Burn Fat To Build Muscle. After all, we are human, and we all like a “cheat meal” or overeating from time to time.
In terms of fat and calories, some of the best-tasting foods are also some of the worst.
But don’t be concerned!
You don’t have to live like Tom Hanks in Castaway to be happy.
There are many of foods that taste great and aren’t harmful to your health.
It’s all about understanding why certain foods are unhealthy for you so you can make better decisions on a daily basis.
As a result, here are some nutritional landmines to be aware of and avoid.
Burn Fat To Build Muscle Food To Avoid – Trans Fat
According to a new study published in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease, 84 percent of packaged foods with a Nutrition Facts label that stated “0 grammes trans-fat” nevertheless included partially hydrogenated oil (the main dietary source of trans-fat).
Companies can “round down” fewer than 0.5 grammes of trans-fat per serving to zero under current laws.
What’s the good news?
According to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the quantity of trans-fat we consume has decreased over the last 30 years.
Trans-fat consumption is down 32 percent for males and 35 percent for women since 1980.
Even now, trans-fat accounts for 1.9 percent of men’s daily calories and 1.7 percent of women’s daily calories.
(Trans-fats should account for no more than 1% of total calories consumed, according to the American Heart Association.)
Even a few daily grammes of these fats raise bad cholesterol, lower good cholesterol, and clog arteries, according to Harvard researchers. Trans-fats are thought to be responsible for up to 228,000 cases of heart disease and 50,000 deaths each year.
Allowing foods with 0.5 gramme or less to proclaim themselves trans-fat free is a serious problem, given that 2 grammes is the maximum amount you should consume in a day.
Trans-fat-containing foods should be avoided at all costs.
Burn Fat To Build Muscle Food To Avoid – Nondairy Coffee Creamer
Because customers use more than a teaspoon of trans-fat each cup (and the average American coffee drinker consumes three cups of coffee per day), half a gramme of trans-fat in creamer can soon add up.
Partially hydrogenated oils are mentioned as the second or third ingredient on many “0 trans-fat” labels.
Burn Fat To Build Muscle Food To Avoid – Peanut Butter
Check the label because some businesses use partially hydrogenated oils to ensure an extended shelf life and creamy texture.
To be safe, go for the natural type; while it’s chunkier, it’s also healthier, as it’s typically produced with simply salt and peanuts, rather than trans-fat-laden oils.
Burn Fat To Build Muscle Food To Avoid – Frozen Pizza
Many frozen pizzas have trans-fat in the dough, with roughly 0.3 grammes in just one slice.
Katie Simpson, a mother of two from San Diego, sued Nestle for $5 million last year over the usage of trans-fat in DiGiorno, Stouffer’s, and California Pizza Kitchen frozen pizzas.
(Because she intentionally purchased and eaten the pizza, the lawsuit was dismissed.)
Is there a solution?
Make your own pie in the comfort of your own home.
Burn Fat To Build Muscle Food To Avoid – Popcorn
Microwaveable popcorn is a Friday night movie classic, but it puts the spotlight on trans-fats.
Toppings are the real culprits:
Butter flavouring can have up to 1.5 grammes of trans-fat per serving, whereas caramel flavouring can have up to 0.5 grammes.
Some extra-buttery kinds can contain up to 15 grammes of trans-fat per bag, making it all too easy to gulp all at once.
“Stay clear from microwave popcorn,” Napoli advises.
“Just use some actual oil to pop the kernels in or do the old-fashioned air pop.”
Burn Fat To Build Muscle Food To Avoid – Packaged Cookies
Despite their “trans-fat free” claim, even the beloved Girl Scout Cookies contain some trans-fat.
You might be able to justify those because they only happen a few times a year, but check to see if your favourite store-bought cookies are made with partially hydrogenated cooking oils; chances are they are, including Chips Ahoy and Keebler, though some brands, such as Oreos, now use “high oleic” oils instead to provide shelf-stable cookies at a reasonable price.
Burn Fat To Build Muscle Food To Avoid – Margarine
During World War II, butter shortages soared, and margarine usage soared, with Eleanor Roosevelt touting it as her preferred toast topping. However, it’s a recipe for trans-fat overabundance.
Liquid vegetable oils are blasted with hydrogen to create that creamy spread.
The more hydrogenated a margarine is, the more solid it becomes.
Many labels claim to have “0 grammes” of trans-fat, but if the label also lists partly hydrogenated oils, little amounts of trans-fat can pile up when slathering margarine on your food.
