10 of The Most Unhealthy Modern Foods You Eat Today

Oftentimes, people find themselves eating an assortment of different items and passing it off as a delicious treat. While gummy bears and other sugary snacks might be edible, they aren't exactly the best source of nutrients for you. In fact, there are a number of different items that don't do anything good for your body. Many of them contain absolutely nothing beneficial for your body. Some even contain artificial ingredients that can be dangerous. Check out some of the following foods that you should avoid at all costs.

1. Lunchmeat

High-quality, grass-fed meat can be a great addition to your diet, but lunch meats are another story completely. Deli meats are packed with nitrates. This is largely because the manufacturer uses the nitrate to help prevent bacteria from growing and to cure the meat. When these nitrates are combined with all of the different amines within the meat, you end up getting nitrosamines. What you don't know is that this could be carcinogenic. Deli meats are also loaded with sodium, which isn't good for your health either. Checkout the image below to see just how deli meat is made...

2. Reduced-Fat Dairy

For quite some time, you have been made to think that having any fat in your dairy products is bad. However, studies indicate that isn't necessarily true. The opposite is actually true. You want to avoid all of the reduced fat dairy products. These reduced options tend to contain a lot of different artificial ingredients that resemble fat. Yogurt has a significant amount of sugar in it to help make up for the reduced flavor from taking the fat out of the product. Women consuming even one serving daily will find themselves struggling with their fertility.

3. Margarine

Products like margarine are another item that you should avoid. Essentially, this product is a vegetable oil that has been turned into a solid state using a process referred to as hydrogenation. People assume that since the product was made out of vegetable products it has to be the healthier option, but that isn't the case. Margarine is loaded with trans fats all because of the hydrogenation process. Trans fats are largely associated with an increased chance of suffering from a heart attack. It lowers your good cholesterol and raises your bad cholesterol to leave you prone to diabetes.  Just take a look at the picture to the right...even ants know the difference!

4. Soda

Soda might taste amazing, but it is loaded with sugar. Oftentimes, that sugar comes in the form of high fructose corn syrup. When you have too much sugar, the chance of diabetes, obesity and other health conditions increase. Soda is also loaded with artificial colors and flavors, which can cause a whole host of negative effects on your health. Soda can also cause reproductive problems, heart disease, asthma, kidney issues and reduced enamel on your teeth.

5. High Fructose Corn Syrup

Individuals who consume large amounts of high fructose corn syrup are more prone to diabetes and obesity. When you have too much sugar in your diet, you could end up with metabolic syndrome, an increased chance of suffering from heart disease and higher than normal triglyceride levels. Even though additional research is needed to confirm this information, it is believed that your body processes high fructose corn syrup differently than what it does other sugars. Since it is such a highly refined product, you could end up struggling with added health problems.

6. Aspartame

Many believe that since sugar and high fructose corn syrup are so bad for their bodies they should go with an artificial sweetener. While you might think this is the better option, that isn't the case. Aspartame can cause you to develop cancer. Even though the FDA doesn't claim there is a correlation and the science isn't definitive, that doesn't mean you should start downing a bunch of aspartame. Research shows that aspartame could end up causing a number of different cancers.

7. Monosodium Glutamate

MSG doesn't exactly have the best reputation. Many don't realize that even though you know it can cause a number of different health problems, it is still out there in a number of foods you eat. Things like potato chips, cheese spreads, chicken broth and more all contain large amounts of MSG. Even some traditional baby foods contain the ingredient. MSG is a type of excitotoxin, which ends up exciting you cells to the point where they end up damaged. This could lead you to struggle with brain damage, learning disabilities and a chance of developing Alzheimer's.

8. White Flour

At some point or another, you have probably been told that refined carbs are far less healthy for you than eating whole grains. This is largely because the fiber that is found in the whole grains isn't in refined carbs. That causes your body to process the food differently. Refined carbs like traditional white flour can increase your chance of suffering with obesity, diabetes and increased weight gain. Gluten is a type of inflammatory. When you consume a diet that is loaded with gluten, there is an increased risk of digestive issues and inflammation.

9. Commercial Fruit Juice

While you might believe that fruit juice is good for you, that isn't the case. Sure, fruit is loaded with an assortment of different benefits. In fact, many people do a juice detox or cleanse to rid their bodies of all the impurities. However, the juice you buy from the grocery store isn't always healthy for you. Oftentimes, the juice is pasteurized. When that happens, all of the vital nutrients are stripped from the juice. Many juices also contain high fructose corn syrup and a variety of food colors. The next time you go to the store and purchase a bottle of fruit juice, you might want to think again. don't buy sugar water. Look for a type of juice that doesn't have all these added ingredients and isn't pasteurized or concentrated.

10. Breakfast Cereal

What kid doesn't love a bowl of sugar-laden marshmallow cereal? While it might taste great, you know it isn't good for the little ones to keep eating it. Then, there are those cereals that contain whole grains. You often see them being referred to as healthy, but that isn't true. Many of these cereals contain GMOs, especially those that contain corn. Cereals are put through a process that helps it hold its shape. That extrusion ends up stripping all of the nutrients from the cereal and increases the fatty acids, essentially making it toxic.

With so many different bad choices out there, it can be difficult to figure out what a good choice is. The key is to make sure you are consuming real food. Anytime the food is processed, you want to avoid it at all costs. This will help ensure you are nice and healthy in the end.

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