Written by Updated: 10/28/2019
The quality of health depends a lot on the food you eat. Thanks to the development of technology, nowadays, there are many types of food, which are tasty but are not healthy. In our article today on EffectiveRemedies, we will present some foods you should stop buying and some foods you should eat more. Therefore, you should be careful when choosing food to have good health.
Top 3 Foods You Should Stop Buying And 4 Foods You Should Eat More
1. Eat Less Fast Food
It is not difficult to find a fast food restaurant all over the world, such as KFC, Mac Donald, Pizza Hut, etc. Fast food is very popular thanks to its tasty and convenience when taking away. However, we should avoid eating fast food, even stop buying it because of its bad effects on health. According to a recent study, the high consumption of fast food causes obesity and hypertension among children in major cities in China[1]. Another study in 2003 showed that consuming fast food regularly promotes weight gain and obesity[2]. The Food Revolution Network website suggests many studies below to prove that fast food is the reason for many diseases. A study published in the Public Health Journal indicates that people who eat fast food twice a week will have a 51% higher risk of developing depression. Another study published in the Journal of Adolescence Health points out that women during adolescence eat just one serving of French fries weekly can suffer from higher breast cancer risk later in life by 27%. Moreover, according to a study published in Circulation, the risk of dying from coronary heart disease will be increased by 20% for people who consume fast food once weekly and this risk is 50% for those who eat twice or three times a week.
2. Eat More Vegetables
Instead of buying fast food, we should eat more vegetables. Vegetables should present in everyday meals because of their benefits on health and skin as well. According to CNN, vegetables are abundant in fiber, which helps prevent constipation[3]. While fast food can contribute to weight gain, vegetables can help you look leaner. Thanks to a large amount of potassium and water, vegetables are beneficial for flushing excess sodium out of the body and restoring the body's normal fluid balance[3]. Some vegetables such as fennel, cucumbers, summer squash, romaine lettuce, red leaf lettuce, or tomatoes are helpful when removing the full feeling in your stomach, try eating them[3]. This article on CNN also shows the relationship between consuming vegetables regularly and younger skin. Water represents 85% to 95% in vegetables, which acts as a moisturizer and helps reduce wrinkles. Moreover, thanks to containing phytonutrients, vegetables help us prevent cell damage from stress, the sun, pollution, and other environmental toxins. Vitamin C found in tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, broccoli, and potatoes promotes the process of collagen formation. Additionally, vegetables have potassium and magnesium, which may help relax blood vessels and lower blood pressure, and then reduce the stress[3]. Another surprising benefit of vegetables is improving the bones’ health. Some vegetables such as collard greens, turnip greens, kale, spinach, broccoli, and green peas have a lot of calcium and vitamin K so they can protect the bones. Furthermore, daily consumption of vegetables in combination with fruits can help you gain many benefits on lowering the risk of heart disease and stroke, decreasing blood pressure, and even preventing some types of cancer[4].
3. Drink Less Soda Or Soft Drink Or Sugary Drink
The drink that can refresh you immediately is not good for your health. According to a study in 2007, we should reduce the consumption of soft drinks because they offer little nutrition and bring us some health conditions such as diabetes[5]. An article published on Havard TH Chan’s School of Public Health website says that the higher risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic conditions is the result of sugary drinks[6]. For example, people who consume 1 to 2 cans a day or more of sugary drinks will have a higher risk (26%) of developing type 2 diabetes. Many people realize the bad effects of soda, so they choose diet soda to reduce these effects, but actually, diet soda also does harm on health. The CNN mentions a report which says that diet soda may help you maintain a healthy weight, but it still can cause a higher risk of death from diabetes, heart disease, and stroke[7].
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To know more about other side effects of this food, read here (medically reviewed by Nichole Dandrea-Russert, MS, RDN).
