Losing weight can be a difficult challenge as there is much conflicting advice on what you can or cannot eat. Equally, trying to find a diet plan that works for you is near to impossible with the whole range of celebrity-endorsed scientifically-proven as-seen-on-TV do-it-yourself fad diets that overcomplicate the whole process. When you are looking for advice, you start to question what you actually can eat and whether you should be tracking calories, carbs, fat, or anything whatsoever.
It would be much simpler if you knew exactly what you needed to stay away from so you could make better and healthier choices, without being caught up in diet marketing and brand labeling that is purposely structured to entice the unwitting dieter in. This simple list lays out foods that you should categorically not eat if you are trying to lose weight.
- Rice crackers on their own
Rice crackers always seem to be a good dieting option due to their low calories. However, without any toppings to give the body energy, your body converts the carbohydrates straight to sugar. This raises the insulin levels in your body which not only unbalances your blood sugar levels, increasing the risk of cancer, it absorbs the sugar immediately, which leaves you with the same hungry feeling while also gaining weight.
- High-Fiber Bars
These handy little snack bars are always promoting themselves as the healthy diet option. However, firstly the sweeteners in them which are designed to replace sugar, are terrible for the body, especially the liver. Secondly, they give you a day’s worth of fiber in one hit. This is not what the body needs as it just leads to bloating. You need fiber throughout the day at regular intervals to stave off hunger, so try to eat a piece of fruit or a vegetable instead.
- Low-Fat foods
A foolish mistake people make when dieting is thinking that fat is the problem. There are good fats (unsaturated fats) and bad fats (saturated fats), and the good fats, such as avocado, fatty fish, and peanuts, help to lower cholesterol and help you to lose weight. However, in ‘low-fat’ products, they tend to remove the fat and replace it with sugar, which is a huge issue for dieting.
- Sugary drinks
The problem with sugary drinks is that the body does not register the high calories as they are in liquid form. This means that although you are pumping your body full of sugar, it will not feel full, meaning you still experience hunger pangs, yet your body is gaining weight from the high calorific value. This includes fruit juices that are highly processed as they usually bear no resemblance to actual fruit, with a lack of fiber and chock full of sugar.
- White bread
Most people know they should avoid white bread, but they don’t know why. White bread is high on the glycemic index meaning that it spikes your blood sugar levels, creating the same effect as rice crackers. To feel fully for longer, try wholegrain products as the carbs take longer to break down, keeping you fuller for longer.
Dieting is tricky and understanding what to avoid is the first step to making right choices. It can be hard to understand what to believe with so many ‘diet’ product marketed right in front of you. The most sensible choice is to select local, organic, unprocessed foods and cook healthy meals using a balance of ingredients. Using all-natural supplements such as ‘GarciniaX’ can also help in weight loss by assisting with the breakdown of fat cells in the body