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Written By: Jennifer Nicole Lee (as pictured)

The Five Worst Foods to Eat and Why!

In my field of diet and exercise, I am often asked what the top 5 worst foods are. And the answers may be so shocking to you because they are foods that most of us consume daily! I have listed them here. But don’t worry, I have given you wonderful healthy substitutes to replace them and you won’t even miss them!

1. French Fries

Potatoes are bad enough when consumed in their raw state, as their simple sugars are rapidly converted to glucose that raises insulin levels and can devastate your health. But when they are cooked in trans fat at high temperatures, all sorts of interesting and very unpleasant things occur. It is theoretically possible to create a more “healthy” French fry if you cook it in a healthy fat like virgin coconut oil. Due to its high saturated fat content, coconut oil is extremely stable and is not damaged by the high temperatures of cooking. This is why coconut oil should be the only oil you use to cook with. Replace with Sweet Potatoes which are high in vitamins. Cut into French fries, place on baking sheet, dab on whipped egg whites, cook until golden brown and crunchy. Sprinkle with cinnamon if you like! Delicious and healthy! .And it is a well known joke in the field of nutrition that it just might be better to have one cigarette instead of one French fry! Now think of that!

2. Donuts

Doughnuts are fried, full of sugar and white flour and most all varieties contain trans fat. Store-bought doughnuts are made up of about 35 percent to 40 percent trans fat. An average doughnut will give you about 200 to 300 calories, mostly from sugar, and few other nutrients. It’s too bad that Americans view doughnuts as a breakfast food as, nutritionally speaking, eating a doughnut is one of the worst ways to start off your day. It will through off your blood sugar and won’t stay with you so you’ll be hungry again soon. Instead enjoy a whole wheat English muffin topped with sugar free preserves! You wont even miss that gut bomb called a donut!

3. Soda

One can of soda has about 10 teaspoons of sugar, 150 calories, 30 to 55 mg of caffeine, and is loaded with artificial food colors and sulphites. I can’t think of any good reason to ever have it. The diet varieties are also problematic as they are filled with harmful artificial sweeteners like aspartame. Studies have linked soda to osteoporosis, obesity, tooth decay and heart disease, yet the average American drinks an estimated 56 gallons of soft drinks each year. Plus, drinking all that sugar will likely suppress your appetite for healthy foods, which pave the way for nutrient deficiencies. Reach for a club soda with a splash of lemon juice or a twist of lime! Refreshing and calorie free!

4. Bacon and Hot Dogs or all cured meats that contain Nitrates

Many foods, especially cured meats such as bacon and hot dogs, use nitrates to preserve color and maintain microbial safety. Nitrate is harmless, but it can convert to nitrite, which can form nitrosamines, a powerful cancer-causing chemical, in your body. Opt for Nitrate free turkey bacon or nitrate free veggie hots dogs, the taste will be the same without all the calories, fat, and sodium.

5. Potato Chips

They are high in fat, high in sodium and good for nothing except weight gain, raising your blood pressure and increasing your waste line! And stay away from the low fat ones that contain Olestra. Olestra is not a healthy fat substitute as it is a fake fat which binds with fat soluble vitamins A, E, D, and K. These vitamins keep the immune system healthy and prevent some cancers, but Olestra binds with them and eliminates them from your system. Olestra has also caused digestive upset in some people too! new jeep colorado.Exchange your salty potato chips for whole wheat crackers, whole wheat pretzels, or air popped pop corn!

So there you have it! The worst 5 foods that you should never eat!

I urge all of you to ask yourselves the empowering question “How can I make losing weight learning about healthy foods creative, and interesting and fun?” Your mind is a powerful piece of machinery, which will give you great answers! One of those answers will most likely be to make it a point to try new low fat recipes, try a new fruit or vegetable, or buy a new low calorie cook book! Remember to make it exciting and you will stick with it!

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About The Author:

Fitness expert and author, Jennifer Nicole Lee (JNL), has become an icon for women and fellow moms across the world with her amazing 70-pound plus weight loss success story. To ultimately improve her physical and mental health and become more active with her children, JNL began a regimen of exercise drills and performance nutrition. Training as an athlete, JNL’s goal was to lose weight, with the ultimate goal of entering a bikini contest.  Less than one year later, JNL entered the ultimate figure competition and was crowned Miss Bikini America 2005, realizing her goal and proving that mothers can still be sexy, fun and fit! This empowering experience catapulted Jennifer Nicole Lee into the health and fitness industry and gained her the respect of countless professionals. She has shared her compelling weight loss story on national talk shows including Oprah and Inside Edition, and has proudly graced the covers of over 15 fitness magazines.

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