep, which will make it that much harder for you to lose weight. If you’re trying to eat clean and lose weight in 2022 consider avoiding drinking sugary drinks.

Also known as added sugars, these sweeteners are found in desserts, baked goods, and drinks like soda and energy drinks. Added sugars contain no nutritional value and may contribute to weight gain—meaning they should be avoided at all costs if you’re trying to lose weight. If you’re eating clean and trying to lose weight, it’s best to avoid added sugars altogether.      Dr. Hu Says “The Effects of added sugar includes-

1. High Blood Pressure

2. Inflammation

3. Weight Gain

4. Diabetes

5. Fatty liver Disease

However, some naturally occurring sugars (like those found in fruit) aren’t a problem in small amounts.

Microwave Popcorn

Diacetyl is used to give microwave popcorn that buttery flavor we love. But this synthetic chemical can have some serious consequences for those who inhale it on the job, including work at popcorn factories. This patented ingredient is meant to mimic real butter, but it can do serious damage to your lungs.  According to the National Cancer Institute, diacetyl has been linked to “popcorn lung” in some factory workers.

The disease is known as bronchiolitis obliterans, or obstructive lung disease.Even though it’s marketed as a healthy alternative, microwave popcorn isn’t much better than its deep-fried, buttery cousin. It has about 30 calories per serving but fewer nutrients and more sodium. Popcorn itself is still considered a whole grain and can be incorporated into your diet.

Fast Food Restaurants

Fast Food is defined as food that is prepared and served in a short time; it is also specified as the food that is prepared by roasting, boiling or grilling. Fast food helps you save time, giving you more options throughout the day. When time is short, fast food is often a good choice for convenience and value. The Express Line was taken over by McDonald’s in 1974. Today Wendy’s still competes with Burger King and McDonald’s. Yearly Restaurant serves a lot of people with different tastes, but both chains have several types of foods that do not seem to be particularly good for the human body. These have high amounts of fat and sodium which are the two types of ingredients that should not be consumed regularly.

Food that comes from fast food restaurants is less healthy as compared to food that comes from restaurants that cook food slowly. Slow cooking helps preserve most of the nutrients in the meat and vegetables. Fast foods have high levels of sodium, fat, sugar and salt.