HEALTHPLAN MAGAZINE

When it comes to eating a healthy balanced diet, if we're honest, most of us will admit to falling at the first hurdle.

In a world full of convenience shopping and fast foods, it's no wonder that our diets are the primary cause of serious illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, respiratory diseases and strokes.

But the fact remains that although it is almost impossible to cut out all of the bad things from our diets, it is possible to reduce our overall intake of the most harmful foods that many of us consume on a regular basis.

The list below of the five worst foods to eat, makes for some pretty disturbing reading, especially if you consume them on a regular basis. But it's not just about us adults is it? We also need to consider the terrible effects that these foods have on our children and the long-term health issues that they could contract as a result.

Chips

When you consider that many chips, especially from a take-away are deep fried in vats of oil, it's natural to surmise that these will eventually have a negative impact on our health.

You're not only consuming large quantities of saturated and trans fats, but also taking in acrylamides which are produced when foods such as carbohydrates are cooked at extreme temperatures.

Research has indicated that Acrylamides have a strong correlation with cancer. Excessive trans fats and saturated fats have strong links to higher LDL cholesterol, strokes, weight gain and can also be attributed to cell damage which in turn produces cancer.

Instead of deep fried chips, try oven cooked instead or better still, oven cooked sweet potato or butternut squash chips. They are really tasty and much healthier.

Crisps

In the UK alone, over 6 billion packets of crisps are consumed each year, the vast majority by young children. This alone is the equivalent of adding five litres of cooking oil to their bodies each year!

Crisps like chips are incredibly bad for us when eaten on a regular basis. Like chips, they are full of trans fats, acrylamides and also contain high levels of salt and sodium.

Regular consumption of crisps will ultimately lead to high cholesterol, stroke, hypertension and obesity.

As an alternative, try eating unsalted nuts and seeds or even popcorn, which is a much healthier option (as long as you do not cover it in sugar and other toppings).

Fizzy Drinks

Another of the usual suspects are fizzy drinks. They usually contain around 10 teaspoons of sugar per tin and are a major cause of obesity in young people. Fizzy drinks can also bring about type two diabetes and can also lead to tooth decay.

A recent health study suggested that when consumed on a regular basis, fizzy drinks had the ability to modify the metabolism and in turn cause the body to burn the sugar instead of burning the fat.

If you think that low calorie diet drinks are an alternative option, think again. Many contain artificial sweeteners such as aspartame which has been linked to a whole host of illnesses including diabetes, epilepsy, alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis, insomnia, depression, parkinson's disease and many others.

Donuts

Another entry into our top five worst foods you can eat is the deep fried donut. Although they may be finger licking tasty, donuts are a seriously unhealthy option.

When deep fried, the average donut contains around 300 calories, is soaked in killer trans fats and also contains carcinogenic substances such as acrylamides.

Eating donuts over a prolonged period will most definitely lead to illnesses such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease, strokes and possibly cancer.

Fried Non-Fish Seafood

The last entry in our list is reserved for fried non-fish seafood which relates to creatures such as oysters, crabs, clams and lobsters.

These little devils are bottom feeding scavengers and are commonly referred to as "filter feeders" as they eat the muck off of the bottom of the seabed which quite often contains toxins, bacteria and no doubt, plenty of oil from the recent spills. Other dangers of eating non-fish seafood include the added risk of consuming mercury, parasites and viruses.

Like all things in life, moderation is the key. Eating any of the above regularly over a long period of time will have a serious impact on your health. So please reduce your consumption of the above and give yourself and your children a greater chance of a long a healthy life.