Obesity is a major problem worldwide and one of the leading causes of many different health problems. In addition to some of the well-known health problems that obesity causes, such as cardiovascular problems due to high blood cholesterol levels and excessive salt intake, then skeletal problems due to being overweight and digestive tract problems due to excessive food intake.
Also, the kidneys and liver are at risk, which must cleanse the body of so much food, which is mostly unhealthy. What many do not know is that large amounts of fat take on certain functions of a new organ, which secretes estrogen and leads to many problems, including cancer.
Despite all the research that has confirmed this, the number of people who are overweight is increasing. This is no longer a problem that is most common only in the USA, as it was 30 years ago, but it is widespread throughout the world. According to the latest research, Croatia has the most obese young people in Europe. Unhealthy food and sedentary lifestyles have spread everywhere except perhaps in Africa, which has a different kind of problem.
Whether you have a lot of extra pounds or just 5 to 10, and you have decided to get rid of that burden, you need to know that you will not succeed if you do not avoid certain foods. And that food is…
1. Hamburgers
One of the most popular fast-food meals, wherewith hamburgers you get french fries and drinks high in calories, like Coca Cola. Research conducted on this topic has shown that almost all obese people have eaten this at least a few times a week. In this way, they further increased the already huge calorie intake. So you absolutely have to avoid this, even the ones you didn’t prepare yourself.
A hamburger can also be a very healthy meal and you do not have to eliminate it from the diet during the weight loss process, but you have to make it yourself using selected ingredients. Use lean, ground beef and different types of salads and you will get a very healthy and tasty meal. There are various alternatives that you can use instead of a bun, such as zucchini, blue eggplant and cauliflower.
2. Rice cakes
Rice cakes have for some reason become very popular as healthy food, and this is not true at all. They are very nutritionally empty and you will soon be hungry after them and the only thing they contain are simple carbohydrates that will quickly be found in your body in the form of sugar. Your bloodstream will be flooded with sugar, raising your insulin levels.
All this is very negative in the weight loss process. Apart from being easy to consume, they offer practically no other benefit, because they are not even tasty. Don’t try to look for shortcuts and eat things like rice cakes. All you need is a healthy diet and workout, and if you already need help with the weight loss process, then get fat burners. Just be careful which one you buy, because the market is full of different products.
3. Anything with the “low-fat” label
Due to the influence of various lobbies, fats were demonized in the 80s of the last century, although it was later proven that sugars are much more harmful to the human body than fats. Of course fats are different, so some are very harmful, while others are very useful.
On the other hand, sugars are generally harmful, especially if you do not know how to consume them properly. So avoid “low-fat” foods because it’s just a marketing ploy to attract people who supposedly want to eat healthy. The process of getting “low-fat” things usually involves adding large amounts of sugar and various substances that enhance the flavors, which is more harmful than fat and you will find it harder to lose weight.
4. Certain types of fruit
Although the fruit is generally healthy, the amount of sugar it contains varies considerably. Fruit sugar is called fructose and is found very quickly in the bloodstream, so it is not recommended to consume too often, especially in the evening.
Choose fruits with a lower percentage of fructose, such as lemons, all kinds of berries, kiwis, oranges and many others. Avoid dry fruits that are full of sugar. Make sure that they are not in the cereals you buy, although it is advisable to avoid cereals during the weight loss phase. Bananas also have a lot of carbohydrates.
5. White rice and pasta
White rice and pasta are generally not unhealthy, although it was thought so before. They can absolutely be included in the diet properly, but this is usually the case with athletes and people who are very physically active. When you want to lose weight, then choose brown rice and whole wheat pasta. They are much more nutritionally fuller, have more protein and fiber. Due to its lower glycemic index, it will convert more slowly into sugar in your bloodstream and therefore raise insulin levels less. All this will lead to you being significantly longer full, compared to when you eat white rice even though the amount is the same.
6. Snacks
99% of snack types can only contribute to obesity without having any benefits for you. That’s why you have to avoid them now and always, it’s just a type of food that shouldn’t have a place in your diet. Potato chips are among the most popular, and it is fried in oil and is full of salt and additives. Other types of snacks are also very harmful and bad. So tell them one big no. Recently, new types of snacks have appeared on the market with reduced harmful ingredients, and increased quality, such as protein. However, their quality is very debatable. Because the question is, for example, what is the source of protein in “protein chips”.
7. Ice cream
Everyone’s favorite dessert is so full of sugar, bad fats and therefore calories that you should eat it as rarely as possible. Of course, you should enjoy it from time to time, you should not follow extreme diets, because they usually last a short time and then go back to the old way. But be very careful with the amount of ice cream you consume and try to incorporate it into your daily caloric intake. So on days when you plan to eat ice cream, take care that all other food be completely “clean”.
Conclusion
Beware of hidden calories that we are not usually aware of. Here we primarily mean alcohol, which has a lot of calories. Then all the sweet drinks, as well as flavored yogurt, a frequent choice for a snack. Try to prepare most of the food you eat instead of buying or ordering and only in this way can you achieve the desired result.