These are top 15 foods or ingredients that I feel
are some of the most important to be aware of.
You’ll encounter them every day, whether at the
grocery store, the restaurant, or even at the
movie theater.
With that in mind, here at the 15 foods that can
shut down your 'fat burning furnace…'
1. Hydrogenated fats
Man-made fats that are used in baked goods and stick margarine. As we know,
we need a certain amount of healthy fats to fuel our fat burning furnace. But we
must stick to healthy fats as bad fats like these are among the worst thing for our
bodies. Avoid buying cookies, crackers, baked goods or anything else that has
hydrogenated oil on the list of ingredients. These are also known as Trans Fats,
so make sure to inspect the products you’re buying and lookout for Trans Fats or
hydrogenated oils…if you see them, run for the fruit and vegetable isle…fast!
2. Olestra
Olestra is used to make non-fat potato chips and other snacks. It was a hugely
popular ingredient a few years ago, but has dwindled since more research has
been released on how bad this stuff is for you. Olestra has been shown to bind
with fat-soluble vitamins and carotenoids (cancer fighting substances in your
immune system) and eliminate them from your system! The company that
produces olestra has even acknowledged the problem. Olestra has also caused
stomach problems in some people, especially when consumed in large amounts.
Steer clear of this stuff.
3. Nitrates
Many foods, especially cured and preserved meats such as bacon, hot dogs and lunch meat use nitrates to preserve color and maintain microbial safety. Nitrate,while harmless, can convert to nitrite which can form a powerful cancer-causingchemical in your body. Preserved meats aren’t the healthiest choices anyway, but they’re not bad when used in moderation…just make sure to look for nitrate-free preserved meats.
4. Alcoholic Beverages (aaarrrggghhh!)
I know this is going to be a tough one for a lot of people, as alcohol has worked its way into daily life for most people. It is possible to consume alcohol wisely and in moderation, such as a fine glass of wine at dinner. For reasons too numerous to mention (liver disease, empty calories, etc.) don’t overdo it on alcoholic beverages. In fact, if you were drinking a couple of beers each day, you couldprobably drop 10 pounds of fat within a month or so just by cutting back to 1 or 2per week. If you’re going to drink, keep it in moderation and go for the light
choices or a small amount of wine with meals every so often.
5. Saturated animal fats
Also known as fatty meats, especially those found in beef and pork. This also
includes the skin on chicken, turkey, and other poultry items, as well as full-fat
dairy products such as cheese, milk, and cream. Artery clogging fat like this can
ruin your chances of getting lean and literally kill you over time. Stick to lean
cuts of meat and non/low fat versions of milk and cheeses, all eaten in
moderation.
6. Soda Pop
Man do I remember drinking pop by the bucketfuls when I was a kid. Coke was
like my water. But the reality is that soda pop is loaded with empty calories, or
sugar. When you consume large amounts of sugar, you’re body doesn’t get that
full feeling. You end up having to eat even more calories to satisfy your
nutritional needs and when you add in the extra calories that come with soda,
you’re sure to gain fat weight. You’re taking in too many calories this way. Just a
12oz. can of pop can provides around 150 extra empty sugar calories. Bad for
your body and bad for your teeth too. While diet pop contains artificial
sweeteners, you can get a similar experience by drinking one of these instead of
regular pop. And diet pops have no sugar and no calories. The artificial
sweeteners in diet pop are still not the best thing to ingest, so keep them to a
minimum. Another great substitute for pop is to get some sparkling water and
mix in a small amount of 100% fruit juice, just enough to flavor it a bit.
7. High-fat snacks & chips
Keep these in moderation, and make sure to choose low fat varieties, and those
that are baked. Look for those made with whole grains or whole wheat. Also,
look to fruits, veggie sticks and low fat whole grain crackers as substitutes.
8. Caffeine
This is another tough one for many people. Caffeine is part of most every
person’s morning in the form of coffee. Caffeine can give you a jumpstart, for
sure, but caffeine also dehydrates your body, and this leads to all sorts of
problems. When you’re dehydrated, you get thirsty. Instead of drinking water,
most people will reach for a second cup of coffee. Your body can also trick you
into thinking you’re hungry when you’re dehydrated, which leads to overeating.
