8 Foods to Avoid When Dieting for Health

8 Foods to Avoid When Dieting for Health

Healthy eating allows your body to function well and these 8 foods to avoid when dieting for health help to improve overall wellness. Whether you’re trying to lose weight in order to manage a chronic condition or prevent illness, the foods you select should not damage your body.

Adequate planning is required if you want to give yourself the best chance of sticking to your diet. Going out with your meals prepared helps you to avoid eating out at places that serve junk food. You’ll want to form a sustainable habit, making healthy eating part of your new normal.

Meals With High Sodium

Meals that contain a lot of sodium are bad for your heart. Whether you’re preparing your low-sodium foods yourself or are in a special weight loss program, ensure that you have a low-sodium diet..

Sodium holds excess fluid in the body. This increases your blood pressure. The increase in blood pressure makes your heart work harder. When your body holds excess water, it can make women feel more bloated during menstruation.

This increase in blood pressure also indicates that if you’re losing weight because of problems with hypertension, you should avoid high-sodium foods as much as possible. When your body holds on to water, it shows on the scale. You may have lost fat but because excessive sodium increases bloating, you could actually not see your fat loss reflected on the scale.

Eating foods that are packed with sodium can make you feel bloated and uncomfortable, make it look like you haven’t lost weight and even make you feel discouraged because of what you see on the scale. Excessive sodium can exacerbate menstrual problems, hypertension and various heart problems, so it is best to be moderate with your sodium intake.

Fried Food With High Saturated Fats

You may have decided to lose weight in order to improve heart health. Like trans fats, saturated fats should be limited in your diet if you’re already at risk for heart disease.

Saturated fats should still be included in your diet. You’ll need to have around 6% of your calories from saturated fat. The aim is to not overdo it. The average adult will need around 120 calories from this source, in a daily diet with 2,000 calories.

If you are an athlete or work in a physically demanding job, your quantity of saturated fat may increase slightly. A nutritionist would be able to advise you on this.

Dishes With Trans Fats

Trans fats increase your risk of developing heart disease. Your diet for health may include substitutes such as popcorn, instead of your preferred chocolate chip cookies. Be cautious about how relatively healthy foods are prepared. Trans fats can be found in your microwave popcorn and in your vegetable pie. 

Trans fats are found in refrigerated biscuit dough, so if you’ve stopped buying fast food and now make your own biscuits or similar products at home, you may still be adding trans fats to your diet. Your vegetable shortening may also contain trans fats. 

Foods That Are High in Added Sugar

Foods that are rich in added sugar can be found in the most unlikely places. Even your local organic sandwich shop could be using a bread that has more sugar than usual. Be discerning about where you eat when dining out, even if the cuisine is generally healthy.

If you suspect that you won’t be able to resist apple pie, chocolate or another treat, source it from a supplier that is committed to using less sugar. Avoid sugar substitutes, since there are some concerns that these may sometimes be harmful. Get your body adjusted to less sugar overall.

Excessive Amounts of Refined Wheat Flour

Foods to avoid with high cholesterol are sometimes found combined with refined flour. It is important to make the distinction between LDL and HDL cholesterol when making your selection of foods.

You may find bad cholesterol in your ingredients and even in baked products that you consider staples, such as rolls.

Some bakers use complex carbohydrates instead with their pastries. These don’t convert to sugar as quickly.

Excessive Amounts of Diuretic Foods

Diuretic foods like cucumbers naturally remove excess water from rge body. If you are already taking a diuretic medication and then go on a weight loss pill that has a diuretic action, you could put yourself at risk if you also increase your intake of diuretic foods.

For example, you could have a green smoothie with cucumbers at breakfast and enjoy milk thistle in a weight loss tea before bed. The combined effect of all the diuretics could cause a serious drop in blood pressure and also negatively affect your kidneys.

Always talk to your doctor before you go on a weight loss plan. If you are on a diuretic, ask about the safety risks of any weight loss pills you plan to use. Speak to a nutritionist about using diuretic foods in moderation.

Raw Foods High In Oxalate

Green smoothies are delicious and provide a lot of vitamins but they should be enjoyed with care. Drinking one for every meal while dieting can cut your calories and you want that. What you don’t want is the accumulation of toxic compounds like oxalates.

There’s a reason why our ancestors learned that it’s better to cook certain vegetables and handed that practice to us. Cooking destroys some of the chemicals that are present in some vegetables, which can cause serious harm in large quantities.

Foods that are high in oxalates can harm people who have had kidney stones in the past. If you are prone to developing kidney stones, your doctor may already have warned you about those foods.

Goitrogenic Foods

If you have thyroid problems, you’re already likely to be aware of the goitrogenic effects of certain foods, like spinach, kale and broccoli. Be careful about what you’re drinking in your smoothies and eating in your low-calorie salads and stir fry dishes. Pay attention to how you feel after a day or week of dieting and don’t dismiss any symptoms that concern you.

By Admin