Category Archives: Dangers of Unhealthy Eating

7 Unhealthy Drinks That Can Sabotage Your Diet and Damage Your Health

They Are Not Worth the Cost

. . .  and I’m not talking about money – but (as a side note), many unhealthy drinks are very pricey!

Too many Americans happily consume drinks that are harmful to their bodies. Maybe it’s a lack of awareness, maybe they love them so much they are unwilling to give them up, or maybe they think they will live forever and don’t have to worry about such things.

Unhealthy Dinks
Credit-talpaksoy@iStock

Are you one of the many who continually indulge? 

  • Do you make that quick stop every morning on your way to work for your favorite Starbucks Frappuccino?
  • Do you look forward to that afternoon coffee break when you can relax with a cold brew filled with sugar and cream?
  • How about after work when you join friends for a couple of cold beers before heading home?
  • Do you have a bottle of wine every night with dinner? 
  • Do you rely on energy drinks to keep you going throughout the day? 

The calories are easy to ignore when you are drinking unhealthy drinks because they taste so good. But those extra calories could be the reason you aren’t losing the pounds you want to lose — and the drinks are damaging your health, putting you at risk for serious problems especially as you get older.

If you are addicted to your favorite drink, what I’m going to say may not make a difference, but I hope you will at least consider the facts.  Who knows, maybe your drink isn’t one of the seven 

 

7 Unhealthy Drinks to Avoid

To get your diet and/or your healthy habits back on track, limit your consumption of the following seven types of drinks — or better yet, avoid them altogether.

1. Sweetened Sodas

One 12-ounce regular soda will contain a minimum of 140 calories.

High levels of sugar place stress on the pancreas, potentially leaving it unable to keep up with the body’s need for insulin. Drinking one or two sugary drinks per day increases the risk for type 2 diabetes by 25%.

People drink sodas to quench thirst, but they do just the opposite — they cause dehydration. They also make it difficult for the body to absorb nutrients, they can cause constipation, and the caramel coloring in sodas has been linked to several cancers including leukemia and vascular/heart issues.

 

2. Diet Sodas

Even though the negative health effects of diet drinks and artificial sweeteners are controversial, you should be aware of them.

In my opinion, they are as bad (or worse) than regular sodas.

They contain little nutritional value. They are a mixture of carbonated water, artificial sweeteners (e.g. aspartame, cyclamate, saccharin, acesulfame-k, or sucralose), food coloring, added artificial flavor, acids, preservatives, and often caffeine, plus other food additives.

Harvard Medical School study of 3,318 women, found that diet cola is linked with a two-fold increased risk for kidney decline.

Healthline reports:

“Several observational studies have found that using artificial sweeteners and drinking high amounts of diet soda is associated with an increased risk of obesity and metabolic syndrome.”

This one is a wolf in sheep’s clothing and one of the unhealthy drinks that can be so tempting for people trying to control their weight, but should be avoided.

4. Energy Drinks

These may be the worst of the lot! 

The popular brands of energy drinks contain high amounts of added sugars and caffeine, which many believe can cause serious delayed heart problems that show up as you age. They also contain questionable ingredients such as taurine, tyrosine, and beta alanine.

They deliver on the promised benefits of increased brain function and helping you function when you’re tired or sleep deprived. However, the health concerns outweigh the benefits.

High Energy Drink - Unhealthy Drinks
Image by jorge-franganillE@Unsplash

They are even more dangerous when mixed with alcohol – as Healthline reports:

“The stimulating effects of caffeine in energy drinks can override the depressive effects of alcohol. This can leave you feeling less intoxicated while still experiencing alcohol-related impairments.

This combination can be very troubling. People who ingest energy drinks with alcohol tend to report heavier alcohol consumption. They’re also more likely to drink and drive, and suffer from alcohol-related injuries.”

 

4. Bottled Fruit Juice

Juice was considered a healthy drink choice for years and still is when freshly prepared. However, packaged fruit juices are not healthy. They are essentially flavored sugar water that lacks the fiber and nutrition associated with real fruit.

They can trigger a blood sugar spike that does not happen with freshly squeezed juices.

