Many things can cause premature death, from distracted drivers to pianos falling from a window. Still, the most serious threats for your health, responsible for most of the early deaths in the world are two types of food, and they’re not all that uncommon; they’re all around us.
There are many ways of improving your lifestyle, and eating healthy is easier than you think, but if you were to avoid two types of food, which would they be? Well, here are two things that increase your risk of early death, and both are avoidable.
You might not want to hear this because these unhealthy foods are probably dear to you. In fact, they’re probably in your fridge and pantry right now. Still, you might want to ditch them.
Simple Carbs, Suspect Number One
We don’t wanted to say this, but you must know. Sugar and other simple carbs like white flours are responsible for a great deal of premature deaths in the world. We’ve gotten used to these sweeteners and flours, and they’re everywhere you look.
The bad news is that they’re terribly unhealthy. Simple carbs become energy in your system almost as fast as you ingest them, and that energy, if not used, is stored as body fat. So, unless you’re running a marathon after eating all those twinkies, they’ll become fat in your body.
Being overweight has severe consequences in your circulatory system, and they often end causing premature death. From clogged arteries to chronic inflammation, simple carbs are silent killers, and although they take their time to take their toll, they’ll undoubtedly claim their victim.
Trans Fats, Suspect Number Two
So, there are different types of fat, and no, they’re not all unhealthy. In fact, monounsaturated fats like the ones you’ll find in avocados and olive oil are super healthy — they can even lower your cholesterol levels and keep your blood pressure low.
Saturated fat is found in red meat, butter and other animal-based products. And although for a while we thought saturated fats were the enemy here, now we know this type of fat is healthy as long as you don’t overdo it, and it’s not responsible for the millions of deaths related to heart disease and obstructed arteries — that’s the trans fats who are responsible.
What are trans fats? This type of fat doesn’t exist in nature; it’s man-made by hydrogenating liquid oils to turn them into solids. Margarine is the most common example, but trans fats are common in almost every processed food, sweet teat, bake and many other delicious (yet unhealthy) food.
Other Things to Avoid
You might also want to avoid excess saturated fats, processed food, artificial flavorings and other chemicals commonly added to store-bought food. Your best bet is eating fresh, homemade food and staying clear from fast food, frozen meals, processed food and sweets.
It comes without saying an active lifestyle is also a sure way to extend your life, so do some exercise; work out a little. Even walking half an hour at a fast pace can get you in shape. And if you hit the gym a few times a week, you can make sure you’ll outlive most of the people in this world.
Who knew eating right and working out would be the fountain of youth? And considering most people die for their bad habits, including eating unhealthy stuff and living an inactive life, you’ll surely agree that living a long, happy life is not that hard after all.
How Bad Are These Really Are?
So, are simple carbs and trans fats as bad as they seem? Yes, they are, which is surprising, considering they’re available in every store in the country. Now, you don’t have to eliminate these foods from your diet — just don’t overdo them. That’s the secret here.
And if you eat veggies, whole grains, fish, nuts and seeds, you’ll probably be okay. The key is balance, so as long as you’re not overdoing the bad type of fats and sugar, you’ll probably live a long, happy life. You should check yourself often, though; prevention might be the difference between sudden death and a successful treatment.
Now that you know what food to avoid, enjoy your life and don’t worry too much about early death. Live life to its fullest and enjoy it one day at a time.
