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Humans are designed to eat. Our bodies and brains demand a certain level of nutrition on a consistent basis to convert into energy along with building, repairing and maintaining necessary body functions. While we know there are certain foods better equipped to doing these things in the human body, the information available to consumers is confusing and often misconstrued by food politics making it difficult for consumers to understand what is good for them and what is not.
Although I regularly share recipes and my own meals, I wanted to share with you today 10 Foods I Never Eat to give you some insight into my personal food choices and reasons for avoiding certain foods. As you will see, some of the 10 Foods I Never Eat are due to dietary restrictions and health concerns while others are a personal preference.
Red Meat
I stopped eating red meat 15 years ago. At one point in my 20's I realized red meat grossed me out and I was only eating it because that's what I knew growing up. Since I stopped eating it, I haven't missed it ever once. Even now, I get the willies when I look at red meat. I still eat chicken, turkey and fish, but there are times I could easily go completely vegetarian. My WIAW posts have made me realize how much I do gravitate in that direction.
Ketchup
I haven't eaten conventional ketchup in more years than I have two hands to count on. After discovering how very bad it is for you, I completely eliminated it. Conventional ketchup is not tomatoes like we all are led to believe. It's high fructose corn syrup (<- not corn by the way) and MSG. It's basically cancer in a jar. You can make your own ketchup and I have seen some all natural varieties but honestly, I prefer putting homemade blender salsa on everything instead.
Mayo
Never in my life have I eaten mayo. It's another food that really grosses me out. That's good too because the ingredients in conventional mayo are usually some concoction of GMO soybean oil which is one of the most harmful oils you can eat as well as high fructose corn syrup. Another example of a carcinogenic in a jar.
Soda
I gave up soda when I lost 80 pounds. I went cold turkey and never looked back. Soda has come a long way in terms of ingredients, but as far as I'm concerned it's just another chemically altered product that doesn't belong in our bodies and it's loaded with sugar or sugar alternatives. I already have enough weird stuff going on with my body. My caffeine of choice is coffee and green tea and that's all I need.
Butter & Margarine
I have nothing against butter except for the fact that every single relative on both sides of my family including both my parents have cardiovascular disease. It runs rampant in my family history and I'm hoping to reverse that trend by eating heart healthy foods like extra virgin olive oil, seeds, nuts and including a wide variety of leafy greens, produce and fiber in my diet. This is why you never see butter in any of my recipes.
Pasta
I stopped eating pasta as well during my weight loss. I found the calories far outweighed what I could get by eating other foods. For example, I could eat an entire vegetable garden vs. a measly half cup of pasta that left me hungry an hour later. Pasta also made me feel lethargic. There's never a day when I think to myself "man I really want a bowl of pasta." There's so many other foods I love that don't make me feel like a beached whale so I stick to what makes me feel good.
Powdered Coffee Creamer
Something I regret terribly from my weight loss is eating a lot of low fat food alternatives like powdered coffee creamer. The truth is many low fat foods simply have the fat replaced with a sugar which in my book is worst than eating full fat foods responsibly. Powdered coffee creamer is an example of what I consider to be a highly toxic chemical. It's hydrogenated oil in solid form and is highly flammable. I don't care what the calories are, why would I put something flammable in my body? I might as well drink the gas that I put in my car.
Fast Food
I don't remember the last time I ate at a McDonald's, Wendy's or Carl's Junior, etc. I imagine if and when I did, I would have been a salad without meat. If you've ever seen the movie Fast Food Nation, then you know why. The food in fast food is irresponsibly handled, the animals are usually treated improperly and sometimes the food isn't even real. It's also full of saturated fat, high in sodium, made with chemicals and just plain gross. Hence why I make a lot of my own food!
Sugar Free Candy
Sugar free candy is another food I ate during my weight loss that I wish I wouldn't have. Sugar free candy is made with artificial flavors and sweeteners. Both have been linked to cancer in animal studies, but the jury is out on humans. As far as I'm concerned, if it hurts an animal why wouldn't it hurt a human? Just my two cents.
Artificial sweeteners also cause digestive issues which I certainly don't need any more of. The main problem I've noticed with sugar free products is their ability to alter your cravings. Overtime I crave more and more of them then I begin eating more. So I'm not really saving calories because I'm eating more of something that's been chemically altered to make my brain crave it. Once I caught on to this cycle, I stopped eating it and now I stick to dark chocolate which actually has been shown to be heart healthy in small amounts.
Corn
I really miss corn on the cob! I stopped eating corn years ago after learning how modern science has messed with its genetics. Almost all corn has been genetically modified to either produce its own pesticides or withstand very heavy pesticides. Corn is basically like eating a pesticide with kernels. With all my hormone and food intolerance issues (which are often an inflammatory response to ingesting chemicals from foods) I chose to avoid eating it. That avoidance is difficult because many products are made with some derivative of corn. If I can find organic corn, I will eat it but it's not often that I see it.
References: 5 Toxic Chemicals To Avoid, Do You Know What's In Your Non Dairy Creamer?, 10 Foods You Should Never Eat, Pros And Cons Of Sugar Free Candy
What is stated in this post about 10 Foods I Never Eat are my opinions and experiences based on my individual research and understanding. While I am a student of holistic nutrition, I am not yet board certified. Check with your doctor, registered dietician or holistic nutritionist about specific questions you have.
What foods do you chose to avoid and why?
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Aika says
I stopped eating most of these foods too after I switched to a more healthy diet last year. I don't eat ketchup as well, not because I know it's bad for me but just because I don't like the taste of it.
Bella Hardy says
I sometimes allow myself soda or quality whole wheat pasta. Actually whole list you can eat sometiems without fear.
Megan says
I wouldn't say without fear. It's really a person choice. This is what works for me and my health and many of my readers want to know that.
Julia Kruz says
Most dangerous in this list are mayo and margarine! Btw I have no claims against pasta and butter. If you eat quality butter 30 grams per day is nothing bad for health. Pasta of superior quality not bad too. Thx for sharing!
Edgar says
But, I really love to eat ketchup and corn, I have heard from some experts that organic corn is good for health.Thanks for sharing this post.
WeightBenchGuide says
Thanks,Megan..! for sharing this informative post.
I already stop eating 8 of the 10 items which you are posted. But still, I'm eating Fast Food and Soda. Because I love it very much. I will try to avoid this all food because of my weight loss.
Andy Atari says
I stopped eating red meat a few months back, but still allow chicken and fish into my diet. Where I live we don’t have a lot of turkey so… That said, I still eat pasta, corn, and butter, although I’m taking steps to minimize the damage by buying whole-wheat pasta and limiting the corn on the cob to about once every month or so. So far so good. I’m feeling much more energetic and “lighter” without pork and beef, and I’m really enjoying making my own mayo (still have ketchup but in limited amounts). I think it’s very largely about being in tune with what feels good to your body, and making small steps to further improve as you go. PS: No soda, fastfood, powdered creamer, and sugar-free stuff for me either. 😉
Megan says
Good for you! You know how far you've come and what you need to work on. Small steps add up and lead to more changes over time. Keep up the AWESOME work!