YOU MUST KNOW WHAT NOT TO EAT

Figuring the Right Things to Keep Out of Your System

Welcome to today’s post on how to lead a healthy lifestyle, it’s always a pleasure to have you here. If you missed last week’s post, you’re missing out on some wonderful information; check it out here.

Today we’re going to be taking a little dive into the topic DIET. A lot of people tend to pay so little attention to this topic, and it shouldn’t be so. Diet plays an integral role in achieving good health and fitness. A healthy diet is like the foundation on which your efforts towards physical and mental fitness stand; it wouldn’t matter how hard you work out, with a bad diet, there will always be a missing link.

The last thing many people want to hear is that they’re not supposed to eat some type of food, especially when they find these foods interesting to eat. A lot of people today have gotten used to bad eating habits, some people do not eat until they’re extremely hungry, some people eat only junk foods, and some people eat very small portions. If you are in any of these categories, you need to do better because your body needs a whole lot of nutrients to keep running optimally, and these nutrients come from food. What you eat has a direct impact on your overall health, hence the saying “You are what you eat”. Anyone looking to get healthier and stronger must pay attention to everything that goes in their mouth and into their body.

What is an Unhealthy Diet?

An unhealthy diet is one that fails to provide your body with the correct amounts and types of nutrients for maximum health. When we talk about an unhealthy diet, we tend to focus only on fast foods because they have little nutritional value. Yes, fast foods are not healthy, but what you must understand is that an unhealthy diet is one that is limited to a particular group of nutrients. A healthy diet contains the required amount of nutrients and vitamins for wholesome health, keeping the body functioning optimally. 

Let us go over the kinds of food to avoid for the sake of your health. Your favourite food might just be on this list so brace yourself.

1. Foods High in Saturated Fats

Too much fat in your diet, especially saturated fats, can raise your cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart disease. Saturated fats can be found in many foods including meat and dairy products, as well as in some plants like palm oil and coconut oil. Examples of foods high in saturated fats are; sausages, meat, cakes, biscuits, butter, coconut oil, and the like. These food are not outrightly bad for consumption, but we know no one stops with one piece of meat, cake, or biscuit. The more of these things you consume, the higher risk it bears for your health.

2. Soft Drinks

Soft drinks feel good and refreshing, especially when they’re chilled. The bad thing with the majority of the soft drinks out there is that they contain excess sugar and caffeine which makes you feel good the moment you consume them, but they have no nutritional value. The excess sugar just accumulates in your body and the side effects include weight gain and a spike in your blood sugar level.

3. Fast Foods

Fast food is typically poor in terms of nutrition. Fast food tends to contain various substances that are generally unhealthy. It is high in sugar, salt, saturated or trans fats, and many processed preservatives and ingredients. It also lacks some beneficial nutrients. Though these types of foods are not far-fetched, they pose a great deal of risk to your health with each day that passes. In the long run, fast foods can cause obesity, heart diseases, allergies, etc. It is best that you limit your intake of fast(processed) food before it begins to cause more harm than you can handle.

4. Excess Salt

Salt is an essential component of the human diet. It helps to regulate the body’s fluid balance, maintain the heart rhythm, conduct nerve impulses, and contract muscle. The body requires about 6g of salt per day, which is about a teaspoon serving. A high amount of salt intake can lead to hypertension. High-sodium foods are canned and tinned foods, pickled meat, highly salted breakfast cereals, buns, cakes, pastries, sauces, etc. many of the foods high in salt we consume are usually fast foods. Remember, salt is great for the body, but too much salt will cause harm to your body. Some people still go ahead to add salt to their food after it has been served; this practice should be far from you.

With all these said, you may ask, what should I be eating for a healthy and fit body? The approach is to substitute unhealthy foods for healthy ones. I will cover the kind of foods to consume to help you maintain good health and aid your efforts towards physical fitness. I know it can be hard to do the right things, but the results will prove your efforts worthy. I personally struggle with eating healthy as well, but I can assure you that I am a work in progress. It doesn’t matter how your eating habit currently is; when there is a will, there is a way. So while you anticipate the next post, make the decision to make an effort to eat healthy from now, now is the time.