There's no denying to the many bacon lovers that bacon is delicious. But it's not very good for you -- in fact, it's one of the worst things you can eat. One average serving of bacon -- three slices -- contains 435 milligrams of sodium -- about one-fifth of the average adult's daily allowance [source: Magee].
An average healthy adult eating a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet should aim for 45 to 65 percent of those calories to come from carbohydrates, preferably unrefined (and remember, carbs include all the sugar you eat, not just bread and pasta). You also want no more than 66 grams of fat (including less than 20 grams of saturated fat) and no more than 2,400 milligrams of sodium per day [source: Klein, Jacob].
If your daily diet is full of junk foods such as fried foods, processed deli meats, bacon and soda, you have an increased risk of some major health conditions -- and if you eat these kinds of foods six days a week, you increase your risk of stroke by 41 percent compared to if you only indulged in them once a month [source: AP].
Following nutrition guidelines and eating healthy foods does make a difference. People who eat five servings of fruits and vegetables every day live longer than people who don't. But even if you'd rather have a slice of apple pie than an apple, you can make healthier choices, at least avoiding the foods you know absolutely aren't good for you.
Drinking soda is like drinking liquid candy. Seriously. Sodasare sugary calorie bombs that have contributed to the obesity epidemic in our country -- and our soda habit has also been linked to an increased risk of certain cancers, premature aging and hormone disruption.
Most sodas contain high fructose corn syrup (which is where all the calories come from), food dyes, preservatives and other sketchy ingredients. And your soda habit isn't just making you fat; it's also linked to cavities and tooth decay. Some sodas also contain an ingredient called brominated vegetable oil (BVO); BVO is supposed to keep the artificial flavors and the rest of your soda from separating -- and it also keeps plastics flame retardant and is linked to memory loss, nerve disorders and skin conditions. Diet soda drinkers also need to worry about the impact of artificial sweeteners on their health, which we'll go into detail on next.
Every year, each American consumes more than his fair share of sugar -- about 150 pounds (68 kilograms) of it. And about 29 pounds (13 kilograms) of that is table sugar -- the granulated kind, which is also called sucrose [source: Casey]. Some comes from honey, maple syrup or fructose (which is naturally found in fruits), but many of us also have a bad sugar substitute habit.
There are five artificial sweeteners, also called non-nutritive sweeteners, that the FDA considers safe for humans to eat: acesulfame potassium (acesulfame K), aspartame, neotame, saccharin and sucralose [source: USDA]. Some sugar substitutes may leave you with a bad taste in your mouth, literally, but that's not the only thing bad about them. While we love our artificial sweeteners because they're zero or low-calorie, we really don't know how bad they are for us. There have been some confusing claims over the last few decades, but at the end of the day, these sugar-free sweeteners may be significantly increasing your risk of health problems such as weight gain as well as metabolic syndrome, Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease [source: Scutti].
Shelf-stable condiments sure do make life a little easier -- we won't argue that. We're talking about those condiments that are kept at room temperature -- single-serving packets or tubes of dips, self-serve pumps of your favorite sauce, bottles of ketchup and other sauces and salad dressings that sit out on the table at your local diner, and even those little prepackaged creamers for your coffee. Convenient, yes, but at what price?
There's a reason these foods can skip the refrigeration, and it's not because they're dried or fermented as shelf-stable foods of the past were; these condiments have been engineered not to deteriorate -- and that means preservatives and additives such as food coloring, sweeteners, salt, bad fats (such as trans fats, which are linked to premature heart disease) and chemical agents such as dimethylpolysiloxane for texture. (That example, dimethylpolysiloxane, is used as an anti-foaming agent in ketchup and many processed and fast foods -- think about that: Should ketchup foam?) Any fiber, good fats and nutrients are stripped out in the process.
Most fish and shellfish can be part of a healthy diet. They're packed full of protein and are good sources of fats (they're low in saturated fat and full of omega-3 fatty acids). Most also contain mercury, at least some amount, and some fish contain more than others. Swordfish, for example, is one of those mercury-dense varieties (also included on this fishy list are king mackerel, marlin, orange roughy, shark, and tilefish). Albacore tuna, too, contains more mercury than canned light tuna, so choose wisely.
High levels of mercury in the fish we eat may harm the developing brain and nervous system of a fetus or young child because mercury is a neurotoxin, and because of this the FDA and EPA recommend against eating these fish, especially if you're pregnant, may become pregnant or are a nursing mother -- and kids need to avoid it, too.
*Moderator note: I do believe I'll allow you to finish this of your own volition.
http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/everyday-myths/10-absolutely-worst-foods-to-eat4.htm
