These foods and drinks can hinder weight loss
Thanks to the body positivity-movement we’re (finally!) learning to love our bodies as they are. Self-love is extremely important, but we shouldn’t lose sight of our health. Do you want to lose weight in order to improve your overall health? Stay away from the following foods and drinks.
Margarine
Margarine is something to avoid – or at least not eat too much of – because this butter alternative is full of trans fats. Trans fatty acids are not good for the blood vessels and it increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, your body does need fats to function properly, so it is wise to choose healthy fats such as olive oil.
Soda
We all know that soda isn’t healthy, but especially if you’re trying to lose weight, don’t touch the stuff. If your body gets too much of certain types of sugars, like fructose, then the liver turns this into glucose. Once your body has met its glucose limit, it turns the rest of your sugar intake into fat.
White bread
Do you see the color of bread only as it is, a color? Then it’s time to change that. White bread contains relatively few fibers which are vital for digestion. Wheat bread on the other hand contains many of these fibers. Fibers also keep you feeling full longer. Win-win situation!
Fruit juice
Even if a juice is 100% fruit juice, it’s still not necessarily healthy. Fruit juices contain a lot of sugar and even if it comes from healthy food, your body still just sees it as sugar. So, it is saved as such. Moreover, fruit juices don’t get healthier in factories. The juice is often stored in oxygen tanks to preserve the flavor, but during this process the juice loses its healthy properties.
Breakfast grains
It’s so easy to pour cornflakes in a bowl with milk, but it’s not healthy. Most breakfast grains are full of sugars and sweeteners that your body can’t easily digest. Want an easy breakfast? Opt for oatmeal.
Salt
Have you been served a dish and the taste is too bland? Then we quickly reach for the salt. It’s just not very healthy. If you consume too much salt, you can develop blood pressure problems, which in turn can lead to cardiovascular disease. In addition, your body retains a lot more moisture and you can see that when you step on the scale.
Fat-free products
Consuming too much fat creates problems but so does consuming too little. Your body needs fat to function. A zero-fat yoghurt is therefore not always better than one with fat. The fats are often replaced by sugar which is also not good. You’ll recognize healthy fats on nutrition labels under the name of “unsaturated fats”. The bad fats are labeled as saturated and trans fats.
Cheese
Cheese can be both healthy and unhealthy. Choose your cheese carefully. Fatty cheeses contain a lot of calories and that builds up quickly. It’s easy to find cheeses in the grocery store that don’t contain as many calories, like 30+ cheeses.
Alcohol
While a nice drink can taste so good, it’s better to not drink alcohol. Alcohol often contains lots of carbohydrates and sugars. Just a few glasses of wine or beer is more than 300 calories with no nutrional value.
