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You are working hard to get back a fit body, great health and a good level of fitness. Does this describe you? Now read on… A committed individual would stick to his healthy diet of a good mix of fruits, vegetables, healthy protein, in short, a well-balanced diet. What happens when this party gets spoiled? By who or what you wonder. Well there are a few foods that somehow sneak their way into your fixed diet routine and spoil the party for you. You may already know it but here is just a quick recap and a reminder for you to not cheat while you are on a steady diet. These foods do nothing but put all your hard work and efforts into the bin.
1. Soft Drinks!
Need we say anything further? Yes, you need to stay away from those calorie-dense soft drinks. You know all that it contains is carbonated water, sugar and food colouring. Do you see anything nutritious? No, so stay away from all kinds of sugar loaded carbonated drinks. For that matter even a can of 100 plus can come under the scanner for being heavy on sugar and salt. You can do very well with some tender coconut water instead of a can of 100 plus or revive! Did you know that 100 g of coconut water contains just 19 calories when compared to 27 calories in 100 plus. Well you might think this is just a tad higher but if you note the amount of sodium, you will be shocked – 48 g of sodium per 100 ml of the drink! The permitted daily consumption of sodium per day is only 5 g, now 48 g is surely going to have some effect on different organs of the body such as kidneys. Would you want to do that?
You could also replace the soft drinks or isotonic drinks with lemonade that is made at home, so you know what goes into each glass of the juice.
2. Store-bought deep-fried fast foods
Food that looks good needn’t be good for health
These are the most tempting form of junk at any party. Filled with trans fats, fatty calories, you can do better to avoid store-bought deep-fried food items and replace it with homemade, baked (thus less oily) potato fries, yam fries to name a few. When baked, you can limit the amount of oil and also the quality of oil that goes into making this snack.
3. Processed meats such as bacon
Processed meats such as ham, sausage, bacon are preserved by curing, salting or smoking. Although most forms of processed meats is not consumed by many in Malaysia, they are still quite popular. It is said that processed meats such as bacon is said to be high in nitrate, which is usually added to processed food as preservatives. Now this is found to be carcinogenic. Apart from this, bacon is said to have a high amount of salt and fat that is deemed unhealthy. So, what can you replace this with? You can try cooked shrimp or grilling some chicken breast. This is a healthier option for those looking to eat meat but the healthier kind. As always, food made at home is the best since you know and can control what goes into the food.
4. Sugary Donuts
Skip the donut
Yes, you better avoid visiting or even looking in the direction of Dunkin Donuts or Big Apple Donuts. Let us describe the making of a yummy donut – Think deep-fry, think white processed flour, think white processed sugar! Is that enough to throw out your love for donuts? All that you get out of eating this is guilt, empty calories; a few kilos added to your love handles that you are trying to lose. Want something to fix your sweet tooth? Try fruits or a small portion of peanut brittle can work just fine!
5. Margarine
So are you one of those people who bought the marketing campaign that butter is unhealthy and that margarine is the best for those who are worried about their health? Well, here’s the bad news. Margarine is the worst food item that anyone can consume. All that margarine contains is food colouring; artificial flavouring and hydrogenated oils that make it look like butter. Loaded with calories, margarine is zero in nutrition; it creates trans fatty acids and increases LDL or bad cholesterol level in the body. Butter on the other hand is said to have saturated fats that have anti-cancer properties. Butter is rich in vitamin A and trace minerals such as Zinc, Copper, Selenium, Manganese. Be wise; include butter in your diet but in moderation.
Healthy food choices are what you need to give yourself and reward yourself with better health and fitness.
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by Hridya Anand
A biochemist by education who could never put what she studied to good use, finally found GetDoc as a medium to do what she loved - bring information to people using a forum that is dedicated to all things medical. View all articles by Hridya Anand.
