For 50 years, saturated fat–found in meat, butter, cheese, and many baked goods and fried foods–has been demonized as the no. 1 dietary villain in cardiovascular disease (CVD). Yet decades of research show that sugar is actually even worse for the heart than saturated fat.
Sugar: The #1 Enemy in American Diets
A large body of research showed that sugar is even worse for your heart than saturated (bad) fat.
Eating too much red meat could be bad for your health
Sizzling steaks and juicy burgers are staples in many people's diets. But research has shown that regularly eating red meat and processed meat can raise the risk of type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke and certain cancers, especially colorectal cancer.
Red and processed meats do increase health risks.
In spite of what the Annals of Internal Medicine study suggests, Dr. Hu says that an accumulated body of evidence shows a clear link between high intake of red and processed meats and a higher risk for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and premature death.
Finally, health experts say to stay away from processed meats, which are generally considered to be unhealthy. These include any meat that has been smoked, salted, cured, dried, or canned. Compared to fresh meat, processed meats are high in sodium and can have double the amount of nitrates.
Eating too much sugar is associated with larger fat deposits around the heart and in the abdomen, which are risky for health.
So how long does it take for excess carbohydrates to turn to body fat? Once a meal is consumed, your body either uses the calories as fuel, or stores the calories in fat cells to be used a later time. Within four to eight hours from the beginning of a meal, your body begins to store consumed calories as fat.
If you eat too much and exercise too little, you're likely to carry excess weight — including belly fat. Also, your muscle mass might diminish slightly with age, while fat increases.
In general, red meats (such as beef, pork and lamb) have more saturated fat than skinless chicken, fish and plant proteins. Saturated fats can raise your blood cholesterol and increase your risk of heart disease. If you eat poultry, pork, beef or other meats, choose lean meat, skinless poultry, and unprocessed forms.
“There's evidence that shows red meat and processed meats – such as bacon and sausage – are not good for your health,” says Zumpano. “Anytime you choose to have red meat, it should be the leanest cut you can find and you should limit the amount.”
Red meat (such as beef, lamb and pork) can form part of a healthy diet. But eating a lot of red and processed meat probably increases your risk of bowel (colorectal) cancer. Processed meat refers to meat that has been preserved by smoking, curing, salting or adding preservatives.
Cruciferous Vegetables
Vegetables that belong to the cabbage family such as cauliflower, Brussels, broccoli, and sprouts should never be consumed raw. These vegetables contain sugar that is difficult to digest. Eating these vegetables raw may lead to a number of gastronomical problems.
By adopting one small change in your eating habits — by lessening or removing sugar from your diet — studies show you can lower your cholesterol, maintain a healthy weight, control blood pressure and blood sugar levels, manage the progression of heart disease and high blood pressure, and increase the chances of a long ...
Excess sugar that cannot be broken down and absorbed by the body will be left to sit in the bowels, where it ferments. This sugar moves more slowly through the large intestine, feeding bad bacteria and yeast, and causing a build-up of gas. This gas can cause cramping, spasms and pain.
Excess sugar attaches to proteins in your bloodstream and creates harmful molecules called “AGEs,” or advanced glycation end products. These molecules do exactly what they sound like they do: age your skin.
Cutting down sugar helps in improving insulin resistance, makes you feel active and energetic and further boosts your kidney function and metabolism. "Cutting down sugar will reduce your hunger pangs and also prevent mood swings since they are mostly caused by sugar spikes," the expert added.
Cut added sugar and you could lower calories and body weight, which could improve your cholesterol. But it's not just the weight loss. Even at the same weight as others, people who got less than 20% of their calories from added sugars tended to have lower triglycerides.
"Ribeye is one of the worst steaks to order," says Lisa Young, PhD, RDN, author of Finally Full, Finally Slim. "It is marbled with fat and full of saturated fat as well. This type of fat is unhealthy for the heart as it can raise your LDL 'unhealthy' cholesterol and can clog arteries."
Lamb and beef have similar calories, total fat, protein, vitamin, and mineral content—but lamb (especially grass-fed lamb) is the winner when it comes to omega-3 fat content. Grass-fed lamb also has higher quantities of the healthy fat CLA, which is beneficial for cognitive, cardiovascular, and metabolic health.
Potatoes for health and nutrition
They're rich in vitamin C, which is an antioxidant. Potatoes were a life-saving food source in early times because the vitamin C prevented scurvy. Another major nutrient in potatoes is potassium, an electrolyte which aids in the workings of our heart, muscles, and nervous system.