Consuming unhealthy foods excessively will not only result in obesity, but can cause all sorts of side effects that we would rather not have – such as hypertension, heart attack, diabetes and stroke. These problems also affect our quality of life and in the worst cases, may even result in an early death.

Here are some of the unhealthy types of foods that should be cut down on and eaten sparingly and in moderation.

Margarine

Margarine is bad for you because it has a large amount of trans-fats. This is an unhealthy type of fat in particular, because it clogs up your arteries and prevents your blood from flowing through your body. As a result of this, you will have a much higher risk of heart attack, stroke and hypertension (high blood pressure).

In fact, studies have proven that consuming margarine can increase heart disease by 53% as compared to eating the same amount of butter. It also lowers the quality of women’s breast milk tremendously.

Butter is actually a better choice than margarine, because it is more heart-healthy, according to recent research.

Studies also show that margarine decreases the immune and insulin response levels.

If you are looking for other healthier alternatives to margarine and butter though, you could try avocado spread and peanut butter, because of their high amount of nutrients and good, unsaturated fats.

Sugary cereals

Sure, cereals such as Cap’n Crunch and Froot Loops are being marketed to children as healthy food, but in actual fact, they are far from healthy. They contain extremely large amounts of sugar and gluten, which is definitely not good for the body. Taking in too much sugar can cause skin inflammation and irritates an acne problem even more.

Instead of the sugary cereals, try to choose cereals that comprise of whole grain and are low in sugar, such as weet-bix and corn flakes.

Soft drinks

Soft drinks are extremely bad for the health and consumption of these should definitely be cut down, because of their high sugar content. In fact, one can of soft drink practically consists of water with 10 teaspoons of sugar inside it. If you don’t consume so much sugar in one go, why should you be consuming it in your drink?

So next time you are feeling thirsty, go for healthy beverages such as plain water, soya milk, low fat milk or fresh fruit juice. These are much more nutritious alternatives to those canned and convenient soft drinks.

Donuts

Ballet donut

We can easily buy donuts everywhere and these sugary morsels are “overtaking” the world by springing up all over the place. Moreover, these are sold a wide variety of beautiful, attractive colours that tempt children especially, to buy one as a mid-morning or afternoon snack.

But don’t be fooled by the colourful appearance of these little treats. Donuts are one of the least healthy foods that you can buy. This is because they have a lot of sugar, and are also stuffed with preservatives and additives so that they can keep longer in the open. But such additives, preservatives and sugars are not good for your health and are best avoided.

So if the sugar cravings hit you next time, don’t buy a donut. Try to go for healthier options, such as fresh fruits.

Soya Sauce

This is an Asian favourite to add flavour to food. But it is also very unhealthy because of the high sodium content. Adding too much soya sauce to your food will make you feel bloated, develop an insatiable thirst and increase your risk of hypertension, which are all problems that you probably don’t want to have.

Instead of soya sauce, a healthier alternative to flavour your food would be herbs and spices, because these are natural flavourings and don’t introduce any harmful, artificial ingredients into your body.

 

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