Stay far, far away from these foods and you'll be feeling fine. Just like it matters what type of oil or gasoline you put in your car, the same is true for your body. Don't sacrifice with a low-grade pantry. Upgrade to the best and your body will thank you!

1. Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils / Trans Fatty Acids -- Hydrogenated fats are fats that are one step away from plastic. Plastic is virtually indestructible by biology, including in our bodies. This means that foods made with hydrogenated fats will not spoil or go stale as fast. Unfortunately, these oils are found in most processed and fast foods - (chicken nuggets, French fries), most store-bought baked foods (chips, cookies, croissants, donuts, and brownies etc), as well as margarine, vegetable shortening, American cheese, some brands of peanut butter etc. In short, many of the foods that line the shelves of our super markets.
2. Soft Drinks / Soda -- Soft drinks and soda are the epitome of empty calories. These foods contribute only calories, but nothing of nutritional value. Worse they supply a huge dose of sugar (10-12 teaspoons per can - see # 3), or a big dose of artificial sweeteners (like aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, or acesulfame). The artificial sweeteners are linked to neurological symptoms from irritability, headaches, behavioral problems, and even seizures in some people.
3. Refined Sugar and High Fructose Corn Syrups -- Extracting natural sugars from their food base (sucrose from sugar cane, or high fructose corn syrup from corn) removes all the nutrients, including the very minerals and vitamins that are needed by the body to metabolize the sugar in the first place. Sugar therefore depletes the body of nutrients, and this depletion often leads to cravings for more sugar while the body looks for the missing nutrients. These sugars lead to obesity, dental caries, imbalance of the blood sugar, and suppression of the immune system.
4. White Flour Products -- Grains have been part of the food supply for about 10,000 years, but the refining of grains to make white refined flour is relatively modern. Approximately 57 vital nutrients are removed in the refining process and only 9 are added back in. Don't be fooled by the term "fortified." What's left after refinement is a lot of starch that digests very rapidly into sugar.
5. Excess Omega 6 oils -- Omega 6 oils are essential to health, but, if eaten in excess, they promote inflammation, heart disease, and cancer. Whole foods provide plenty of them. Don't use vegetable oils such as corn, safflower, soy, and sunflower for cooking. Use more extra virgin olive oil, flax oil, or coconut oil.