Favorite Foods – Are they safe and healthy for your body?

People enjoy dining out at their favorite restaurant or fast-food for convenience. Some of the favorite foods are visually attractive, appealing to the eye, and so aromatically enticing in the air, as they drive by or walk through a local festival. We cannot resist the mouthwatering, deliciousness all around us, especially if it’s sweet and flavorful. When our senses are tempted so severely, we don’t stop to think if the food is good for us or healthy for our body. All we can think about is sinking our teeth into the first bite of deliciousness, then feeling the sensation of satisfaction in our mouth. Some of America’s favorite foods are:

• Hot Dogs

• Cheeseburgers or Hamburgers

• French Fries

• Onion Rings

• Cinnamon Rolls

• Fresh Baked Breads

• Pastries

• Pizza

• A juicy steak of any kind

• BBQ Ribs

• Mac & Cheese (especially loaded Mac & Cheese)

• Spaghetti & Meatballs, Fettuccine, Lasagna, and Garlic Bread

• Fried Chicken, Chicken Nuggets, Chicken Strips, Chicken and Waffles

• Sub Sandwiches

• Pancakes, Waffles, Biscuits & Gravy, Country Fried Steak, Fast-Food Breakfast sandwiches,

• Beer, Wine, Vodka, Tequila, Mixed Drinks

• Soda (regular or diet), Lemonade (regular or flavored), Sparkling Drinks, Energy Drinks, Juice

  
  

The list goes on and on. Some of the favorite restaurants are usually fast-food restaurants such as

• McDonald's – Double Bacon Smokehouse Burger contains 1,130 calories, 27 g. of saturated fat, and 1920 mg. sodium. These numbers will increase your waistline, LDL cholesterol, clog up your arteries, and increase the risk of heart disease.

• Burger King – A delicious Tripple Whopper contains 1,140 calories, 27 g. of saturated fat, 5 g. of trans fat, and 840 mg. sodium. These numbers will also increase your waistline, LDL cholesterol, clog up your arteries, and increase the risk of heart disease.

• Wendy’s – Full Size Taco Salad has 620 calories, 28 g. of fat, and 1,760 mg. of sodium. You might think since this is a salad it is healthier than a hamburger. There is taco meat on the salad, which is high in fat and sodium, not to mention the numbers increase with dressing or salsa, depending on which one you use

• KFC – Original recipe chicken contains 303 calories, 4.2 g. of saturated fat, 0.1 g. trans. Fat, 117 mg of cholesterol, and 835 mg. of sodium. This is a healthier choice compared to a burger.

• Chick-fil-A – Sandwiches range from 335 – 600 calories, 18 g. fat on average, and 775 mg. sodium.

• Popeyes – Chicken thigh 428 calories, 10 g. saturated fat, 0.9 g trans. fat, and 945 mg. of sodium

• Subway – A chicken, bacon, ranch 12” sub contains 540 calories, 10 g. saturated fat, and 1,100 mg. of sodium. Other sandwiches may be healthier. This sandwich should be avoided or buy a 6” and eat the other half tomorrow.

• Nothing Bundt Cakes – Bundtlet contains 210 calories (depending on the flavor), 6 g. saturated fat, 60 mg. of cholesterol, and 260 mg. of sodium

• GiGi’s Cupcakes – Regular cupcake (depending on the flavor) contains 690-780 calories, 15g. saturated fat (average), 490-530 mg. sodium

• The Cheesecake Factory – Cheesecake contains 500 calories per slice, 18 g. saturated fat, 140 mg. cholesterol, 47 g. carbohydrates, 35 g. sugar, 400 mg. sodium

Let’s not forget it was the fast-food industry that was first to supersize everything, trying to convince consumers that they are receiving more “bang for their buck”. You sure did all right. Your medical bills and health problems increased like never before, along with obesity and heart disease, yet people continue to eat unhealthily. Their palettes are trained to enjoy the taste of fried foods (grease), the smell of fried foods, and the appearance of fast foods, not to mention convenience seems to be more important than their health. It's hard to believe how harmful creative ads, supersizing, encouraging parents to bring their children to fast-food restaurants, and saving money on unhealthy meals is better than good health to live a long, happy life with family and friends.

There are buffet and a’ la carte restaurants that allows us to overeat and cost more such as

• The Golden Corral

• MCL Cafeteria

• Ryan’s Steakhouse

• Sirloin Stockade

  
  

People make choices by sight, smell, taste, and recommendations to try out. We do not normally make choices for our health and body. Usually when we eat in places like these, we pay for it later. The most obvious side effects from eating unhealthily are bloat, diarrhea, constipation, a rise in sugar levels, and weight gain. Develop a routine and stick to this routine, no matter where you eat, whether it is at home, dining out, or at someone’s home. It is extremely difficult to maintain a healthy weight and body once you get away from a healthy routine.

