Many people are up to the ‘heart attack challenges’ offered by restaurants for a minimal fee – after all, it’s a way to get your money’s worth. However, a 3,000-calorie meal filled with sugar and oil will not do your heart any good.
‘But I’m still young,’ you may think. Heart diseases are no laughing matter – in fact, it would be wise for us to start worrying about this important organ while we’re still relatively at our prime. In order to do so, we need to moderate our consumption of the following foods:
Ketchup
This may be your favorite condiment but Miami-based cardiologist Juan Rivera said that ketchup has a high sodium content. Apparently, just two tablespoons of it already have 320 milligrams of sodium!
If you don’t know how serious that sounds, it takes 14 percent of the American Heart Association-recommended daily limit of 2,300 milligrams! Moreover, two tablespoons of ketchup also have 8 grams of sugar.
French Fries
Anything fried can wreak havoc on your ticker – and this includes French fries. In previous research, it was found that this salty snack is associated with the increase in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
Potato and Corn Chips
Generally, cardiologists don’t like junk foods. They’re not only filled with carbs, they are also generously seasoned with sodium and have high trans fat content!
Of course, your doctor will always advise you to stay away from chips but we all know we can’t follow that suggestion. As such, experts suggest buying the least gluttonous choice and to eat in moderation – this means limiting the bags of junk foods you’ll consume in a day.
Fruit-Flavored Yogurt
Labels bearing the word ‘fruit’ on it don’t necessarily mean they are nutritious. Take for example yogurts as you’ll often see fruit-flavored variants.
The saying ‘less is more’ is true here: that is, it is better for yogurt to have lesser flavor. The fruit flavored ones tend to pack tons of sugar – at least 6 teaspoons of it.
What you can do is to buy plain Greek yogurt and add frozen fruits like berries, which are known for their antioxidant properties.
Coffee Creamer
Coffee on its own is not bad – it has antioxidants and can make you feel energized and alert. But as with yogurt, the plainer it is, the better.
In short, black coffee is healthier than lighter ones. Coffee creamer, especially the non-dairy kind, may contain hydrogenated oil or trans fat that may lead to plaque in the arteries.
Energy Bars
Although not all, many energy bars are only candy bars marketed as healthy snacks for fitness buffs. The key here is to read the labels and see if the company used too many processed ingredients.