IDIOT’S GUIDE TO UNHEALTHY LIVING
Less is More
Here is a list of 15 unhealthy foods and environmental exposures that do no one any good. Merely avoiding them will improve your health.
1. REFINED CARBOHYDRATES
They are acid-forming in the body.
They are converted to triglycerides- the unhealthy blood fat
They are stored as fat.
They are converted to glucose and fructose ( Physiology of refined fructose is such that it does not stimulate insulin release or leptin release and therefore there is no feed back which usually stops hunger pangs. They cause build up of trigylcerides _ unhealthy fat.)
2. SUGAR AND FRUCTOSE
Sugar and starch are converted to glucose and fructose
Reduces fertility
Is addictive
Builds acidity
Destroys natural flora in gut
Overworks pancreas
Builds insulin resistance
Reduces natural immunity
Is inflammatory
Same does not apply to fruit as it is combined with fibre.
Carbohydrate(CHO) with natural fibre and not added to refined CHO is better as more slowly digested and less stress on insulin and pancreas.
3. HFC (high fructose corn sugar)
Converted to glucose and fructose
Addictive
Added in high proportions to food
Has all same harmful properties as sugar, but usually worse because of high proportion
Made out of GMO corn which is inflammatory and has additional negative effects.
Ubiquitous in factory foods (The Japanese response to Pearl Harbor) and in virtually every ice cream and chocolate.
SUGAR HFCS and other sweeteners are often in soft drinks or fruit juices which have ZERO food value.
Artificial sweeteners stimulate appetite by similar path as fructose and cause laying down of fat rather than energy produced from glycogen..
4. TRANS FATS (hydrogenated fats)
Metabolized to triglyceride (the unhealthy fat)
Contribute to coronary disease, stroke and cancer
Cause production of AGEs ( advanced glycation end products which cause cross-linking in proteins and lead to age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s, stroke, diabetes, CT, arthritis) Also known as free radicals.
(labeled as 0 g if there is less than 0.5 g per serving hence totally misleading.)
5. Foods with PRESERVATIVES SUCH AS NITRITES, NITRATES, AND SULPHATES well-recognized carcinogens eg processed meats or spreads.
Methyl benzoate, sulfur dioxide, and colorants and host of other preservatives have allergenic potential
6. GMO Foods
Engineered to resist pesticides and therefore sprayed with far more than normal grains.
Glyphosate (used to spray most varieties causes testicular and ovarian cancer)
In mouse trials found to cause kidney damage, intestinal tumors and inflammation, failure to thrive, infertility in next generation. ( through impact on eggs in females)
7. PACKAGED BREAKFAST CEREALS
Most are baked at high temperature with use of fat and contain acrylamides which are potent carcinogen
Same applies to crisps
Particularly bad in browned products that contain refined CHO
8. HEATED OILS
All oils have a critical temperature beyond which they denature and become inflammatory and carcinogenic.
Extra virgin olive oil has a fairly high threshold not so canola sunflower or soya oils.
Cold pressed safflower and coconut also fairly heat resistant.
Anything containing SOYBEAN OIL, CANOLA OIL, CORN OIL, VEGETABLE OIL, OR COTTONSEED OIL (these are in a LOT of processed foods you probably eat) most times have undergone a refining process under extremely high heat and use of chemical solvents such as hexane.
This leaves you with an oil where the polyunsaturated fats have undergone a lot of oxidation and are therefore VERY inflammatory inside your body, producing free radicals, damaging your cell membranes, contributing to faster aging, heart disease, and other possible health problems.
10. DECAFFEINATED BEVERAGES (TEA OR COFFEE)
Processed using hexane, chloroform and range of other toxic chemicals which remain in the products.
11. FARMED FISH
Contain lead mercury and PCB’s all of which cause brain and blood issues
12. RICE (see www.ewg.org)
From central USA has lots of arsenic. Rice from California has less. Basmati has least. ( The arsenic is left in the ground and water table from sprays allowed in the past or industrial run off..
13. FRUIT NON-ORGANIC ( see www.ewg.org for better and worse)
High residue of toxic sprays.
14. MICROWAVED PLASTIC
Release dioxins which are carcinogenic.
Same applies to daily use of plastics 3,,6 and 7 ( PVA polystyrene and ‘other’) which have phthalates and PCB’s which are hormone disruptors and can cause cancer.
Repeated use of plastic bottles from bottled water not advisable as PCBs and phthalates break down with wear. Any plastic left in car same applies.
15. NON-IONIZING RADIATION
All forms of electro magnetic radiation cause a degree of disturbance in animal tissues. Degree of exposure intensity and proximity are the pivotal factor.O( See WHO electro magnetic radiation)
Non ionizing radiation associated with wireless use of all kinds is progressively found to affect human tissue. (See report at WHO and google European Report on Non ionizing radiation)
While the list may seem long there are hundreds of healthy alternatives many of which we have discussed in previous blogs.
BE SAVVY
BE SAFE
Author; Dr Ruth Rabinowitz is a medical doctor, author and ex MP.
