1. Highly Processed White Flours
After refining, processed white flours not only lose most all of their nutrients but they are also bleached with a chemical called chlorine gas. The EPA sites this gas as dangerous, irritant, that can be lethal. It is also very highly glycemic and bad for your blood sugar. Not only are they making us fat they might also be contributing to rising cancer rates.
2. Microwave Popcorn
Everybody loves a yummy bag of popcorn. Making it in the microwave is easy and convenient. Unfortunately, according to Wikipedia the bags of microwave popcorn are lined with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). This chemical is also found in Teflon. Studies have shown that this chemical can be linked with infertility in women and exposure significantly increases risk of kidney, bladder, liver, pancreas and testicular cancers. Find more out at cancer.org.
Many microwave popcorns also still use diacetyl which Conagra stopped using due to employees using it getting lung cancer.
3. Artificial Sweeteners
If you have to avoid sugar, are on a diet or have diabetes you might be using artificial sweeteners. However, many studies show that people usually GAIN weight when using them and can make it harder to control blood sugar. More studies are coming out that show aspartame, when broken down becomes a deadly toxin called DKP. This breakdown of chemicals is known to cause certain brain tumors.
4. Alcohol
Many of us enjoy a nice drink now and then but over consumption of alcohol can lead to many health issues including diabetes, obesity and many types of cancers. A recent study showed that postmenopausal women who drank one drink per day or less had a 30% increase in breast cancer rates than women who did not drink at all. Alcohol is the 2nd leading cause of cancer following tobacco. Experts working with the World Health Organization Research on Cancer found evidence that alcohol is the main cause of mouth, esophagus, liver, colon, mouth, rectum, and female breast cancers.
5. Refined Sugars and Soda Pop
Many believe that refined sugars are the preferable food for cancer cells which helps them grow. High Fructose Corn Syrup being one of the main culprits because it is most easily metabolized by cancer cells. This puts most cakes, sodas, sauces, juices, etc. on the NO NO list.. Sorry sweet tooths!
6. Processed Meats
Like some hot dogs, sausages, bacon and lunch meats? Most of them have excessive salts and chemicals. Some studies show that people who regularly eat processed meats increased their chance of early death by as much as 43%. Sodium Nitrates are the biggest offenders and also a well know carcinogen with smoked meats being particularly bad.
7. Smoked, Pickled and Salted!
Put a fork in me after I eat these foods. These foods often have nitrates that turn into N-nitroso that is associated with higher cancer risks when digested. Smoked meats that are high in fat can help lead to stomach and colorectal cancer.
8. Potato Chips
They sure make a great tasting quick snack but the negative effects far outweigh the short term pleasure. High in both fat and calories that cause weight gain. Add in often high Trans-Fats with sodium and you have the recipe for cancer- and heart disease-related health problems.
9. Farmed Salmon
Over 60% of salmon eaten in the United States is farm raised. Being fed unnatural diets with chemicals, antibiotics, pesticides and other known carcinogens these otherwise healthy fish are not very healthy at all. Studies have also shown high numbers of PCBs and mercury in them.
10. Diet Foods
Often loaded with Aspartame, a chemical in artificial sweeteners, diet foods are not very healthy at all. Excessive sodium, colors and refined ingredients are often added to make up for flavor loss. Many low fat foods actually have many MORE calories than their ‘Non diet’ associates.
11. Hydrogenated Oils
These are vegetable oils. They must be chemically removed from their source and are often deodorized and colored. Also, excessive Omega-6 fatty acids cause health problems.
12. Red Meat
Small amounts of red meat in a diet can be shown to be a good thing. Try to eat grass fed which has properties of linoleic acid which helps fight against some cancers. However, when speaking about colon cancer, red meats eaten everyday can lead to increased cancer risks.13. Canned Tomatoes
Many canned foods. Most cans are lined with a chemical called bisphenol-A or BPA. A Study about 2 years ago showed that BPAs affect the way genes worked inside rats’ brains. The FDA seems to agree this is a problem and is supporting efforts to reduce, replace or eliminate the amounts found in canned foods. The high acidity leaves tomatoes more dangerous because they can leech the BPA more readily from the can lining. Bulletin Daily News/Hartford Courant
