It’s probably no surprise that the packaged food industry takes some serious shortcuts when it comes to the ingredients in their food.
Rather than deliver complex recipes with layers of flavor from delicious whole foods and herbs, they simply load the products with salt, sugar, and fat.
Yes, it tastes good, and it sure boosts dopamine production in your brain, but these foods are slowly killing your body.
Risks of consuming them regularly include obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and even cancer. Learn more here about the very worst offenders.
1. Canned Tomato Sauce
Spaghetti sauce in a can or jar is a really helpful shortcut in the kitchen, but it is typically loaded with sugar and sodium, not to mention chemical preservatives. It’s too bad, because tomatoes in general come loaded with vitamin C and antioxidants.
Making sauce at home can be a very rewarding experience, and it’s easy to make and can several batches at once. If that’s not your thing, read the labels at the store and experiment with brands that have less of the bad stuff. These efforts could stave off obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and even tooth decay.
2. Sodas
Many folks rely on soda for an energy boost when they are flagging – the combination of sugar and caffeine sure can open your eyes, but only for a short while before the inevitable crash.
Sodas also contain a lot of food dyes and preservatives that are known to affect your hormones. Unfortunately, diet sodas are no better because they rely on chemical sweeteners, the safety of which is questionable.
Plus, the empty calories in soda don’t make you feel full, so you are likely to overeat later. It’s better to get your caffeine from sources like coffee and tea, which also offer other health benefits. Sparkling water flavored with homemade fruit juice is a good alternative if it’s the bubbles you crave.
3. Deli Meats
Deli meat and processed meat of any kind (especially hot dogs) are dangerous because of the way they are preserved.
Nitrates, sodium, and chemical additives help them to last longer and provide a pleasing color, but are no good for your body.
Risks include cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and even behavioral problems and learning difficulties in children. It’s best to limit the amount of meat in our diets overall, and to buy what we do eat from the local butcher instead of a supermarket.
4. Vegetable Oil
You would think that vegetable oil is healthy based on its source, but once again, it is the processing that makes it dangerous. Oil cannot be extracted naturally from vegetables, but instead goes through a process that hydrogenates the end product.
Hydrogenated oils contain trans fats that can lead to cardiovascular disease, obesity, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. Vegetable oil is in all kinds of baked goods and packaged foods, so limiting these will automatically help reduce your intake. Better choices to use at home include olive, avocado, and coconut oils.
5. Margarine
Margarine was a product originally developed as a healthier alternative to butter, but in reality it is the exact opposite. Made with hydrogenated vegetable oils, it is basically pure trans fats that will damage your heart and blood vessels, as well as raise your cholesterol levels.
Real butter in moderation is actually the better choice between the two. We recommend using olive or avocado oil as a substitute wherever possible, though. It can be flavored with garlic and/or herbs to create a really pleasing taste in dishes or spread on whole grain bread.
6. Potato Chips
Foods that are cooked to a high temperature, as in the case of frying, contain a carcinogenic substance called acrylamide. Acrylamide is known to increase your risk of cancers of the colon, breast, prostate, and rectum.
Potato chips contain this deadly substance plus way more salt and fat than you ever need in a day, not to mention artificial colorings and preservatives. Oven baked potato fries, made with olive oil, herbs, and a pinch of salt, are a delicious alternative.
7. Bottled Salad Bressings
Commercial salad dressings seem harmless enough, but they are packed with high fructose corn syrup. Excess fructose does a number on the liver, which is forced to process it before it can be used as fuel for cells.
When too much hits at once, a lot of it gets turned to fat. Salad dressings also rely on a lot of chemical colorants to keep the product looking appealing, including titanium dioxide, a chief ingredient in sunscreen. Luckily, salad dressings are really easy to make at home.
8. Artificial Sweeteners
Though artificial sweeteners do contain fewer calories than sugar, they are no better for your body.
The safety of chemical sweeteners like aspartame, neotame, and acesulfame potassium are hotly contested and, like sugar, are known to up your risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and metabolic syndrome.
There are much better alternatives to both sugar and artificial sweeteners, including honey, maple syrup, and agave syrup.
9. Alcohol
Another product about which there is much debate is alcohol. Experts agree that drinking to excess is dangerous. Not only is alcohol pretty high in empty calories, but overuse can lead to dehydration, weight gain, depression, skin problems, and liver damage.
Plenty of harm has come to people due to accidents and poor choices while under the influence, too. The argument for the benefits of drinking a moderate amount of alcohol seem to center around red wine, which contains a heart-healthy antioxidant called resveratrol.
However, red grapes also contain resveratrol, so you needn’t drink alcohol to get it.
10. White Bread
Whole grains are critical for optimum health, but refined white grains have been stripped of all nutritional value. The processing lays waste to the grain’s natural fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and then it is further blasted with chlorine gas to achieve that nice white color.
Products made with the stuff, most notably white bread, simply spike your blood sugar and can cause weight gain plus thyroid and organ damage. Diabetes is also possible if you live in a state of chronic high blood sugar.
