No one can live forever, but at least we can make our life longer and healthier. Every action that we take affects our ability to live longer than we otherwise might. One of the biggest factors in mortality is our diet. The foods that we eat can either lengthen or shorten our life expectancy.
Now, it’s highly likely that you already know many foods that you should eat to be healthy and to live longer, such as green vegetables, fruits, and other vitamin and mineral-rich foods. This time, let’s take a look at the foods that we must avoid so that we can add more years to our lives.
Processed Meats
Who doesn’t love bacon? How about hotdogs and sausages? Unfortunately, these processed meats are among the foods that we should avoid, or certainly limit if we want to be healthy and spend more time on Earth. Processed foods are often loaded with sodium and preservatives, smoked, or treated to extend their shelf life.
Such preservatives, however, are harmful to gut health, causing inflammation and imbalances. Some are even carcinogenic. Processed meats are associated with higher heart disease and cancer mortality rates.
Instead of processed meats, buy basic, unprocessed cuts of meat from a local butcher. You are assured that they are fresh and don’t have harmful preservatives.
Soda
Sodas and other sweetened beverages are loaded with sugars and/or artificial sweeteners. Too much sugar in our body can lead to insulin resistance and diabetes. Soda has also been linked to obesity, dementia, fatty liver, and heart diseases.
Water will always be the best drink to have, but if you crave for extra flavor, you can drink seltzer or sparkling water. Adding a slice of lemon can also add zest to your water.
Artificial Sweeteners
There so much food out there that contains artificial sweeteners, and just like soda, they are bad for our health. When we consume sweetened foods, we are consuming unneeded nutrient-deficient calories. Artificial sweeteners can cause imbalances in the good and bad bacteria in our gut, which can lead to chronic illnesses, including obesity and cancer.
Trans Fats
Biscuits, cakes, french fries-all are tasty! Unfortunately, they often contain trans fats, an altered form of vegetable oil to make food have a longer shelf life. Consuming trans fats prevents the body from properly using other fats and proteins, and it’s also hard to break them down.
Trans fats have long been associated with increased risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other chronic health issues.
It doesn’t mean you can’t eat your favorite cookies occasionally or have a cake on your birthday. What you can do is to buy raw ingredients instead, and bake your own sweet treat-avoiding the use of ingredients with trans fats and preservatives.
Fast Foods
We all live in a fast-paced age, and for many of us who don’t have time to prepare home-cooked meals, fast foods can seem a savior. Unfortunately, they are often loaded with saturated fats and sodium, and if you’re trying to lose weight, you don’t want the extra 200 calories from hamburgers and fries from your default drive-thru.
When you’re always busy with work, you can prepare food in advance. Over the weekend, you can prepare several servings of food, put them in a serving-sized zip lock bag, freeze them, and reheat over the week. That way, you don’t have to worry about cooking your food every mealtime.
The Takeaway
The widespread availability of processed and fast food makes it hard to resist them. However, if you want to be healthy and extend your lifespan, steering clear of these foods will make a whole lot of difference. An occasional consumption won’t probably hurt, but if you’ve been bingeing on them, it’s time to change course.
Focus on whole foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, and get back on the right track. Be mindful of what you eat and stay healthy. Let’s aim to live to a hundred-plus, and be healthy enough to enjoy it!
