12 Foods Doctors Won’t Eat and Why
SHOULD YOU AVOID THESE FOODS TOO?
Doctors guide you in making important decisions about your health and well-being, but when it comes to their own diets, do they follow their own recommendations? Good nutrition is key to a long and healthy life. Here, medical pros reveal what they forego when it comes to food.
BACON
It is probably no secret to you that this practically universally loved food is on this list, but are you entirely sure why? "I would not eat bacon, because it is full of fat and cholesterol, and the nutritional value is very minimal," says Dr. Omid Javadi, cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon at Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose, California. "I think bacon is probably one of the worst foods on the planet. People love the taste and it is very palatable because of that fact, but when you look at its content, it is pure fat and cholesterol -- and fat is just hanging from it.”
Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, cardiologist with Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City goes on to say that bacon “is a processed food, with no exact benefits, but carries with it all that is bad for a diet — chemicals, salt, and fat.”
BREADS OR PASTA
“I won't eat bread or pasta," declares Dr. Patrick Roth, chairman of neurosurgery at Hackensack University Medical Center, and founding member of the North Jersey Brain & Spine Center. "This choice is based on the belief that each of us has a distinct susceptibility to foods with a high glycemic index.
I subscribe to focusing on keeping my insulin level low with low glycemic index foods rather than on counting calories. Bread and pasta present three problems: They are high glycemic index, they are not whole foods (man-made), and they are tremendously delicious and addictive.”
BOXED CEREALS
“They are full of sugar and often unhealthy grains," says Dr. Frank Lipman, Integrative and functional Medicine Physician, founder of Eleven Eleven Wellness Center, and author of The New Health Rules.
"Rather than having cereal for breakfast, a dose of healthy fats and protein will start your day off right. Have boiled or poached eggs with greens, sardines on gluten-free crispbreads, or half an avocado sprinkled with salt or spritzed with lemon.”
COTTON CANDY
Or really any foods you could find at a carnival, especially those containing sugar.
“[Carnival foods are] almost all fried, covered with sugar, or made with chemical dyes," warns Dr. Joe Alton, a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American College of OB/GYN and co-author of The Survival Medicine Handbook. "Cotton candy is an example; it's pretty much all specially-treated dyed sugar, called ‘floss’ sugar. Food dyes have shown some issues in animal studies. My main concern, of course, is that you're essentially just eating pure sugar.”
“Foods with high amounts of refined sugars are a no-go in my diet,” elaborated New York City cardiovascular surgeon Dr. David Greuner. “Why? Refined sugars, while being terrible for your teeth, continue to wreak havoc with your body throughout long after they leave your mouth. The rapid breakdown of these simple sugars by your body result in huge blood sugar spikes, making your body store the extra energy as fat, and causing huge rises in your insulin levels producing that 'food coma' feeling, which is a thorn in any busy person's side.”
CHEETOS
Dr. Nicole Farmer, Integrative Physician at the Casey Health Institute, won't eat these “Because of the blend of artificial colors used and the MSG, both of which can serve as excitatory neurotoxins.
Also any type of puffed corn product that goes through extruder process decreases most nutrients from the corn product and promotes inflammation.”
DIET SODA
“It is no better than regular soda," according to Dr. Steinbaum, "but with all the chemicals in it to lead to the metabolic syndrome! No reason to add this one to your diet. A truly unhealthy choice.” “Poison in my opinion,” agrees Dr. Michael Fiorillo, a plastic surgeon in Pearl River, New York.
To be specific, it is the artificial sugars in diet soda that really turn doctors off. “Anything with aspartame — it’s true that you are not getting any calories in your diet beverage but the dangers associated with aspartame may not be worth it," says Santa Monica OB/GYN Dr. Sheryl Ross. "This zero-calorie sugar substitute may be linked to headaches, dizziness, digestive problems, mood changes, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, and some cancers.”
FRIED FOODS
These, says Dr. David Dragoo, can “…[raise] your risk of heart disease, can cause issues with your joints, makes your blood pressure go up, and can also lead to diabetes.” French fries and potato chips are among the worst offenders.
Specifically, speaking? Fried potatoes like French fries and potato chips. “They are some of the most fattening foods in America and the joy of their taste is not worth the weight gain,” says Dr. Mehmet Oz, talk show host, best-selling author, and Vice-Chair and Professor of Surgery at Columbia University.
“They sometimes have also have hydrogenated fats from being basted in boiling oils containing damaged fats. These trans-fats increase cholesterol and the risk of coronary heart disease. They do increase shelf life, but at the cost of human life.”
MICROWAVE POPCORN
This beloved movie-night snack could cost you your health. “[Popcorn] contains chemicals that can cause cancer,” says Dr. Fiorillo.
ONE-PERCENT OR TWO-PERCENT DAIRY PRODUCTS
While unpasteurized milk is extremely harmful because of the bacterial content it contains, skim milk has its dangers too. “The process of removing some of the fat particles creates oxidized cholesterol in the remaining fat," explains Dr. Farmer. "Better to use whole fat dairy in moderation.”
PASTRIES
“Ninety-nine percent of pastries like doughnuts are made from genetically modified wheat,” claims Internist and nutritionist Dr. Michael Hirt, founder of the Center for Integrative Medicine in California's San Fernando Valley. "This mutant grain contains 200-plus proteins that have never been safety studied in humans and have been linked to many diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, obesity, cancer, arthritis, and autoimmune conditions. Pastries are also loaded with sugar.
Recent studies from Australian researchers demonstrate that sugar consumption can negatively impact your DNA and trigger genetic changes that make you more susceptible to certain diseases like diabetes and heart disease. This effect lasts for two weeks after just one serving sugar. Sugar also weakens the immune system, and can make you more vulnerable to infections for as long as five hours after just one dose of this sweet poison. Not a great idea during cold and flu season, or any time you are traveling or exposed to crowds.
PROCESSED MEATS
When it comes to meat, including chicken and turkey, most people think they are safe by eating the leaner protein. But not reading labels can cost you down the line.
“In general, processed meats include a collection of meat that would otherwise be thrown away," says Dr. Greuner, "but is combined with other typically non-edible products and chemicals to artificially create a palatable mixture. This means that not only are the least nutritious byproducts of animals used, but artificial fillers, flavors, and preservatives are added, at times, in large quantities to ensure that the new concoction is both flavorful and visually appealing, despite the dismal nutritional profile.”
Dr. Susan Lin, physician and founder of MD Products, says that she avoids these products “due to high prevalence of E. coli in the meat supply.”
SOFT DRINKS
“I stay away from all sodas, with sugar and especially with sugar substitutes,” states Dr. David Agus, a professor of medicine and engineering at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine and Viterbi School of Engineering and CBS News contributor.
“For me, it is soft drinks,” says cardiologist Dr. Kevin Campbell in Raleigh, North Carolina. “Soft drinks are loaded with sugars [and] high fructose corn syrup, and have absolutely no nutritional value. They contribute to obesity and their consumption can lead to high blood pressure and other risks for heart disease. Moreover, they contain large doses of caffeine, which can impair concentration and further elevate blood pressure and heart rate. For those with underlying heart disease, this can be the thing that sets off a series of events leading to heart attack or stroke.”
Picture Credit: Shutterstock and MSN.com
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