11. Dairy
We all start life relying on our mother’s milk or a dairy-based formula, but as we grow, our need for it declines. Some people develop lactose intolerance as they age, but even if you can drink milk and eat cheese without discomfort, it is really not a necessary component in an adult’s diet.
Dairy products have been linked with migraines, low nutrient absorption, arthritis, allergies, asthma, and even cancer.
While it can be tough to eliminate all dairy, you can make a positive difference by switching to coconut or almond milk for your cereal, skipping out on condiments you really don’t need like sour cream, and scaling back on the amount of cheese that goes into your dishes.
12. Breakfast Cereal
Breakfast cereals benefit from powerful marketing techniques, especially aimed at children. And of course kids love them because they are positively brimming with sugar.
Add to that the refined grains, artificial coloring, and chemical preservatives, and there is little nutritional value there, even if the box declares it is “fortified.” Regular old oatmeal sprinkled with nuts, dried fruit, or honey can be much more filling and keep you going strong until lunch as well.
13. Fast Food
Fast food is so convenient: in the morning when you’re late for work, at lunch when you only have a few minutes, or for dinner when you’re already exhausted. But consider that it may actually be the fast food that is making you too tired to handle home cooking.
Loaded with trans fats, sugar, salt, preservatives, additives, dyes, and other chemicals, there is little that’s redeeming about it. Too much can greatly increase your risk of diabetes, weight gain, cardiovascular disease, mood disorders, metabolic disorders, and cancer.
We understand that it’s a hard habit to break, though. Check out some copycat recipes for your favorite fast food treats that can be made at home – you’ll have much better control and awareness of the ingredients used.
14. Microwave Popcorn
Movie nights can be a cherished family tradition, and nothing goes better with a movie than popcorn. In its natural form, popcorn is actually a pretty healthy snack. But microwave popcorn is a cancer-causing disaster because the bags are often lined with a chemical called PFOA, which leaches into the popcorn as it cooks.
Popcorns that use diacetyl in their “butter” flavoring also put consumers at risk. Though most manufacturers have removed diacetyl from their products, some advocates complain that the ingredient used to replace it is basically the same thing under a different name.
Instead, enjoy your popcorn air popped and dressed with olive or avocado oil that’s been flavored with your favorite herbs and spices.
There’s no getting around the fact that most packaged food is an all-out assault on human wellness. It’s quick, convenient, and inexpensive, but really not worth the price when you factor in the health care costs. The more you are able to focus on whole organic foods, sourced from local responsible providers, the better off you will be.
Rather than deliver complex recipes with layers of flavor from delicious whole foods and herbs, they simply load the products with salt, sugar, and fat.
Yes, it tastes good, and it sure boosts dopamine production in your brain, but these foods are slowly killing your body.
Risks of consuming them regularly include obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and even cancer. Learn more here about the very worst offenders.
1. Canned Tomato Sauce
Spaghetti sauce in a can or jar is a really helpful shortcut in the kitchen, but it is typically loaded with sugar and sodium, not to mention chemical preservatives. It’s too bad, because tomatoes in general come loaded with vitamin C and antioxidants.
Making sauce at home can be a very rewarding experience, and it’s easy to make and can several batches at once. If that’s not your thing, read the labels at the store and experiment with brands that have less of the bad stuff. These efforts could stave off obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and even tooth decay.
2. Sodas
Many folks rely on soda for an energy boost when they are flagging – the combination of sugar and caffeine sure can open your eyes, but only for a short while before the inevitable crash.
Sodas also contain a lot of food dyes and preservatives that are known to affect your hormones. Unfortunately, diet sodas are no better because they rely on chemical sweeteners, the safety of which is questionable.
Plus, the empty calories in soda don’t make you feel full, so you are likely to overeat later. It’s better to get your caffeine from sources like coffee and tea, which also offer other health benefits. Sparkling water flavored with homemade fruit juice is a good alternative if it’s the bubbles you crave.
3. Deli Meats
Deli meat and processed meat of any kind (especially hot dogs) are dangerous because of the way they are preserved.
Nitrates, sodium, and chemical additives help them to last longer and provide a pleasing color, but are no good for your body.
Risks include cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and even behavioral problems and learning difficulties in children. It’s best to limit the amount of meat in our diets overall, and to buy what we do eat from the local butcher instead of a supermarket.
4. Vegetable Oil
You would think that vegetable oil is healthy based on its source, but once again, it is the processing that makes it dangerous. Oil cannot be extracted naturally from vegetables, but instead goes through a process that hydrogenates the end product.
Hydrogenated oils contain trans fats that can lead to cardiovascular disease, obesity, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. Vegetable oil is in all kinds of baked goods and packaged foods, so limiting these will automatically help reduce your intake. Better choices to use at home include olive, avocado, and coconut oils.
5. Margarine
Margarine was a product originally developed as a healthier alternative to butter, but in reality it is the exact opposite. Made with hydrogenated vegetable oils, it is basically pure trans fats that will damage your heart and blood vessels, as well as raise your cholesterol levels.
