Hey there, foodies! I get it, you love snacking. I mean, who doesn’t?
The problem is we often don’t realize just how much damage we’re doing to our hearts.
If you’re looking to get healthier, we need to talk about some foods you should cut.
Is soda on our list? How about bacon? Wait a second, pizza?!?!
Now that’s crossing the line! We’re talking all this AND more, so stay tuned…
Yes, I said it, pizza!
Let’s cut to the chase. We all love pizza. Well, most of us. If you don’t,
what’s wrong with you? Are you looking out for your health or something?
I’m kidding. The next time you meet someone who turns down a slice of pizza, ask them why.
I bet their answer will surprise you. The truth is pizza can do quite a bit of damage to your heart.
Sure, a slice here and there is fine, but just think about all the stuff you’re
getting in it. A slice of cheese pizza alone is about 340 calories on average.
In that, you’re getting around 10 grams of fat and 460 mg of sodium.
Just a single slice gives you 20% of your daily requirement. If you happen to have 5 slices in a
sitting– which many of us do– you’re getting your entire sodium intake in just one meal.
Since pizza is usually quick and convenient, some people eat it multiple times a week. You’d
be hard pressed to find a college student who hasn’t eaten it every day at a certain point.
But because of all the salt and fat, you’re increasing your risk of a heart
attack. It will clog your arteries, forcing your heart to pump harder.
The best thing you could do for your heart health is cut back on the pizza slices.
Sounds like an impossible task, right? Lucky for you, I’m not telling you to drop it altogether.
Instead of a few times a week, try for only once a week. Trust me,
the wait will make the pizza taste even better.
A little less bacon in the frying pan.
We’re just killing all your favorites right now, aren’t we? Tough love just stinks sometimes.
As much as it pains me to say, bacon is clogging up your arteries. This makes your heart work twice
as hard to pump blood. If you don’t nip this in the bud, you could end up in a hospital bed.
The more bacon you have, the more it increases your bad cholesterol. This is all thanks to
saturated fat. Just one strip of bacon carries 3% of your daily saturated fat intake. That same
strip also has 11% of your sodium. So, the more bacon you have, the more tension you’re putting
on your heart. Studies have shown that 75% of heart attacks are related to high cholesterol.
Like pizza, you may want to cut your bacon intake down to once a week.
Red meat? More like dead meat!
If you pardon that little pun there,
we can get serious. Red meat is doing some serious damage to your heart.
Red meats like beef, pork and lamb may all taste good,
but we don’t realize how much saturated fat we’re getting in a serving. This will
increase your cholesterol and put pressure on your heart. A study found that red,
along with processed meat, increased your risk of coronary heart disease by 9%.
Instead of a thick piece of steak, I would go for a lean,
cut portion. This way, you’re getting less fat.
Say no to soda.
You’re familiar with the famous Pepsi/Coke dispute, right?
Well, let’s put an end to that right here. Whichever one of these soft drinks you choose,
it doesn’t matter! It’s going to end up doing damage to your heart either way.
The average adult is recommended between 24 to 36 grams of sugar a day. A single can of
Coca-Cola holds 32 grams! For the average female, that can alone is bringing her well
past her daily suggested intake. For the average male, he’s also cutting it close.
Sugary drinks are linked to higher instances of cardiovascular diseases. Not only do they
increase your chances of diabetes down the road, they will also put a huge strain on your heart.
I get it, a soda on a hot summer day is tempted. But, if you’re looking out for your health,
you should probably replace your Pepsi with water. This is something to think
about the next time you’re in the soft drink aisle at the grocery store.
Heart health and booze don’t mix.
Speaking of harmful drinks, we usually hear how alcohol affects
other aspects of your life. We don’t talk about how it hurts your heart.
Drinking booze on a regular basis increases your risk of high blood pressure. Over time, this leads
to heart attack or stroke. There’s also something called cardiomyopathy (car-dee-oh-my-op-ath-ee).
This is when the heart muscle is damaged to the point where it’s harder to pump blood.
When you’re drinking too much, alcoholic cardiomyopathy can set in. Research shows that
people diagnosed with this disease generally drink more alcohol than the average person.