If you want a healthy glass of fruit juice, get a juicer or squeeze it by hand.

 

5. Alcohol

Alcohol is not diet-friendly. A full-flavored beer or small size glass of wine will contain 140–200 calories.

Bourbon, scotch, vodka, etc. are lower in calories than beer or wine when served over ice. But. as mixed drinks, the calorie count can be significant. If you do choose to drink hard liquor, drink it straight or mixed with seltzer water to minimize calories. But, the best choice is to avoid alcohol completely!

 

6. Frappuccino’s and Specialty Drinks

These great-tasting drinks seem harmless. They are just coffee with a little flavoring — right? Yes and No. The biggest problem is that the most popular drinks are loaded with caffeine, sugar, and fat. A Frappuccino usually starts at 500 calories and goes up from there.

In other words, you are eating a full-meal calorie count in one drink, which contains practically no nutrients, except the milk. It may satisfy you for a while, but you will probably still eat a full lunch or dinner — adding more calories to your daily total.

It is easy to see how one Frappuccino a day can quickly push your diet into the ditch — and leave you wondering why you are not losing weight. Plus, the excessive amount of sugar and fat create many health risks, e.g., diabetes and heart disease. 

 

7. Coffee Flavorings

Black coffee has minimal calories, but by adding flavored creamers, syrups, or sugar you add calories. The answer is — learn to drink coffee black or with a dollop of heavy cream and Stevia for sweetener to limit the calorie intake. And it is wise to limit your coffee intake to two cups daily.

Helpful Hint: Cold-brewed coffee is generally less bitter. This is one choice that may make it easier to drink your coffee black.

 

Maybe it’s time to ask if your drink choices are sabotaging your diet. How many extra calories are you “drinking” that may be the culprit that is stalling your effort to lose weight?

And . . . do your drink choices have the potential of harming your health – if not now, what about the long-term?

 

Related Articles:

Don’t Choose to Die Before Your Time

You Can Be in Control

Healthy Food Vs Junk Food - Don't Choose to Die
Credit: Kaisorn/iStock

There are few things in life over which we have control. But, one thing over which we have complete control is that we choose what we eat. Every day we decide which foods we put into our bodies.

There is a vast assortment of rich, natural, fresh foods that take some thought and preparation. Or, the second possibility is a variety of unhealthy foods that are easy and convenient. Sadly, the price you may pay for the second choice is to be plagued with poor health and to die before your time.

Eating healthy is a popular trend today. It is my hope that it will become a common American lifestyle than will last for generations – rather than just a passing fad.

You would have to live in a cave to be unaware that you should be eating healthy foods. Yet, despite the abundance of information promoting healthy food, unhealthy foods still make up a large portion of many diets.

NEWS-Medical/Life Sciences explains that,

Fast food or junk food is a generic term for all kinds of foods which are rich in energy, because they contain a lot of fat and sugar, as well as salt, but are relatively low in other important nutrients such as protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Bad Decisions Made by Busy People

It is common knowledge that fast foods, junk food, and processed quick meals are not healthy. The challenge for most Americans is that their lives are busy, too busy. They work 12-hour days, seven days a week, and rarely take time off for fun. Eating has become a necessity and not a pleasure.

Time is at a premium for busy people. They will do anything to find more time, including eating whatever is the easiest and most convenient, without considering the nutrient value of their food choices. It stops the hunger pangs and that is enough. However, it is difficult to understand why they ignore the fact that their choices do not provide enough nutrients to sustain good health.

Fast foods, junk foods, and highly processed foods are loaded with calories because of the high sugar and fat content. Another frightening fact provided by WebMD is, “These types of foods are very addictive.” Once you are hooked, it is a tough habit to break.

A steady diet of unhealthy foods can do serious damage to your health. It will eventually take a heavy toll on your physical and mental well-being. It can also contribute to a much shorter lifespan than you would like to have. As the title says, don’t choose to die before your time.

8 Health Threats from an Unhealthy Diet

Let’s look at some ways that an unhealthy diet hurts your mind, your body, and is a danger to your children.