4. Eat More Fruits
An amazing way to improve your health is by eating fruits daily. According to researchers of University College School, consuming seven or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day helps people have a 42% lower risk of death, compared with people who eat less than one portion[8]. Moreover, thanks to containing dietary fiber, fruits and vegetables both reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and obesity[9]. Not only on health, but fruits also bring significant benefits to the skin. A study in 2012 shows the nutrition fruits, which can act as anti-aging agents[10]. Firstly, vitamin C in fruits, especially citrus fruits such as oranges contributes to the cholesterol synthesis. Lack of vitamin C causes scurvy, which is a disease related to skin. Some fruits have vitamin E such as avocado or mango, which is essential for healthy skin. According to a study in 1995, vitamin E protects the skin from the adverse effects of oxidative stress because it is the major naturally occurring lipid-soluble non-enzymatic antioxidant so that it may prevent some skin problems such as erythema, edema, skin thickening, wrinkling, and skin cancer[11]. Therefore, remember to have vitamin E regularly through a simple way – eating fruits to have healthy skin.
5. Eat Less Processed Meat
Processed meat such as bacon, sausage, ham, etc. which are very popular because of their low price and convenience when making or finding. Two studies in 2010 and 2015 found out that there is an association between processed meat and an increased risk of total mortality, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes[12] [13]. To be specific, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the higher risk of colorectal cancer by 18% is the result of consuming each 50 gram portion of processed meat eaten daily[14]. Additionally, a study conducted in 2017 states that 50 g of processed meat a day may increase the risk of stroke by 13%[15]. That is the reason why the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund advised people to reduce processed meat consumption to decrease cancer incidence[13].
6. Eat More Fish
Fish should present in meals regularly because of several benefits on health. As per the American Heart Association, we should eat meat twice a week to have a healthy diet[16]. When talking about the good nutrition of fish, we have to mention about omega-3 fatty acids. The Washington State Department of Health indicates that the source of omega 3 fatty acids in fish helps us have good health because it lowers blood pressure and reduces the heart issues such as abnormal heart rhythms, heart attack, and strokes[16]. Moreover, this type of fatty acids can prevent depression, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, diabetes, and arthritis as well. Moreover, in the Gruppo Italiano per lo Studio della Sopravvivenza nell’Infarto Miocardio (known as the GISSI Prevention Trial), people who survive after a heart attack are asked to take a 1-gram capsule of omega-3 fats daily for three years[17]. The good news is that they have a lower risk of sudden cardiac death by about 50 percent. Besides, fish brings to your health vitamin D, B2, and many minerals such as iron, zinc, iodine, magnesium, and potassium[16].
7. Eat More Nuts
Nuts are sources of nutrition, including healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, protein, several B group vitamins, fiber, vitamin E, minerals such as potassium, calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium and antioxidant minerals (selenium, manganese, and copper). Thanks to their good compounds, nuts help prevent many diseases. Consuming nuts weekly may decrease the risk of developing heart attack or stroke, as per the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health[18]. A 2017 study suggests that eating nuts not only does not make you gain weight but also increases the quality of the diet[19]. This study also shows the benefits of nuts on preventing or treating some chronic disease such as changes in glycemic and lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Moreover, a study in 2010 concludes the relationship between eating nuts and lower risk of coronary heart disease, sudden cardiac death, and diabetes in women[20]. Furthermore, nuts play an important role in improving mental health. The researchers at Loma Linda University Health points out that regular diet with nuts improves learning, memory, cognition, healing, and other key brain functions[21].
Many above studies show that some foods are delicious but not healthy, while some superfoods are beneficial for improving your health. Besides, it is advisable to have enough sleep, drink enough water, do exercises, and have a health examination regularly to have good health. If you know other foods should stop buying and foods you should eat more, then share with us by leaving your comments in the box below. All content provided is for informational & educational purposes. We recommend you consult a healthcare professional to determine your health condition in order to have a suitable diet and find the treatments for your diseases if you have.
