Common Foods You Should Avoid

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There are a lot of food items commonly found in our supermarkets that are not a good idea to consume. They may be tasty, but they are really unhealthy. Let’s take a look at five such items that we should avoid at any cost.

#1 Sugar

Sugar has many negative effects on your body. The sugar we usually purchase from supermarkets is chemically processed and can lead to a range of chronic ailments such as atherosclerosis, diabetes and nutritional deficiencies.

Alternative: Use honey. Sweet and tasty plus it is healthy. One reason how honey is good for you is that it balances the blood pressure and also increases your red blood cell count. Do note that children younger than a year shouldn’t consume honey.

#2 Milk 

Lactose intolerance isn’t unusual. In fact, most adults are unable to digest milk because the necessary enzymes are lacking in their bodies. And this is simply because they are not meant to be consuming milk. Undigested milk leaves you feel drowsy or lazy, and can be bad for your cholesterol levels as well.

Alternative: Many people consume milk because it is thought to be a good protein source. But the horsegram bean is a much healthier protein source, and is known as the richest vegetarian protein source.

#3 Soda

Soda damages your teeth, your bones and contains loads of sugar too. A number of research studies have shown that having too much soda can lead to cancer, stroke and kidney trouble.

Alternative: Water is the best option to quench your thirst.

 #4 Refined Grains

Grains in nature are basically the seeds of various grasses, and thus come with the germ, which contains the seedling, the endosperm which is the seed’s nutrition source, and the bran which protects the whole package. When grains are put through a refining process, the bran and germ are removed, and only the endosperm remains, which is a poor source of all the nutritional materials we need, namely, vitamins, minerals and fiber. Most of these are in fact found in the bran and germ.

Alternative:  Whole grains are better for consumption, and they carry lower risk of cardiac trouble, and other chronic ailments. Note that multigrain and whole grain aren’t the same. Check the label carefully to ascertain exactly what you are buying.

Ananya Mathur