Weight Gain Is Inevitable

This is practically guaranteed. Eating foods loaded with calories may taste good and satisfy some unhealthy cravings for fat and sugar; but they don’t satisfy the needs of your body. The foods you eat must provide the nutrients required for good health, or you will face the consequences. Plus, the body will store the excess calories as fat, and you will gain weight.

Big Mac/Fries/CokeFor example, a McDonald’s Big Mac contains 540 calories. A homemade whole grain chicken salad sandwich of the same size is much more filling and contains only 320 calories.

By eating at McDonalds for only one of your daily meals, you add an extra 220 low-nutrient calories per day. If you do this every day of the week, you add 1,540 calories for the week. Add an order of fries with the hamburger at 230 calories each, and you pick up an additional 1,610 calories per week. totaling 3,150 calories extra per week. If you do this for a few weeks, you will pile on the pounds quickly.

Science Daily reports that an unhealthy diet filled with these types of foods is one of the leading causes of obesity, which also increases your risk of developing diabetes.

Mental Health Issues

There have been concerns for years about the impact of junk food on mental health. My son took his own life because of bipolar disorder. Since then I have closely followed the studies on this. I think his condition was exacerbated by his steady diet of junk food and energy drinks.There was nothing I could do to convince him to change his diet. He refused with dire consequences.

A study published Feb. 16, 2019 in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, showed that:

California adults who consumed more unhealthy food were also more likely to report symptoms of either moderate or severe psychological distress than their peers who consume a healthier diet.

Jim E. Banta, PhD, MPH, associate professor at Loma Linda University School of Public Health and lead author of the study, said the results are similar to previous studies in other countries that have found a link between mental illness and unhealthy diet choices. Increased sugar consumption has been found to be associated with bipolar disorder, for example, and consumption of foods that have been fried or contain high amounts of sugar and processed grains have been linked with depression

Bad diets have also been linked to memory loss and dementia due to high blood pressure and cholesterol disrupting the blood supply to the brain.

Ask yourself, “Is the convenience or instant gratification received from eating fast food and junk food worth endangering yourself with the possibility of mental illness?”

Damaged Organs

Poor-quality food deprives your vital organs of the nutrients needed to do their jobs. If deprived long enough, damage can occur, which can lead to eventual organ failure.

For example: Healthy carbohydrates support the central nervous system, brain, and immune system. Fruits and vegetables provide vitamins and minerals that support the heart. Without these nutrients, the blood vessels in and around your heart can be damaged, and you increase the risk of a heart attack.

Your organs will not remain heathy and continue to do what they are meant to do without a steady diet of nutritious-rich foods,

Muscle Weakness

Food with high levels of unhealthy fats, processed sugar and white flour, and little or no proteins is dangerous. Some favored snacks like chocolate, chips, donuts, cookies, sodas, and energy drinks contain no protein.

Even fast food hamburgers and sausages don’t contain much protein. The meat is mostly fat, unlike fish, chicken, and lean meat, which are loaded with protein. Plus, the sodium content in fast-food sandwiches is dreadfully high and creates its own set of health issues – specifically high blood pressure.

Protein fuels body maintenance. It is needed to build new cells and to maintain and repair existing cells. If  the foods eaten do not provide adequate protein, the body will take it from existing muscle cells. Then, the muscles shrink and become weak.

Unsightly Skin Problems

The skin is the largest organ of the body, and the one that other people see. It is nourished by the foods we eat just like all the other organs. skin problemsEating unhealthy foods that do not contain adequate nutrients is a sure path to several nasty skin problems.

Vitamins and minerals from fresh fruits and vegetables will keep your skin smooth and clear with a healthy glow. When your diet short-changes your body on vitamins, your skin can become dry and scaly. It can also lead to the development of unsightly age spots and skin rashes. Not ingesting enough minerals will cause premature wrinkles and skin sores.

There have been studies done that have found a possible connection between fast foods and acne. There is no empirical evidence of the connection, but it is highly probable. This is a condition that you do not want. The chance that it causes acne makes fast foods unacceptable as part of your regular diet.

It is important to take good care of our skin since it plays a major part in “our” presentation to the world.

