Top 7 Foods That Are Destroying Your Body

Your body is like a shrine, and it’s up to you to take care of it. The best tool? Food! What you eat determines how well the shrine works. This means limiting or avoiding foods that fill the body with toxins. Here’s what makes the list.

1. Red Meat

Red meat is a rich source of protein, but it comes with lots of saturated fat. It’s the reason why red meat is linked to various cancers, including those of the breast, colon, and prostate.

The risk is even higher when meat is well-done. Cooking at high temperatures (and for a long time) creates heterocyclic amines (HCAs), a carcinogenic toxin.¹ Daily intake can also bring on heart disease, according to a 2012 study in Archives of Internal Medicine. With every 3-ounce serving, the risk of death from heart disease increases by 13 percent.²

2. Processed Meat

Processed meat, like bacon and sausage, is even worse. Each 1.5-ounce serving raises the risk of death due to heart disease by 20 percent. That’s just after two strips of bacon!³

Eating processed meat will also make your salt intake skyrocket. In fact, it’s the second biggest source of sodium.⁴ This will easily bring on hypertension, a major risk factor for heart disease.

3. Grilled And Charred Meat

When meat is grilled, the sugars, creatine, and amino acids create heterocyclic amines (HCAs). Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from flames can also stick to the meat. Both compounds are carcinogenic and can mutate the DNA.⁵

Unsurprisingly, grilled red and processed meat make the most toxins. Charred, burnt, and barbecued meat are the biggest offenders. Have grilled fish and poultry instead. Compared to red and processed meat, these options form fewer HCAs and PAHs.⁶

4. Deep-Fried Foods

One can find French fries, chicken nuggets, and doughnuts everywhere in America. Unfortunately, deep frying oxidizes oil, creating trans fats while destroying unsaturated fats.⁷ The process forms toxic chemicals, too.⁸

According to the Institute of Medicine, you should eat little to no trans fats. They decrease “good” HDL cholesterol and increase “bad” LDL cholesterol, two factors linked to heart disease. If trans fats are completely avoided, Americans would have 10,000 to 20,000 fewer heart attacks every year.⁹

5. Soda

Soda, soft drink, pop – call it whatever you want, but it’s one of the worst things for the body. These sugar-sweetened drinks are a major reason behind America’s growing waistlines.

Daily intake of these sugary drinks is also associated with heart disease and diabetes, two conditions that often co-exist with obesity. A single can of soda offers 150 calories, about the same as 10 teaspoons of sugar!¹⁰ However, know that bottled fruit drinks, lemonade, and iced tea are no better. These drinks are just as sugary as soda, if not worse.

6. White Flour Foods

White pasta, bread, and rice are made with refined grains. They’re processed so much that all the good stuff – fiber, vitamins, and minerals – have been removed. The only thing left? A starchy carb with little nutrients.¹¹

With less fiber, white flour foods can’t control blood glucose like the brown kind does. Instead, they actually raise glucose levels, increasing the risk for type 2 diabetes.¹² Fiber also helps lower cholesterol, a major risk factor for heart disease. But with little-to-no fiber, white foods cannot do the same.

7. Processed Meals

More than 75 percent of our sodium intake comes from processed meals. TV dinners and boxed mac n’ cheese are perfect examples. Yet, the average American eats 3,400 milligrams of sodium – almost double the recommended 2,300 milligrams.¹³ It explains why almost 50 million Americans have hypertension.

Eating lots of sodium increases pressure on the arteries, causing hypertension and making it hard for blood to flow through. In turn, the risk of heart disease increases.¹⁴ And since processed meals are the biggest source, cutting them out will make a huge difference.

Treat your body well by skipping these foods. Your shrine will benefit in the long run.