1)
Farm raised fish. Farm raised fish are often raised in terrible environments with little space to move around and are also fed diets that are completely different than anything a wild fish would eat. These packed living conditions makes them more susceptible to disease so the fish are given high doses of antibiotics to combat sicknesses. Farm raised fish are given more antibiotics per weight than any other farm raised animal. Farm raised fish are also fed unnatural diets of corn or pellets (made of chicken feces, corn meal, fish oils, and fish parts laden with mercury); as a result farm raised fish have on average seven times as much heavy metal and mercury contamination as their wild counterparts and far less of the beneficial omega 3 fatty acids. Farm raised fish (salmon) are also fed artificial dyes to give them their brilliant pink color, because of the poor diet these fish are fed their flesh is often a dull grey color and they are fed dyes to make their skin look healthy.
2)
Corn fed beef (hamburgers). Corn fed beef shares some of the same problems as farm raised fish. A diet of corn is not natural for a cow and this causes a host of problems. For one, corn fed cows are often fed corn to make it cheaper and more efficient to raise a cow. Imagine if you sat around all day and ate nothing but cornbread you would get fat pretty fast, especially if you were used to eating nothing but spinach. Since these cows don't need open pasture to graze for grass they can be kept on less land, which means the same overcrowding and disease problems as farm raised fish experience, which leads to... you guessed it, more antibiotics! Corn is not a regular part of a cows diet so it can affect the cows digestive system and allow it to harbor ecoli, since these cows are full of antibiotics to keep them from getting sick the ecoli becomes resistant to antibiotics, and this leads to some of the major outbreaks of ecoli we have heard about in the news over the last couple of years. Corn fed beef is also: lower in omega 3 fatty acids, usually washed with bleach to kill microscopic organisms, lower in many vitamins and nutrients, higher in saturated fat, and often fed chicken feces and litter mixed with corn meal.
These are not healthy cows, welcome to factory farming 101.
3)
Non organic dairy. Non organic dairy products can be full of all kinds of things you wouldn't want in your body; this is along the same lines as the corn fed beef above. Non organic cows are pumped full of antibiotics, live in cramped quarters, are full of disease, eat unnatural diets affecting nutrient content of dairy, and also are pumped full of growth hormones to increase milk production. When I was in nursing school we learned that almost anything a mother eats or puts in her body can and will be passed on to her baby through breast milk. If you are drinking milk from a sick, poorly nourished, antibiotic injected animal, you WILL receive all of those things through the milk. Non organic cows also are usually fed corn and grains which are GMO or non organic, leading to contamination of the milk with any pesticides or fertilizers that bio accumulate in the cow.
4)
Refined sugars. Refined sugars and especially those that are not grown and processed organically can be linked to many health problems. Some scientists and nutritionists actually believe that sugar acts as a poison in body destroying the liver. Sugar consumption has been directly linked to: obesity, type two diabetes, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, and dental carries. While unrefined organic cane sugar contains some nutrients the white table sugar we often find sitting on the kitchen counter is nearly devoid of all nutrients. If you must have sweets try your best to buy organic ones or make your own with organic ingredients.
5)
Artificial sweeteners. The use of artificial sweeteners in food is highly controversial. Studies have shown relationships with artificial sweeteners to contribute to: various cancers, rebound hypoglycemia, neurological disorders, and migraine headaches. Though the FDA has currently banned only one artificial sweetener, (cyclamate), many people believe that others such as aspartame and acesulfame potassium should be removed from shelves as well. The bottom line is this, artificial sweeteners are artificial, they are chemicals made in a laboratory and if it was made in a laboratory then it was never part of nature's plan for us to consume it. Artificial sweeteners may provide a sweet taste with zero calories, but hey, I have heard that antifreeze tastes sweet too and you won't find me putting that in my tea in the morning.
6)
Soda. Soda is a very poignant evil in our world today. That's right, despite all the jobs cola companies have provided, I truly believe there is absolutely ZERO benefit to consuming cola and that by doing so you are voluntarily consuming a poison and toxic substance. For starters, there is a strong link between osteoporosis and cola consumption; this is why we live in a country where we have the highest calcium consumption in the world, yet we have also the highest rate of osteoporosis. Colas are extremely acidic in nature, so acidic in nature, that your body must release alkaline minerals into the blood stream to maintain your PH balance. Guess the main alkaline minerals in your body... calcium and magnesium,and these minerals are the main components of bone. Now you can see how drinking 2 or 3 sodas per day can cause broken bones. Soda is basically liquid sugar so everything I stated above about the harmful effects of sugar applies to cola as well. If you value your: bones, teeth, liver, pancreas, or your shape, you should avoid soda at all costs.
7).
Potato chips. Potato chips are almost totally devoid of any nutrients while being loaded with fat and carbohydrates. One serving of chips (11-18 chips) can pack a whopping 150 calories. 11 chips is not even going to put a chip in your hunger and the starch content of the chips will spike your insulin levels leading you to crave more and store it all as fat. Chips are also usually highly processed with dyes and chemicals, loaded with salt, seasoned with MSG (monsodium glutamte), and fried at ultra high temperatures in hydrogenated oils which contribute to heart disease. Although there are some healthier options out there, you would do best to leave this american snack on the shelf.
8).
White bread. There are quite a few reasons that white bread is much more unhealthy than it's darker cousin whole wheat. Wheat consists of three parts: the bran (husk), endosperm (starch), and the germ (embryo). White bread removes the bran which provides most of the fiber of wheat and also removes the germ which provides most wheat's nutrients and leaves only the endosperm which is basically pure starch and empty calories. To top it all of the refined endosperm is then bleached with chemical agents and dried at extremely high temperatures destroying any nutrient value that may have been present in the flour before. Most flour also has added gluten which is becoming more and more known as being a strong allergen in people's diets. Before baking, sugar or high fructose corn syrup is then added to feed the yeast that allows the bread to rise and become fluffy. White bread is highly refined, processed with chemical bleaching agents, empty of any nutritional value, impacts blood sugar negatively, raises cholesterol, and high consumption can be linked with increased belly fat and colon cancer.
If you eat any of these foods on a daily or weekly basis you may want to reconsider your food choices. Eating any of these foods can contribute to an array of health problems later on in life.
Thank you to all my readers and as always, make sure to add me on facebook or like my articles if you enjoy the content I cover.
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