Here are a few healthier choices when dining out.

1.      Red Lobster – Costly, but much healthier than fast food. Fish is an extremely healthy choice. It contains omega-3, high in protein, antioxidants, selenium (helps the thyroid gland to absorb nutrients), served cooked or raw and safe to eat, beneficial for weight loss, enhances fetal development and healthy birth weights, and has a variety of healthy side dishes.

2.      Chick-fil-A – This restaurant offers low-calorie chicken sandwiches and healthy sides. Their chargrilled chicken sandwiches average 335 calories. None of their sandwiches are more than 600 calories. However, everything is fried in 100% peanut oil, which contains twice the monounsaturated fats than vegetable oil. For those with nut allergies, this is not the place to eat. Be careful of your bread intake for the day if you decide to eat any sandwich.

3.      Mexican food – Chipotle, Taco Bell, Moe’s, Agave Azul

4.      Pizza – Since most pizza places are similar in nutrition, the best way to eat a healthier pizza is to consider your choices such as a veggie pizza, crustless pizza, one or two toppings only to reduce the saturated fat content, do no order extra cheese or stuffed crust, and portion sizes. One or two slices makes a healthy meal. Take the rest home for tomorrow or in a couple of days.

5.      Eating out anywhere – Look over the menu for the healthiest selections such as a side or chef salad, grilled meat instead of fried or deep fried, eat more vegetables than meat and bread, portion sizes – order an 8 oz., verses a 12 oz or 16 oz piece of meat, stay away from desserts, breads and breadsticks or anything deep fried like cheese sticks.

6.      Home-Cooked Meals - A better choice is lean meats such as 90/10 or 85/15 ground beef, chicken that is broiled, baked, or grilled (not deep fried), venison, wild caught fish (with a low or no mercury content). Fish from farms are fed grain with chemicals, which is bad for our bodies.

Fresh vegetables, herbs, and fruits from a local orchard or your garden are extremely healthy for your gut. Store bought vegetables and fruits that are treated with chemicals such as insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides, depending on the produce. Specific chemicals that are widely used can include malathion, chlorpyrifos, and thiamethoxam, among others. Some produce test higher for pesticide residues, often referred to as the “Dirty Dozen”. These include strawberries, spinach, grapes, peaches, and apples.

Avocadoes, pineapple, and sweet corn are referred to as the “Clean Fifteen”, which typically have lower test levels for pesticide. It is always safer to thoroughly wash any produce before consuming. For preservation produce is coated with either carnauba wax, beeswax, or paraffin wax on the produce, that sometimes cannot be washed off. Consuming store-bought vegetables and fruit can hurt your body, if not peeled or processed correctly. These contain fiber, which helps the gut move the unwanted waste through the gut and provides the body with vitamins and enzymes our body needs.

What about energy drinks, alcohol, pastries, and sweets?

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Alcohol – Liver, heart, and kidney disease, brain and nervous system problems, increased risk of cancer, digestive and immune problems, mental health problems, birth defects, bone damage, eye problems, diabetes complications, and addiction.

A glass of wine daily may not be good for everyone. It has been known to help boost brain health, raises HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol), improves the layer of cells that line blood vessels, prevents artery damage from LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol), and promote longevity and protect against harmful inflammation. However, wine should be consumed in moderation, one or two glasses a day. Consult your doctor before drinking any type of wine or other alcohol for health reasons.

Energy Drinks – high caffeine levels can cause rapid heart rate, irregular heartbeats, increase blood pressure (hypertension), and heart attacks, interferes with sleep patterns leading to insomnia and poor sleep quality, anxiety and nervousness, digestive issues, dehydration, headaches, and addiction.

Sweets and Pastries – Weight gain, obesity, blood sugar spikes eventually leading to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, dental cavities, increased risk of certain cancers, and cognitive decline due to spikes in blood sugar, and crashes caused by a high sugar spike, elevated cholesterol levels and an increase of heart disease, chronic inflammation throughout the body which leads to various health problems.

If you want to live a long, healthy life without health problems, aches, and pains, take tons of medication, and major medical bills, it is time to take charge of your health. You need to make better food choices, see your doctor at least every 6 months to once a year for an annual checkup, and be more aware of what your body is trying to tell you. Don’t eat food just because it is sitting in front of you, or you feel the need for seconds. Know when your body is satisfied, not full or overly full. Drink more water and other fluids to help your body feel full. Take more walks and absorb the vitamin D from the sun. Lack of vitamin D can cause kidney and other health problems.

Take back your life! Eat healthier, grow your own food, use herbs and spices for health benefits and seasoning, and save money. You deserve better. You are the only person standing in your way to have a healthier heart, mind, body, and soul. Feel good again and spend more time with family and friends. Afterall, isn’t this what life is all about?

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written by Marietta Smith