The Worst Foods and Drinks You Need to Avoid

When it comes to your heart health, you’re probably so tired of analyzing everything going into your body. But, it gets easier with time and even becomes second nature. Adjusting your eating habits may be hard at first, but finding the right foods that fit your lifestyle and taste good will help. Once you realize you feel better, you may even become addicted to a healthier lifestyle. So, while food and drink may not be all you need to maintain a healthy heart, it definitely helps to consider what you’re fueling your body with.

Food and drink provide our body with essentials for healthy cells and organs, but the wrong food and drinks can just cause more trouble for our heart, and bodies. Keep reading for some of the top foods and drinks to avoid.

Processed meat

Processed meats (like hot dogs, bacon, sausage, and deli meats) have added preservatives that increase shelf-life. These processed meats are worst for the heart, because they are salty and have other added nitrates.

Refined carbohydrates

When whole grains are processed, the healthy dietary fiber and minerals are essentially destroyed. Heavy processing destroys the food’s natural structure, which then leads to much higher spikes in blood sugar. Processed foods also typically include added ingredients like trans fats, sugar, and sodium.

Soft drinks

A 12-oz can of soda contains at least ten teaspoons of sugar. Sodas and even fruit juices are high in sugar and empty calories. They increase your chances of gaining weight. Ditch them.

What you can do is make better changes at least some of the time. You can go slow. Nobody says you have to radically change everything today. Consider trying Meatless Mondays, which is a popular way of cutting out meat, for one day a week. Once you get used to restaurants and recipes that don’t have meat, it’s easier to increase the rates of eating meatless. If you’re ready for big changes, consider trying a vegan diet for a while. Cutting out meat and other animal products may be the thing to help you feel even healthier.

If you want to learn more about keeping your heart healthy, we can help. Call us today at (480) 641-5400 to schedule a consultation with one of our physicians.