I know summer’s here, and that fresh beer is just calling your name. But,
you might want to think about your heart health before you go digging into that 12-pack.
It’s time to get real about french fries.
We all have that random craving for fries every now and then. Trust me,
I’m the first one to admit it. Just seeing a person with McDonald’s french fries is
enough to have you racing to your nearest drive through. I hate to break it to you,
but scarfing down fries puts a lot of stress on your ticker.
Just a medium serving of McDonald’s fries are close to 400 calories.
This includes 14% of your daily saturated fat, and 10%
of your daily sodium. Just imagine if you’re going large or even Super Size.
If that doesn’t scare you, perhaps this will… Research has found that
people who eat french fries more than 3 times a week are more likely to die an early death.
So if you’re in the mood for some fast food, try having it without the fries. Maybe go for
a salad. It doesn’t sound like a whole lot of fun, but it’s worth it in the long run.
Canned soup… Really?
Well, this is a curveball. When most people hear “unhealthy food”, they think something along
the lines of junk food. Believe it or not, canned food also falls under this category.
Take chicken noodle for example. Sure it’s low in calories, but just one cup holds about 38%
of your daily sodium. A whole can is about 92! Along with the high amount of fat,
this mix will attack your heart.
What’s frightening is that a lot of people rely on canned goods. They’re so cheap and accessible,
people have them multiple times a week without realizing they’re elevating their blood pressure.
If you’re in the mood for soup, your best bet is to make it from scratch.
Try cooking it with low-sodium broth. If you don’t have time to make your own, be sure you’re reading
the label of the can. You want a brand with the least amount of fat and sodium you can find.
Yup, yogurt.
This is another surprising one. Well, we’ve ruined some of your favorite junk foods. We figured we’d
throw some healthy ones in for balance. Well, in yogurt’s case, I say “healthy” lightly.
Only certain types of yogurt are actually good for you, particularly the kinds that are low in fat.
Full-fat, flavored yogurt is loaded with sugar, yet people eat it thinking they're
doing wonders for their health. As a matter of fact, it’s doing the opposite. Full-fat
yogurt has been linked to weight gain, inflammation and high blood pressure.
If you want some good yogurt, read the label to make sure it’s low in fat. This is easy to miss,
since people are so eager to pick the best looking kind and throw
it into their shopping cart. Greek yogurt is particularly healthy. It
has low levels of cholesterol along with a whole bunch of nutrients.
Ice cream is not for you.
Okay, now that that’s over with, we can continue ruining the fun stuff.
You’ve probably heard that too much ice cream rots your teeth. Well,
that’s not all it’s rotting. Ice cream can really go to war with your heart.
We don’t need to tell you that ice cream is jam-packed with sugar. But,
people don’t realize that the mix of sugar and fat causes their triglyceride levels to
shoot through the roof. Triglycerides are a type of fat found in the blood. When your
triglycerides increase on a regular basis, you’re more likely to suffer a heart attack.
Ice cream is a guilty pleasure for a lot of us. Even older adults eat it more than they should.
If you’re watching your health, go for the kind with the lowest amount of sugar and fat.
You’re eating the wrong chicken.
Like red meat, how you cook your chicken is a personal thing. Some like it baked, others like
it grilled over a pan. I’m not here to judge. Just know that if you’re the fried chicken type,
you’re going to want to watch yourself. For a person with cardiovascular problems,
the mix of high fat and sodium can give your heart a run for its money.
A study from 2019 found that scarfing back fried chicken
on the regular leads to a higher chance of death from heart attack.
If you’re looking for some variety, bread your chicken skinless, put it on a baking tray and
throw it in the oven. This is much better for you than the kind out of the deep fryer.
Your diet is obviously important to your health, but there are so many other things to consider.
Interested in learning more? Let’s keep the conversation going with a couple
more health-related videos, shall we? Here’s what you need to know…
Check out 11 Simple Exercises That Show Results After Just 1 Workout!
Or how about Foods That Clean Your Arteries And Prevent A Heart Attack?
Go ahead, click one. Or better yet, watch both,
and learn more about how to get the healthy body you want. Are you considering cutting
any of these foods after watching this video? Let us know in the comments below!