Unstable Blood Sugar Levels

One of the main tenants of eating well is to limit your intake of “added sugars.” This means processed sugar of any kind including granulated sugar (AKA sucrose). There are many others that you commonly see on food labels such as: lactose, dextrose, maltose, high fructose corn syrup, etc. (there is a long list).

An unhealthy diet does only the opposite. It floods your body with added sugars (AKA simple sugars). Most junk foods are filled with them. Every time you eat a donut, a candy bar, your favorite Frappuccino, an ice cream cone, a Ho-Ho, a packaged fruit pie, or a Big Gulp, you are flooding your body with sugar.

Simple sugars (processed or added sugars) are dangerous is because they digest quickly and enter your blood stream immediately. The sugar creates a short surge of energy that feels good, but quickly crashes, leaving you feeling drained.

When you are continually eating sugary snacks, you create frequent surges and drops in blood sugar. Your concentration and performance are compromised, which can affect your productivity. The surges can also damage your blood vessels and increase your risk of contracting diabetes. You can recognize the surges and drops by your fluctuating energy levels.

Added sugars have also been associated with rising levels of obesity, heart disease, and increased cancer risk.

Higher Risk for Chronic Disease

Added sugars, along with unhealthy fats, and sodium, make up the trifecta of dangerous ingredients in unhealthy foods. In addition to the trifecta, most junk foods are filled with additives – chemicals, preservatives, and trans fats.

Unfortunately, the medical world and food manufacturers have known about the dangers of these additives for some time. There is a lot of information that has built consensus among the experts regarding the connection of additives and chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease. Additives were found extremely toxic for the kidneys, creating problems like renal failure.

The recommendation on foods that contain additives is to consume them at your own risk. Keep in mind that the main purpose of additives is to increase the shelf life of a product, to make it more addictive, and/or to make it taste better. The effect on health is not a factor in deciding whether to use them, or not.

A Threat to Your Children

Young boy eating fast food
Credit: pushlama/iStock

This is most the serious problem. Your eating habits influence your children in the way eat now and how they will eat in the future. Children learn eating habits from their parents. If you eat fast foods and junk foods regularly, or – if you are unconcerned about eating a healthy diet or ensuring that your children eat healthy foods, you will be establishing habits that will be almost impossible to break. You will set them on a path that may bring serious health problems and early death long before you are ready to let them go.

NEWS-Medical/Life Sciences warns the public that:

Fast food intake more than three times a week is associated with greater odds of atopic disorder [in children] such as asthma, eczema or rhinitis, while asthma severity is almost 40% higher in teenagers and more than 25% in younger children.

Eating junk food 4-6 times a week leads to lower math and reading skills compared with the children who did not eat so much junk food.

Make Eating Well a Priority

There are other statistics I could quote, but I think you get the idea. Make eating well a priority. Take care of yourself and your children. Eat well – stay well – live well (for a long time).

Eating healthy may not seem like it should be a priority when you are extremely busy. But . . . remember, your health is your most valuable asset. Make it a priority and join the trend of eating healthy. Then, take it a big step further and make it your lifestyle.

Healthy eating doesn’t have to be time consuming. A healthy omelet with a side salad can be prepared in less than 15 minutes. A pot roast with all the trimmings can be put together in the crock pot in 15 to 20 minutes. A healthy breakfast of a piece of fruit and hearty wheat toast with peanut butter can be ready in 5 minutes.

There Are Books to Help You

There are many books available to help you with the learning curve, which may be involved if healthy eating is new to you. Go to Amazon.com and type in “healthy eating” or “healthy eating cookbooks.”  Check out any of the “Mediterranean Diet” books if you prefer a structured eating plan to help you establish this new pattern without making you crazy,

Healthy Foods like those described above are quick and easy once you get past the learning curve.

Hopefully, you will be more willing to make different food choices now that you are more aware of what can happen if you don’t. No one wants to die before your time.  You have it within your power to ensure that you, and those you love, live long and healthy lives.

Choose to eat healthy. Protect your life and the lives of your children from the dangers discussed in this article.

Thanks for joining us today.  Hope to see you next time.

Nancy