Eat This, Not That - Foods You Should Never Eat
By Davina Smith from Davina Smith Nutrition
As a Nutritionist I’m often asked what foods would I never eat? This question is often posed when the enquirer is trying to hide a snack box under their jacket with the chicken leg trying its best to escape. Or before I step into their car passenger seat, they try to distract my attention pointing in the opposite direction, ‘look there at the squirrel riding a unicycle.’ While my head is turning to see this amazing feat, they are hastily removing the CSI nutrition forensic evidence of empty crisp packets strewn on the car floor and empty soda cans thrown in for good measure.
I always answer ’Food is there to be enjoyed as well as fuel for our bodies. Choose wisely and the best nutritiously that you can’.
My motto in life is ‘never say never.’ I’m not a like celery stick nor do I guzzle pints of wheatgrass juice everyday but yes there are foods I would abstain from and purely for health reasons. Below are just a few examples but like how I advise my clients, I’m advising you too. Try your best to avoid these types of foods. Even by simply starting to cut down, you will reap and feel the benefits.
1. Refined Foods
White Bread, huh yeah
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing, oh hoh, oh
Excuse me, I changed the first two words of War by Edwin Starr. But you can substitute white bread to coke, biscuits, crisps etc.
The more a food is refined, the more you should stay away from it. Let’s look at shop bought white bread as an example. The wheat has been stripped bare of its bran, fibre plus most of its nutrient goodies. In fact the baking process puffs it up into light, air-like slices of bread that may look good on your plate for a sambo but not great at all for your digestion, energy and overall health.
Even if you were to read as far as this line – Cut out White Bread..full stop. I’ll get my coat, my job is done.
Hello…you are still with me..great.
Carbohydrates like Bread/Pasta/Rice/Crackers/Crisps/Biscuits break down into sugar into our body and then enter our blood stream in the form of glucose, a sugar that serves as a primary source of energy. Fruit & Veg are also carbohydrates but will discuss these beauties again. Refined or often called white carbs (white flour, rice, pasta, bread, crackers, cereal, and simple sugars like table sugar) break down quicker in your body as most of the fibre has been removed and nutrients. The body absorbs these processed grains and simple sugars relatively quickly. Increased blood sugar triggers a spike in your blood sugar levels. Yes it will give you a jolt of energy but this energy is short lived as insulin is released to remove the sugar from your blood to your body tissues and then often cravings and hunger returns.
Below are some healthier examples for you to switch to and are known as complex or slow releasing carbohydrates. They are full of fibre and nutrients like Vitamin B’s and Magnesium for sustaining your energy and boosting heart health. As a result they are slower to digest hence the sugars are released gradually.
- White bread - choose wholemeal and wholegrain options. Cut down on bagels (in particular the white ones) as very dense form of dough. If have to have one go for wholemeal and scoop out some of the bread filling.
- White rice - try wholegrain/brown rice. Give Quinoa a go, truly a super grain plus an easy to digest protein. If getting a takeaway, ask for brown rice or hold the rice order and make your own and it will be cooked by the time your order arrives.
- Rice Cakes – they are made from puffed up white rice and give very little nutrition value, have a negative impact on blood sugars and a definite no no for weight loss. Check out wholegrain options instead in your health shop and in major supermarkets. Try Rough Oat cakes instead.
- White Pasta – swap to wholegrain and spelt pasta.
- Rice Noodles/ Pot Noodles – swap to Soba Buckwheat Noodles.
- Cookies, biscuits, cream crackers, croissants or any baked goods made with white flour or refined wheat flour. I’m sorry yes..reduce intake, but I guarantee you..you will not be sorry that you have cut down.
- Instant oatmeal – it may say ‘healthy’ on the packet but the oat flakes have been heavily refined. Go for the old fashioned whole oat flakes. Same applies for many of the refined breakfast cereals. If you consume too much and rely on these types of cereals your energy may become…snap…crackle and flop.
- Furthermore, many refined-carb foods in particular sweetened beverages like sodas provide little nutritional value other than empty calories. I will discuss sodas in a future article plus one of its ingredients high fructose corn syrup. So..yes cut down.
Okay, while I have you..a few other quick tips on foods to cut down or avoid.
2. Vegetable Oils & Margarine
As well as out of a tub, margarine is often lurking in many processed foods. Plus ever wonder what type of fat is used in your local chipper and re-used again and again, mostly Vegetable Oils.
Margarine is created from vegetable oil. Its manufacturing process creates hydrogenated trans-fats. These types of fats can increase risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, degenerative diseases and weight gain.
Stop the press - 100% butter is not unhealthy, just use sparingly. In Ireland we are lucky as most if not all of our butter comes from cows that feed off grass rather than soy and corn. And if animal-based fats are not for you, stick with extra-virgin oil or coconut oil rather than margarine.
The same applies for Vegetable Oils in your cooking and salad dressings, make a health switch this week and go for rapeseed oil, extra virgin oil or coconut oil.
3. Cured meat products with nitrates
Deli meats, sausages, ham, hot dogs and bacon are often loaded with sodium nitrite and other chemical preservatives that have been linked to causing heart disease and cancer. Swap your sambo filling for chicken, tuna, egg, hummus and veggies.
4. Microwave Popcorn
There are concerns over chemicals used to coat microwave bags that keep the oil from soaking through and make the bags more fire resistant. These chemicals break down when heated into PFOA (perfluorooctinoic acid). Have been labelled a ‘likely carcinogen’ by the US Environmental Protection Agency.
5. Deep-Dish Pizza
The deep pizza crust jacks up your daily calories and refined carbs. Plus more cheese, greasy meat toppings like pepperoni, sausage and ham does you no favours with its saturated fat, high salt and nitrate intake. 2 slices can contain up to 24g of saturated fat more than twice a daily’s allowance and calories of 1300. Not all bad news, choose a thin crust and less of the meat and cheese and load up the veggies like broccoli, peppers, tomatoes and onions.
To get in contact with Davina for further Nutrition and Wellbeing advice go to: