In this period of festivities,
most people make wrong food choices mostly with the pretext of it been a season
of merry making. The negative health implications of these choices however catch-up
with them later in life, if not immediately.
We will be concise about foods you
should avoid making part of your menu this festive season.
These foods are a regular part of most
menus worldwide in this yuletide.
SODAS
Also referred to as soft
drinks, they come in different flavours (cola, cherry, lemon-lime,
root beer, orange, grape, vanilla, ginger ale, fruit punch, and lemonade).
Examples are; Coca-Cola, Fanta, sprite
and Pepsi.
They are nutritionally useless as they contain no beneficial nutrient components.
Healthenlightenment.com says “Over
the long term, the effects of colas are devastating to the body. Acidity,
sugars, and artificial flavors and sweeteners can shorten your life
significantly”.
Sodas have an approximate pH of 2.5
compared to that of a Car battery and water which are 1 and 7 respectively. Over
150 degenerative diseases are linked to acidity, including cancer, diabetes,
arthritis, heart disease, gall and kidney stones, and many more. All diseases
thrive in an acidic, oxygen-poor environment.
JUST IMAGINE THE DAMAGE : the stomach is the only organ in the human body that is
buffered against acidity but this very acidic soda passes through your mouth
all the way to the small intestines and assimilated into you bloodstream
ultimately.
1 can/bottle contains about 10
teaspoons of sugar, typically in the form of high fructose corn syrup, 150
calories, 30 to 55 mg of caffeine, and is loaded with artificial food colors and
sulphites according to Dr. Mercola.
All these lead to diabetes, obesity,
heart problems, osteoporosis, tooth decay etc. Drinking sodas also decrease
your appetite for much healthier and nutritious foods, mostly leading to
nutrient deficiencies.
CHIPS
They are usually deep-fried with
popular types being corn and potato chips.
Generally most fried foods (depending
on the type of oil used) are not healthy as they contain too much unhealthy
residual fats in them.
Chips contain in high quantities what
is called trans-fats.
Trans-fats are formed when oil goes
through a process called hydrogenation, which hardens the oil. This type of
fat, known as hydrogenated fat, can be used for frying.
Despite the fact that trans-fats enhance
the flavor, texture and shelf-life of all foods used in, it predisposes you to
many negative health conditions.
Chips might be too tasty to resist but
they lead to conditions like heart diseases, diabetes, obesity, hypertension
and more.
Chips are cooked (fried) at high
temperatures which promotes the formation of carcinogenic substances like acrylamide.
Acrylamide is a cancer-causing
(carcinogenic) substance that is formed when foods are cooked at high
temperatures. In short, eating chips promotes the
development of Cancer.
ALCOHOL
Limit your intake of alcohol
as it negatively affects almost every system in the body.
It contains what is referred to as empty-calories which
mean it contains zero beneficial calories and nutrients as whole.
Alcohol might make you feel whatever it
is that you think you feel but you are doing a lot of harm to yourself.
Heavy alcohol drinking can lead
to atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat that predisposes one to
stroke.
Alcohol presents a many problems for
your body's proper functioning, like dehydration and deficiency of minerals and
vitamins. Drinking alcohol, then, weakens your immune system and reduces your
ability to fight-off diseases. Alcohol increases toxins in the body by reducing
your body's efficient expulsion of them.
Below are some of the harmful effects
of alcohol;
1. Improper absorption of
essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals.
2. Malfunctioning liver due to
overload of fatty deposits generated from drinking.
3. Stomach ulcers due to excessive
production of hydrochloric acid.
4. Leaky gut syndrome from
improperly alkalized foods.
5. Hangover due to the dehydration
brought on by excessive drinking.
6. Development of high blood
pressure.
7. Associated with bone diseases.
8. Alcohol-induced liver disease.
9. Make this festive occasion one
of fun and eat healthy. Reduce your intake of fried foods, alcohol and soda.
Stay healthy by making the right choices these holidays.
CONCLUSION
Eat healthy and don't suffer
from your diet choices during any festive occasion.
FOR CONSULTATION
Call Our Nutritionist- +233277279565
This article
was reviewed on Monday, 6th December, 2013 By Nu. Sallah Stanley Kwesi (Nutritionist at Nutritional Talk)
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