High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
This is an ingredient that didn’t exist prior to 1960, yet it appeals to food makers because it’s extremely sweet, inexpensive to produce, and simple to store.
The human body does not have a shut-off button for HFCS like it does for genuine sugar, according to David Zinczenko in The Abs Diet.
As a result, we will continue to drink cola or eat sweet foods long after we would have stopped if they were organically sweetened.
High fructose corn syrup has been found in an alarming number of foods in supermarket aisles, according to those who pay attention to what they eat.
Corn subsidies and other trends have pushed this relatively unhealthy ingredient into many of the “food groups” that we regularly purchase for.
Here are some of the most popular foods and beverages that contain high fructose corn syrup, a sugary ingredient that has been linked to diabetes and other diseases when consumed in excess.
Burn Fat To Build Muscle Food To Avoid – Soft Drinks
Most of us are aware that soda contains a lot of high fructose corn syrup.
The drink can be almost sickeningly sweet to those who aren’t used to it.
This sweetener can be found in considerable amounts even in diet variants.
Add to that the fact that Coke machines can be located on practically every street corner, in building lobbies, and in almost any public space.
As a result, obesity and sugar-related diseases are regarded as a global problem.
Burn Fat To Build Muscle Food To Avoid – Sauces And Salad Dressing
The majority of ketchup is used on French fries, and only a few people think about how it makes the fries unhealthy.
That’s because it contains High Fructose Corn Syrup as its third ingredient – or at least a container of Heinz, America’s #1 Ketchup.
There are 4 grammes of sugar in total, with HFCS accounting for the majority of it.
Burn Fat To Build Muscle Food To Avoid – Yogurt
Many dieters include yoghurt in their daily diet, but they should be aware of the sweeteners it contains, as many brands include High Fructose Corn Syrup to make it taste nice.
Choosing a light yoghurt almost certainly means you’ll be getting an artificial sweetener, which might be just as unhealthy.
Burn Fat To Build Muscle Food To Avoid – Processed Snacks
Other goods that the ordinary customer might not consider HFCS candidates include:
Check the labels of breaded meats and processed potato products to make sure the sweetener isn’t hidden somewhere on the label.
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
Burn Fat To Build Muscle Food To Avoid
MSG (monosodium glutamate) is a regularly used food enhancer with an umami-like flavour.
Sweet, salty, sour, and bitter are the four flavours that most people recognise.
Glutamate is considered to have a fifth, distinct flavour known as umami, which is the savoury flavour of meats.
MSG, which is used to enhance this so-called umami flavour, has been linked to detrimental side effects, even in modest doses.
Because MSG is so common in processed foods, it’s difficult to avoid it unless the product’s packaging clearly specifies that it doesn’t contain any.
Even back then, produced free glutamic acid was available in a variety of forms, including torula yeast.
MSG, torula yeast, yeast extracts, and hydrolyzed proteins can elevate glutamate levels, causing neurons to become overstimulated.
Synthetically generated glutamates go by a variety of names, but they’re all MSG.
Hydrolyzed proteins, autolyzed yeasts, protein concentrates, yeast extract, glutamic acid, and a long list of other glutamates are strongly related to MSG.
These glutamates can be present in everyday foods including low-fat yoghurt, canned soups, chips, and most ranch and cheese-flavored foods.
Researchers discovered that young rats given MSG were more likely to develop anxious and depressive behaviours, according to a 2020 study published in Life Science.
Burn Fat To Build Muscle Food To Avoid – Vegan Breakfast Sausage
Torula (Candida utilis) is a type of yeast that has gained popularity as a vegetarian and vegan food addition.
Torula yeast imparts a savoury, meaty flavour to beef.
It’s no surprise that it’s widely used in vegetarian burgers and other meatless foods.
The food additive is created by feeding sugar and minerals from molasses or wood to yeast in a controlled atmosphere.
The yeast will be spread out to be washed and dried after the initial harvesting.
Apple Maple Breakfast Sausages from Field Roast are made with yeast extract and “natural hickory smoke flavour with torula yeast.”
In addition, “naturally flavoured yeast extract,” which is another euphemism for MSG, is used in this brand’s Frankfurters.
“Naturally flavoured yeast extract” is also used in their Celebration Roast.
Burn Fat To Build Muscle Food To Avoid – Bacon Bits
Many brands of bacon-flavored pieces include MSG, which may or may not come as a surprise.
Yeast extract and disodium guanylate, another flavour enhancer commonly used in conjunction with MSG, are found in McCormick’s Bac’n Pieces bacon-flavored bits.