Real butter in moderation is actually the better choice between the two. We recommend using olive or avocado oil as a substitute wherever possible, though. It can be flavored with garlic and/or herbs to create a really pleasing taste in dishes or spread on whole grain bread.
6. Potato Chips
Foods that are cooked to a high temperature, as in the case of frying, contain a carcinogenic substance called acrylamide. Acrylamide is known to increase your risk of cancers of the colon, breast, prostate, and rectum.
Potato chips contain this deadly substance plus way more salt and fat than you ever need in a day, not to mention artificial colorings and preservatives. Oven baked potato fries, made with olive oil, herbs, and a pinch of salt, are a delicious alternative.
7. Bottled Salad Bressings
Commercial salad dressings seem harmless enough, but they are packed with high fructose corn syrup. Excess fructose does a number on the liver, which is forced to process it before it can be used as fuel for cells.
When too much hits at once, a lot of it gets turned to fat. Salad dressings also rely on a lot of chemical colorants to keep the product looking appealing, including titanium dioxide, a chief ingredient in sunscreen. Luckily, salad dressings are really easy to make at home.
8. Artificial Sweeteners
Though artificial sweeteners do contain fewer calories than sugar, they are no better for your body.
The safety of chemical sweeteners like aspartame, neotame, and acesulfame potassium are hotly contested and, like sugar, are known to up your risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and metabolic syndrome.
There are much better alternatives to both sugar and artificial sweeteners, including honey, maple syrup, and agave syrup.
9. Alcohol
Another product about which there is much debate is alcohol. Experts agree that drinking to excess is dangerous. Not only is alcohol pretty high in empty calories, but overuse can lead to dehydration, weight gain, depression, skin problems, and liver damage.
Plenty of harm has come to people due to accidents and poor choices while under the influence, too. The argument for the benefits of drinking a moderate amount of alcohol seem to center around red wine, which contains a heart-healthy antioxidant called resveratrol.
However, red grapes also contain resveratrol, so you needn’t drink alcohol to get it.
10. White Bread
Whole grains are critical for optimum health, but refined white grains have been stripped of all nutritional value. The processing lays waste to the grain’s natural fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and then it is further blasted with chlorine gas to achieve that nice white color.
Products made with the stuff, most notably white bread, simply spike your blood sugar and can cause weight gain plus thyroid and organ damage. Diabetes is also possible if you live in a state of chronic high blood sugar.
11. Dairy
We all start life relying on our mother’s milk or a dairy-based formula, but as we grow, our need for it declines. Some people develop lactose intolerance as they age, but even if you can drink milk and eat cheese without discomfort, it is really not a necessary component in an adult’s diet.
Dairy products have been linked with migraines, low nutrient absorption, arthritis, allergies, asthma, and even cancer.
While it can be tough to eliminate all dairy, you can make a positive difference by switching to coconut or almond milk for your cereal, skipping out on condiments you really don’t need like sour cream, and scaling back on the amount of cheese that goes into your dishes.
12. Breakfast Cereal
Breakfast cereals benefit from powerful marketing techniques, especially aimed at children. And of course kids love them because they are positively brimming with sugar.
Add to that the refined grains, artificial coloring, and chemical preservatives, and there is little nutritional value there, even if the box declares it is “fortified.” Regular old oatmeal sprinkled with nuts, dried fruit, or honey can be much more filling and keep you going strong until lunch as well.
13. Fast Food
Fast food is so convenient: in the morning when you’re late for work, at lunch when you only have a few minutes, or for dinner when you’re already exhausted. But consider that it may actually be the fast food that is making you too tired to handle home cooking.
Loaded with trans fats, sugar, salt, preservatives, additives, dyes, and other chemicals, there is little that’s redeeming about it. Too much can greatly increase your risk of diabetes, weight gain, cardiovascular disease, mood disorders, metabolic disorders, and cancer.
We understand that it’s a hard habit to break, though. Check out some copycat recipes for your favorite fast food treats that can be made at home – you’ll have much better control and awareness of the ingredients used.
14. Microwave Popcorn
Movie nights can be a cherished family tradition, and nothing goes better with a movie than popcorn. In its natural form, popcorn is actually a pretty healthy snack. But microwave popcorn is a cancer-causing disaster because the bags are often lined with a chemical called PFOA, which leaches into the popcorn as it cooks.
Popcorns that use diacetyl in their “butter” flavoring also put consumers at risk. Though most manufacturers have removed diacetyl from their products, some advocates complain that the ingredient used to replace it is basically the same thing under a different name.
Instead, enjoy your popcorn air popped and dressed with olive or avocado oil that’s been flavored with your favorite herbs and spices.
There’s no getting around the fact that most packaged food is an all-out assault on human wellness. It’s quick, convenient, and inexpensive, but really not worth the price when you factor in the health care costs. The more you are able to focus on whole organic foods, sourced from local responsible providers, the better off you will be.