Dehydration can slow your fat burning furnace to a halt quickly! If you’re going
to drink coffee, make sure it is just 1 cup, in moderation, and follow it up with
twice the amount of water. Or, try the decaf varieties and follow it up with just as
much water. And watch out for the caffeine in diet pops too. Giving up caffeine
is not easy, I know, but once you’re following the guidelines presented in my fat
burning furnace book, you’ll wake up every morning full of energy, and you won’t
need that buzz…you’ll already have it naturally.
9. Alfredo Sauce
Would you melt a third of a stick of butter on your pasta dish? Gosh, I hope you
said no to that! But that’s the equivalent of getting a standard Alfredo sauce on
your Italian fare. Stick with tomato based sauces. They are very low in fat and
still super tasty!
10. Restaurant or Delivery Pizza
Traditional restaurant or delivery pizza has far too much saturated fat with the
cheese and fatty meats as toppings. I’ve been guilty, years ago, of eating a wholemedium pizza by myself. That’s about two thirds of my daily food intake eaten inabout 10 minutes…crazy. That is the biggest problem with pizza…it’s too easy toeat too much of it. I still like pizza, so I still enjoy it from time to time. The secretis to make it yourself, using a whole wheat thin style crust and low/no fat cheese,and sticking with vegetable or low fat meat toppings like ham or chicken. Thenyou can comfortably enjoy 2-3 slices. If you’re going to eat the standard pizzafare, stick to one slice and eat it with a big salad. You’re fat burning furnace will thank you for it!
11. Donuts
Donuts have too much saturated fat and sugar for your fat burning furnace. And
to make matters worse, they are often covered in even more sugar and fat, in the
form of chocolate, frosting, or powdered sugar. If you want to eat a donut every
once in a while, try the various light varieties instead. They still have too much fat
to be recommended, but if you’ve got to have a doughnut, they’re the best choice.
Also, everything I mentioned here that is bad about donuts, you can just about
double for the “hot and ready” donut shops …stay away!
12. Fast Food French Fries
I don’t think I need to go over this one too much. Thankfully, the negative
attributes of French fries have been prominent in the media recently. It doesn’t
matter which restaurant you go to…fast food and most restaurant French fries areloaded with fat and way too many calories. A regular size order of fries packs in around 25 grams of fat and 350 calories. Plus, they’re super salty and you just
can’t stop eating them once you start. A better choice at these places would be a side salad, baked chips, or fruit and yogurt.
13. Red-and-white-label Soup
While there are many fairly healthy soups out there, these old standbys are
loaded with salt. Yeah, soup has a lot of sodium to begin with, but a half a can of
these babies contains about 1,100 mg of sodium, about half of what you need each day. Not good for your blood pressure, and you’ll retain water and get that
dreaded bloated feeling. Stick to low fat, low sodium varieties of soups.
14. Processed cheese food
These melty, spreadable, glowing orange “cheeses” are among the most
disgusting man made items available. The addition of preservatives and liquids
unknown to many will reac havoc on your fat burning furnace. There is nothing
remotely natural or healthy about these…stay away.
15. Movie theater popcorn
I love this stuff just as much as the next guy or gal, but did you know a large sized
popcorn from the movies contains over 70 grams of fat and over 1100 calories?
Yikes. If you’re going to get popcorn at the movies, you best get the small size
and share with a friend or two. Even better, you can pop some low fat light
microwave popcorn at home and bring it with you. Popcorn contains a lot of
fiber, and will keep you feeling full as long as you’re using a low fat light variety.
Or, take a tasty meal replacement bar with you for a sweet treat. Lights, camera,
fat burning furnace into action!
Well, that concludes the top 15 foods that can shut down your fat burning
furnace.
So with those facts in mind - Just how important is a 'fat-burning' furnace to you anyway...?
Come on - IT IS VERY important to you - so - if you cannot give up these foods as recommended - AT LEAST cut down on them....OK?
