5 Ingredients to Avoid for Healthy Eating
If you want to improve your diet, you probably know to include lean proteins, whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables. The top five ingredients to avoid have little or no nutritional value, but do carry the potential to negatively affect your health. The top five food ingredients to avoid are: MSG (monosodium glutamate), refined sugar, bleached white flour, partially hydrogenated oils (or hydrogenated oils) and artificial sweeteners.
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Monosodium Glutamate
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MSG, a flavor enhancer, is classified by the United States Food and Drug Administration as being "generally recognized as safe." However, its use and consumption are the subjects of great debate. Side effects like headaches, sweating, chest pain, flushing, rapid heartbeat, nausea and weakness have been reported by people after they have consumed MSG. It is being researched worldwide as possibly causing increased risks of obesity and various diseases.
MSG is commonly added to a variety of items on the market including spices, sauces, chips and dips.
Refined Sugar
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Refined sugar may taste sweet, but the consequences of overconsumption are anything but. If you must use sugar, do so in moderation and opt for pure, unrefined cane sugar to replace white table sugar. Since sugar offers no nutritional value, it really offers only empty calories. It also raises your body's insulin levels and promotes weight gain. Instead, opt for foods that are sweetened either with honey or fruit. Another option is to use pure, unrefined cane sugar.
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Bleached White Flour
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Bleached white flour has little nutritional value. The process of bleaching the flour removes much of the original grain's fiber and nutrients, leaving useless calories which provide little benefit to your body. Choose a whole grain product or unbleached flour to replace white flour. The nutritional value is much greater and the natural fiber will help you to feel full longer.
Partially Hydrogenated and Hydrogenated Oils
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2008 and 2009 saw an explosion of trans fat discussions in the American marketplace. Partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated oils are chock-full of trans fats. The process of hydrogenation thickens the oil's consistency (almost to that like butter) and changes the fatty acids in the oil. Trans fats are widely regarded as health hazards, contributing to obesity (by making you eat more while slowing your metabolism) and increasing your risk of developing certain cardiovascular diseases.
Watch out for partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated oils on the list of ingredients. Opt instead for products which use polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats.
Artifical Sweeteners
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Artificial sweeteners are, like MSG, another controversial ingredient. While many Internet articles claim that artificial sweeteners are linked to increased risks of cancer (based largely upon a series of clinical studies between the 1970's and 1990's which examined the impact on rats), the National Cancer Institute points out that there is no clear clinical proof that artificial sweeteners are linked to increased risk of human cancers.
Beyond the issue of cancer, however, there is a growing concern that low and no-calorie sweeteners may actually encourage weight gain. Ongoing research is needed to evaluate the usefulness of artificial sweeteners.
In the meantime, opt for natural alternatives like stevia.
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