Autolyzed yeast is found in Safeway’s bacon bits, while hydrolyzed vegetable protein is found in Bac-bacon-flavored O’s bits, all of which are other names for MSG.
Burn Fat To Build Muscle Food To Avoid – Veggie Burger And Nuggets
You’ve probably eaten torula yeast if you’ve ever had a Gardenburger Portabella Veggie Burger or a MorningStar Farms Grillers California Turk’y Burger.
Torula yeast is included in both the Gardenburger Portabella Veggie Burger and the MorningStar Farms Grillers California Turk’y Burger.
Both autolyzed yeast extract and yeast extract are included in MorningStar Farms Chik’n Nuggets.
Burn Fat To Build Muscle Food To Avoid – Fried Food
Set aside the high levels of trans-fat, saturated fat, calories, and cholesterol associated with frying food; those risks have been discussed previously, and most of us are already aware of them.
Another reason to stay away from fried foods is that the majority of them contain MSG.
Stopping into KFC and ordering anything fried from their menu is one of the easiest ways to get fried food with MSG in it.
They aren’t the only ones to blame, by any means.
MSG is found in a wide range of packaged foods.
It will contain some MSG if it comes from a large food source, is fried, and arrives in a packaging.
Burn Fat To Build Muscle Food To Avoid – Artificial Sweetener
Artificial sweeteners can be found in almost every big-box grocery shop.
They’re hidden in soft drinks, baked products, and fruit juices to give them a sweet taste without adding calories.
Most artificial sweetener-containing goods are labelled as “diet” or “reduced sugar,” but not all are (you can even find some in food that claim to have “natural” ingredients).
Consumers may not realise they’re consuming them because they’re not usually prominently labelled on food packaging.
Artificial sweeteners have been in the limelight for decades, with health food advocates pointing out that, like drugs, they can have a long list of adverse effects.
Some truly serious problems, such as depression, sleeplessness, blindness, tinnitus, hives, and a contributing factor to things like Alzheimer’s and MS, are alleged by those opposed sweeteners like aspartame.
Burn Fat To Build Muscle Food To Avoid – Light Food And Beverages
If you’re watching your calories, foods labelled as Lite or Light may appeal to you because they have fewer calories than their usual equivalents.
However, you’re usually exchanging calories for artificial sweeteners, which may be calorie-free but have their own set of side effects and health risks.
Burn Fat To Build Muscle Food To Avoid – Diet Coke
Sweeteners like aspartame are used instead of high-fructose corn syrup in diet sodas.
When some shoddy research connected aspartame to cancer back in the day, it received a terrible rap.
However, scientists just discovered that the relationship is no longer valid.
Those with phenylketonuria (PKU), an uncommon condition, may be susceptible to the chemical.
The argument rages over whether aspartame is as dangerous as its critics claim, so why get involved?
It’s not good for you, and if you’re drinking diet drinks, you’re probably concerned about your health.
Replace them with all-natural beverages like green tea, which are minimal in calories but still have some flavour.
Burn Fat To Build Muscle Food To Avoid – Packaged Snacks
Many of these snack packs are available in 100-calorie versions, which appeal to dieters.
However, in order for them to taste excellent while without adding too much to the bottom line, they contain a variety of undisclosed artificial sweeteners.
It’s debatable whether these are harmful for you, but they’re clearly not good for you, and it’s a little unsettling when they won’t tell you what’s in your food.
Burn Fat To Build Muscle Food To Avoid – Sodium
Sodium, sometimes known as salt, has a lot of negative effects on your body.
Not only does it cause you to retain water, but it also raises your blood pressure and puts your heart at risk.
Almost all heart patients, whether they have had a heart attack or are at risk for one, are put on a low-sodium diet.
It makes sense to keep an eye on your salt levels long before a doctor tells you to or forces you to follow a diet in order to preserve your life.
Burn Fat To Build Muscle Food To Avoid – Cheese
Cheese is also high in saturated fat and cholesterol, which is why you should limit its use in your regular diet.
However, there is another aspect of cheese to consider, and that is the salt content.
Avoid Cheez Whiz, which contains over a fifth of the RDA of sodium in a single serving.
Even cheeses that are often thought to be healthful are high in salt.
A 100-gram portion of feta cheese, for example, has nearly half of the daily salt limit.
Burn Fat To Build Muscle Food To Avoid – Salty Snacks
The issue with salty foods is that the salt makes you want to eat them all the time.
Once the salty flavour has lingered on your tongue, you instinctively grab for another chip.
And sodium isn’t the only issue: these snacks are often made with partly hydrogenated oils, which contain trans-fats, and artificial flavours and flavourings.
