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Absolute Worst Foods to Pump Into Your Body
Not all cheat foods are created equal. If you’re chasing big fitness goals—especially after setting an ambitious New Year’s resolution—you’ll want to steer clear of certain foods that can derail your progress.
We all love a good “cheat meal”—because, hey, we’re only human. For seasoned athletes and fitness buffs, the idea of a cheat meal is simple: stick to clean eating, crush your workouts, and then treat yourself with something a little off-limits. Sounds like a solid plan, right? And it can be—cheat meals can help break through weight-loss plateaus and give your metabolism a much-needed kick.
But here’s the catch: not all cheat foods are created equal. If you’re chasing big fitness goals—especially after setting an ambitious New Year’s resolution—you’ll want to steer clear of certain foods that can derail your progress. Tim McComsey, a registered dietitian and weight-loss programming expert, breaks down eight foods you should avoid at all costs.
Dog’s Nuts
The mind-blowing taste of doughnuts doesn’t come without an enormous cost to the body. These sticky and sweet treats are high in calories, fats, and carbs. Plus, because of added preservatives, they can sit on store shelves for extended periods without losing their taste or spoiling. The result? Rapid weight gain and poor digestive function. It’s not worth it, ever.
Bagels
Bagels have a massively high glycemic index which increases insulin and inflammation in the body, as a result, the possibility of accelerating aging, worsening acne, and rosacea. One bagel alone often contains 2-3 servings of carbohydrates, so the added kay-gees will come on quick, plus you’ll be paving away for diabetes.
Fruit Loops
Just don’t even think about it. These colourful little suckers are a surefire way to ruin your body inside and out. And maybe the single worst food of all time. With the high amount of inflammation-causing sugar and gluten content, most cereals will do damage to your body. Gluten alone can increase skin breakouts and inflammation of the stomach lining. Skip out on the sugary cereals if you’d rather spare yourself the gut aches and crummy skin.
Chips
Most chips are deep fried with trans fats that can increase cholesterol levels and increase the risk of coronary heart disease. Trans fats are made by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil through a process called hydrogenation, which makes the oil less likely to spoil. Using trans fats in the manufacturing of foods helps foods stay fresh longer, have a longer shelf life and have a less greasy feel.
Hot Chips
Just like chips, french fries are often, if not always fried in oils and trans fats. The potatoes themselves are high on the glycemic index leading to an increase in insulin levels which are both harmful to our health, and our waistlines. Hot chips, along with potato chips or crisps, contain acrylamide, a known carcinogen that is formed when foods are baked or fried at high temperatures which is known to cause cancers.
Fast Food Burgers
It’s approximated that the meat used to make burgers is 2% or less actual meat. The other 98% of the burgers are industrial chemicals that our bodies are highly unlikely to use at all. These chain-made burgers are also high in saturated fats, and may even contain trans fats.
Microwave Popcorn
Microwave popcorn contains carcinogens, and cancer-causing free radicals, in the bags that hold the kernels. Perfluorochemicals, or PFCs, are added to the bags to make them more greaseproof, even though they’ve been linked to thyroid disease and ADHD, among other illnesses. Another cancer-causing chemical, diacetyl, is hidden in the artificial fats.
Margarine
Margarine is marketed as a cholesterol-free, healthy alternative to butter, but it’s the ultimate source of trans fats, elevating cholesterol and damaging blood vessel walls. To play it safe, read food labels to make sure your foods use omega-3 fats or butter over margarine.
