5 Foods You Should Never Eat

Thursday, August 28, 2008
5 Foods You Should Never Eat
Five Foods You Should Never Eat
by Leanne Ely, C.N.C.

In a world where the list is king, doesn't it make sense to know what not
to eat in addition to what you should eat?

That's how I look at it and you know how much I love me a good list! The
foods you should never eat are deserving of their own list too, doncha
think? But I've done one better on this particular list. While I've named
the culprit in disturbing your peace (health and weight), I've also named
the hero in restoring your well-being (begin applause now).

Let's get right to business then and get rolling with this list. If you
stick with me, you'll know how to dodge these negative nutritional bullets
and make better choices at the grocery store and when dining out.

Culprit #1:
Deep Fried Anything. Sorry, but if you order deep fried, make deep fried
or even use the words deep fried, you might as well look for a
cardiologist at the same time. Deep frying is positively the worst
possible choice for having anything prepared. And don't let the words,
"lightly fried" fool you either, as in tempura! It's all wickedness!

Hero #1:
Sauteed for Flavor. This cooking technique uses minimal oil (preferably
olive oil) and gives your food the flavor and complexity you're looking
for. I sauté my green beans after steaming them in olive oil (not virgin,
that's too fine an oil for heat), a lot of fresh garlic, a little sea salt
and a liberal grinding of fresh pepper. Unbelievable taste with very
little fat and no bad fat, either.

Culprit #2:
White Bread. Thud. Did you hear that? That's the sound of white bread
landing in your gullet. It's squishy, gooey and gluey and it's adhering to
the sides of your intestines, do you feel it? Blech. Considering the
negative nutrition associated with denatured flour, why would anyone make
that choice in this enlightened century? Lose the white bread already!

Hero #2:
Sprouted Wheat Bread. Okay, check this out. When you sprout grain, then
make it into bread, not only is a lot easier on your digestion, it's
packed full of nutrients traditional bread doesn't have! Consider this
nugget: your body looks at sprouted grain as veggies, not starch! That's
good news if your thighs sprout inches just by eating a sandwich with two
pieces of bread!

Culprit #3:
Shortening and/or Margarine. Solidified fats get that way through a
process called hydrogenation, which in turn, makes a multitude of sins
called trans fats. Yes, we've all heard how bad trans fats are, right?
Well, not only does margarine lower your HDL (good cholesterol) it also
raises the bad (LDL). Ixnay all the way on margarine (and it's evil twin
shortening…which is essentially unflavored margarine).

Hero #3:
Butter. Hallelujah and pass the butter already! Butter, though a definite
saturated fat, will raise your good cholesterol unlike margarine. Just use
it very moderately. Try Better Butter: half unsalted butter and half extra
virgin olive oil whipped together and kept in the fridge in a covered
dish. Just like soft spread margarine only 300 times better!

Culprit #4:
White Rice. Oh. My. Gosh. Are you really still eating white rice? This
depiction of a grain is full of nothingness. The fiber is missing, the B
vitamins are virtually unheard of and the glycemic load will take you one
step closer to Type 2 Diabetes, if that's your go-to carb! Dismiss this!

Hero #4:
Brown Rice. With three times the amount of fiber, more B vitamins as well
as other nutrients, the carb load on brown rice is much easier on your
body and a smaller amount will satiate, too. What's not to love about
that, especially if you're trying to lose a few pounds?

Culprit #5:
White Sugar. To quote Gomer Pyle, "Surprise, surprise, surprise." I bet
you knew sugar would be on the list, didn't you? How can it not. Did you
know that consuming white sugar will actually stun your white blood cells
from doing their important health preserving work? Yes, sugar impacts your
immune system! It doesn't just eat your teeth and add to your belly fat,
it disrupts immune function. Repent from your sugar eating ways and return
to the healthy fold!

Hero #5:
Dark Chocolate and Fruit. You thought I was going to list alternative or
artificial sweeteners, didn't you? Studies have shown that people who
consume diet drinks tend to gain weight doing so. Why is this? The
hypothesis is you can't fool your body like you think—if it tastes sweet,
your body may still react to it and gain weight. Stinks, doesn't it? But
we need to LOSE our sweet teeth, people! That's the problem, not finding
the golden panacea that tastes just like sugar. If you want something
sweet, have some fruit and an ounce of very dark chocolate (FULL of
phytonutrients, yay!) Once you get over your addiction to sugar, this
decadent treat (a bowl of fresh raspberries with melted dark chocolate
drizzled over the top) will knock you flat. You'll happily say no to
donuts!

That's it, y'all! If you want recipes, go to www.savingdinner.

com and help
yourself to all we have to offer.
posted with permission