Burn Fat To Build Muscle Food To Avoid – Frozen Meal
Salt can also be found in the frozen food area of your grocery store.
Frozen meals such as pizza or meatloaf dinners can contain up to 1,800 mg of sodium, which is enough to exceed the AHA’s daily salt guideline with just one meal.
Excess salt causes your body to retain fluid, which not only makes you feel bloated but also increases your blood pressure.
Look for low-sodium alternatives or, better yet, prepare your own meals.
Burn Fat To Build Muscle Food To Avoid – Bread And Tortillas
When it comes to breads, buns, and tortillas, read the labels carefully once again.
Don’t make the mistake of assuming that all grains are the same.
A 6-inch flour tortilla can have more than 200 mg of sodium, and a 10-inch tortilla can have more than 500 mg.
Choose plain maize tortillas instead, which have only 11 mg of sodium per 6-inch round.
A hamburger bun can also contribute 250 mg of sodium to your meal if you’re grilling this summer.
Instead, substitute a lettuce wrap or a Portobello mushroom bun for more nutrition and flavour without adding sodium.
Calories
If you’re not careful, calorie-dense foods can quickly add inches to your waistline.
They’re so clever because you can eat hundreds of calories in a matter of minutes without even realising it.
All other things being equal, a popular dieting hypothesis holds that the less calories consumed, the more weight you will lose.
That’s why you see individuals on low-calorie diets and working out in the gym to burn calories.
You don’t have to go to extremes, but keeping track of your calories will help you live a better life.
Burn Fat To Build Muscle Food To Avoid – Pasta Dishes
Calorie-wise, a simple bowl of pasta won’t wreck your day, but pasta is frequently used as a base for more calorie-dense recipes.
For example, a great chunk of Lasagna Classico from Olive Garden can pack in 850 calories, which is more than half of the calories permitted to some dieters.
There isn’t much time left for the rest of the day.
Consider a small dish of Buca di Beppo’s Spaghetti with Meatballs, which contains 916 calories.
Burn Fat To Build Muscle Food To Avoid – Chocolate
Although dark chocolate is becoming more popular as a nutritious food, milk chocolate still reigns supreme.
It’s the cheapest and easiest to find on the market.
The only issue is that it isn’t as simple as it appears.
It’s good for you because it’s simple to pile on the calories when you eat chocolate.
binge-worthy episode
Each M&M contains 3.4 calories, but each piece of candy contains 73 calories.
Godiva chocolate, and 23 Hershey’s Kisses in each Hug versio.
Burn Fat To Build Muscle Food To Avoid – Carbohydrates
You don’t have to eat low-carb or no-carb, but you should keep an eye on your carbohydrate intake.
In fact, a daily limit of 130 grammes is recommended.
Why are too many carbohydrates bad for you?
Carbohydrate-rich foods are quickly digested and have a tendency to raise blood sugar levels.
This results in the release of insulin, which generates glycogen, which is then stored as fat in the body.
They’re also to blame for making you hungry again rapidly, which can lead to more eating and overeating than would be the case otherwise.
Burn Fat To Build Muscle Food To Avoid – Bagels
Bagels were once regarded to be a healthful way to start the day, until the no-carb craze hit.
They’re regaining popularity now, but is it deserved?
Einstein Bros. Bagels’ plain bagel has 59 grammes of carbohydrates and consumes 45 percent of your daily carbohydrate allotment.
When you eat a bagel, chances are you’re not eating it plain; instead, you’re putting cream cheese, butter, jelly, or making a breakfast sandwich with it, which makes it less healthful.
Burn Fat To Build Muscle Food To Avoid – Coffee Drinks
A cup of normal coffee won’t hurt your carb count for the day, but if you get fancy, you’ll end up with a carb-infused cocktail.
A medium cappuccino from McDonald’s will set you back 12g of carbs, while a medium latte, even with sugar-free syrup, will set you back 44g of carbs, nearly guaranteeing you’ll blow your daily budget.
Burn Fat To Build Muscle Food To Avoid – Movie Popcorn
Without movie popcorn, no list of unhealthy foods would be complete.
Too many calories, too much saturated fat, too much MSG, trans-fat from hydrogenated oil, and that’s not even counting the “butter” topping fell into this category.
Aside from that, it’s high in carbohydrates.
A large bucket contains roughly 90g of carbs, though this figure varies by area.
I'm J Hastings, your friendly fitness enthusiast with over 12 years of dedicated experience in the realms of fitness, diets, and bodybuilding. Join me on a journey towards a healthier and happier version of yourself!
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