You have probably found yourself in a situation when you can’t decide what to eat. Choosing the right food is usually the most difficult part of your meals. With every meal, you are supposed to provide your body with the most proper nutrition, but that’s not always the case.
Honestly, most people tend to consume foods that are far from the healthiest food choices.
Processed food, is particularly designed to addict you and make you eat more of it. This food leads to nothing less than a complete nutritional disaster.
Unfortunately, this is not the only type of food that causes such a condition, here are some more:
10 Weight-Boosting and Energy-Draining Foods
One of the most important things to know is what type of food you should avoid the most. According to Traci Mitchell, personal trainer and weight loss coach, there are at least ten foods that can drain your energy and make you gain more weight. If you find some of these foods on your list more than usual, it is high time to make some changes. So, try to avoid the following foods as much as you can:1. Specialty Coffee Drinks
Regular coffee drinks are high in sugar and syrups while the “skinny” products are high in artificial sweeteners. It is acceptable to start your day with a black coffee but not with medium mocha coffee because it can contain up to 35 grams of sugar or nearly nine teaspoons.2. Bagels
Bagels are large bread products that can contain 45 grams or even more carbs. These carbs can be easily broken down into sugar thus increasing insulin levels. Further, this can cause insulin resistance, the leading factor for many chronic diseases such as heart disease or even cancer.3. Soda (Regular or Diet)
Soda is not only high in sugar but in far worse substances, artificial sweeteners. For example, aspartame is often used as a sugar substitute in most diet sodas. This chemical has more than 92 side effects that can lead to some serious health conditions such as diabetes, birth defects, epilepsy, emotional disorders, or even brain tumors. Every sip of some soda drink exposes you to:- Phosphoric acid. It can obstruct the body’s ability to use calcium and cause osteoporosis;
- Benzene. The presence of this known carcinogen compound in drinking water is limited to 5 parts per billion (ppb). However, the researchers have found that some soft drinks have more than 79 ppb;
- Artificial food colors. One particular carcinogenic food color is caramel coloring. This brown coloring is derived from reacting corn sugar with ammonia and sulfites, which are put under high temperatures and high pressures;
- Sodium benzoate. This is a common preservative that many soft drinks have. It is found that it can cause DNA damage, Parkinson’s disease, and cirrhosis.
4. Cereals
Most cereals are a combination of sugar, high-fructose syrup, and GMO corn but the children's cereals are the worst possible type. This does not mean that the adult cereals are healthy ones, they are nothing more than refined carbs.5. Submarine Sandwiches
These sandwiches have a large serving of bread, high in carbs and processed meat, high in sodium nitrite, MSG, preservatives, high-fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, and colors. Although they are sometimes considered a healthier variety than hamburgers, they are just as bad.6. Commercial Yogurt
Traditionally fermented yogurt abounds with healthy bacteria or probiotics which increase the healthy flora in the intestines and improve digestion. However, pasteurized yogurts do not offer the same benefits because the process of pasteurization kills all the healthy nutrients and enzymes. Also, pasteurized yogurts abound with sugar and artificial sweeteners. For a healthier variety, combine some plain yogurt with stevia, berries, or cinnamon.7. Muffins
Muffins contain high amounts of sugar and carbs while they are low in nutritive content. When eating some muffins, even a “low-fat” one is the same as you eating a plate of pancakes. This immediately increases your blood sugar and insulin level and drains your energy. You should also stay away from doughnuts because they share the same nutritive content as muffins.8. Orange Juice
Pasteurized orange juice is far from a healthy drink. It is high in added sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, and artificial colors and flavors. This type of drink lacks the healthy antioxidants and phytochemicals found in fruit. Many studies have shown that increased consumption of some fruit juice rapidly increases the risk of obesity. Even the freshly squeezed juice can contain up to eight teaspoons of fructose which can drastically increase insulin levels and prevent the benefits of the antioxidants. So, if you suffer from hypertension, type II diabetes, or cancer you should avoid any fruit juices until you normalize the level of insulin and uric acid.9. Fruit Smoothies
Smoothies are often regarded as a healthy substitute for many veggies and fruits. Unfortunately, they are not the right choice because of the high level of fructose and added sugars. So, when possible, make some fruit smoothies at home because the store-bought varieties are complete nutritional disasters.10. Potato Chips
Chips are nothing more than unhealthy fats, refined carbohydrates, and tons of processed sodium. During the process of production, one invisible chemical called acrylamide is formed. According to the Agency for Research on Cancer highlights acrylamide is a probable human carcinogen and a higher exposure to this chemical can lead to an increased risk of various cancers.Energy Drinks Do Not Provide the Lasting Energy
Nowadays, energy drink companies have experienced rapid growth in their sales and profits worldwide. This points out the idea of how many people use energy drinks to provide the energy they need throughout the day. The increased consumption of energy drinks not only affects the tooth enamel but it provides artificial energy that only harms the body. When caffeine loses its effectiveness, you will feel more tired than before, and you will need another one. Such lack of energy and the feeling of fatigue is not natural, but they are the results of some poor lifestyle habits.Your Diet is the Most Potent Energy-Booster
The body uses two types of body fuel, fat, and sugar. Unfortunately, our ancestors used fat as their primary fuel while nowadays we use glucose or sugar to function. Because most people burn carbs as fuel, afternoon fatigue can be related to post-lunch hypoglycemia. However, by switching from burning carbs to burning fats, you will eliminate any drops in energy levels. The process of burning fats instead of burning carbs provides many benefits, including:- When you effectively burn stored fat, you will have plenty of energy throughout the day. One way to check whether you are fat-adapted is to take a note when you skip a meal. If you crave carbs, you are fat-adapted;
- It improves leptin and insulin sensitivity and lowers the risk of many chronic diseases;
- This is an effective way of burning dietary fat for energy. In this way, you will store less fat in the adipose tissue, and you will stimulate weight loss;
- You can rely more on fat when lacking energy thus sparing glycogen. You will improve your athletic performance and burn more body fat. According to the author of The Primal Blueprint, Mark Sisson, if exercising does not load carbs you are fat-adapted.
To Burn More Fat and Increase Your Energy, Include More Healthy Fats Than Carbs
By adding more healthy fats to your diet, you will get more energy and optimize your weight. Bear in mind that harmful fats include sugars and grains but not vegetable carbs, and you need plenty of them. When you reduce the intake of grains and sugar, you have to increase your intake of vegetables and healthy fats. It is recommended to get 50-70% of your daily calories from healthy fats to reduce your carbs intake. Fat will keep you satiated for longer, but if you have reduced the intake of carbs and still feel ravenous, you have probably not replaced them with the needed amounts of healthy fats. In this way, you will notice a significant improvement in your health and the overall energy of your body.Do You Consume These 10 Healthy Foods?
So far, we have explained what you should avoid for optimal energy and fat burning but what types of foods you should consume? Here is a list of 10 healthy foods that you should include in your diet:- Fermented vegetables;
- Fermented beverages, e.g. kefir;
- Kale;
- Pomegranate;
- Wild Alaskan salmon and sardines;
- Organic eggs;
- Whey protein;
- Avocado;
- Coconut oil;
- Organic butter.
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