Nutritionists underline that some food products are a real nightmare for our health. These food products contain high quantities of saturated fat, nitrates, sugars and salt and, therefore, can lead to cholesterol level increase. Long-term consumption of such food products can cause weight increase and also various diseases. Moreover, these food products don’t ensure the necessary daily intake of vitamins and minerals.

In this respect, we thought that a list with the 8 most unhealthy food products would be of interest to you:

1. Burgers
2. Bacon
3. French Fries and Potato Chips
4. Hot Dogs
5. Doughnuts
6. Margarine and butter
7. Sodas
8. Cookies and cakes

1. Burgers

Burgers have a lot of fat and calories and can drastically increase the level of cholesterol. Difference may occur among restaurants in terms of fat and calories contained by burgers. Depending on cooking methods and ingredients, a regular hamburger with condiments, vegetables and without mayonnaise has about 280 calories (about 14% of the needed daily value) and more than 13 grams of fat (about 20% of the needed daily value).

A large double cheeseburger with condiments, vegetables and mayonnaise has about 900 calories (45% of the needed daily value) and more 50 grams of fat (80% of the needed daily value). Still, the most negative aspect is that most fat are saturated fat which are some of the unhealthiest type of fat.

The worst ingredient of the burger is mayonnaise, which consists of 70-80% fat. If you do like burgers and don’t consider giving up on them, ask something without mayonnaise and you will save about 200 calories and 12 grams of fat. Burgers have a lot of salt, so they are not good for those suffering from high blood pressure. Also, burgers are not recommended for pregnant women.

2. Bacon

One ounce (28 grams) of fried bacon has about 150 calories and more than 10 grams of fat. Regular consumption can cause a rapid weight-gain and cholesterol level increase. Also, the high level of saturated fat and sodium make it unhealthier.

In addition, processed meat products like bacon and hot dogs are added nitrates to preserve color and maintain microbial safety. Even though nitrates don’t have harmful effects on the human body, in the presence of amino acids present in our stomachs it can convert into carcinogenic chemical compounds called nitrosamines. Vitamin C inhibits this conversion and, therefore, if you do eat food products with nitrates, it would be better if you eat/drink also something rich in Vitamin C at the same time (like orange juice).

3. French Fries and Potato Chips

French fries generally have about 400 calories and 20 grams of fat. However, some fast-food outlets serve fries with even more calories and fat. French fries contain saturated fat and, due to the high oil temperature in which they are fried, they also contain high levels of trans fat. Trans fat are known to increase the risk of heart diseases and accelerate the aging process. Also, heated carbohydrates in French fries contain acrylamides, a potential carcinogen substance. In addition, French fries have a lot of salt which can cause strokes and stomach cancer.

Potato chips also contain acrylamides. One bag of 225 grams has 1,200 calories (more than half the number needed per day) and 85 grams of fat (130% of recommended fat per day). Still, the worst aspect is that such food products have 25 grams of saturated fat, 5 grams more than a person should have per day. Numerous experiments have demonstrated that saturated fat raises cholesterol level and increases the risk of heart diseases.

So, let’s say that you share the chips with someone else. That means you get 600 calories, about 42 grams of fat (65% of the daily needed value) and about 12 grams of saturated fat (62% of the daily needed value). In order to get 25% of the daily needed value of saturated fat (5 grams), 26% of fat and 240 calories, you have to share chips with other four persons. Unbelievable, but all this are included in just a quick snack.

Getting chips with no fat made with olestra (fat substitute) isn’t good either. Olestra can bind with vitamins A, D, E and K and eliminate them from the body.

If you are just addicted to potato chips, try the ones made of dried potatoes. They have the same amount of calories, but half the amount of fat. However, it’s best just to replace them with some fruits.

4. Hot Dogs

A plain hot dog has about 250 calories and 14 grams of fat (which includes saturated fat). The hot dog meat generally contains pork or beef and sometimes pork mixed with chicken. The high content of sodium, fat and nitrates make it a very unhealthy choice.

5. Doughnuts

One normal-size doughnut has about 250-300 calories and 10-20 grams of fat, depending on its type. Doughnuts are tasty but they have no nutritional value whatsoever.

Because they are fried in oil, doughnuts have a lot of trans fat. Also, they contain high quantities of sugar and refined flour and are made with partially hydrogenated oil. The saturated fat and trans fat that doughnuts contain increase heart diseases risk.

What is interesting about doughnuts is that they have high levels of carbohydrate which releases serotonin and dopamine, two brain chemicals associated with mood and pleasure.

6. Margarine and butter

These are two different food products which are unhealthy for two different reasons. But since they substitute each other, they deserve the same place.

Margarine is basically hydrogenated fat. One tablespoon of margarine has about 30 calories, 3.5 grams of fat and 0.5 grams of saturated fat. Hydrogenated fat are high in trans fat.

Butter has less calories and fat and doesn’t have dangerous trans fat levels. However, it does have high amounts of saturated fat (about 1.5 grams per tablespoon).

Both trans fat and saturated fat increase cholesterol level along with the risk of heart diseases.

7. Sodas

Sodas are nothing but water, sugar, artificial food colors and artificial flavors. The high amount of sugar from a can of soda gives you about 150 calories. Most sodas contain 30 milligrams or more of caffeine. Sodas have become a major problem due to their high popularity. People of all ages drink one up to five or more soft drinks per day. The dangers of sodas are weight gain, diabetes, tooth decay and others.

If you don’t want to give up on them, consider the sugar free soda or switch to fruit juices.

8. Cookies and cakes

Many cookies and cakes are made with hydrogenated fat and contain a lot of calories. Just one chocolate chip of one ounce (28 grams) has about 130 calories and 7 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of which is saturated fat (more than 20% of the daily needed value). One cupcake has about 200 calories and 8 grams of fat.

Of course, whenever you’re craving for something sweet, you can choose a cake with fruits, which is healthier.

Conclusions

An average person needs about 2000 calories (about 1,600 calories for women and about 2,200 calories for men), 65 grams of fat and can handle about 20 grams of saturated fat per day.

Let’s say that you have bacon, eggs and toast for breakfast. How many calories do you get?

Worst case scenario:

4 oz of Bacon (600 calories, 40 grams of fat, 15 grams of saturate fat) + 2 Eggs (200 calories, 15 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat) + two slices of toast (150 calories) + 1 Biscuit (100 calories, 5 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat) = 1050 calories, 60 grams of fat, 20 grams of saturated fat.

If at lunch you go to a fast food outlet and order a burger with french fries and a soda.

Worst case scenario:

Double hamburger, with condiments, vegetables and mayonnaise (950 calories, 58 grams of fat, 21 grams of saturated fat) + large french fries (530 calories, 28 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat) + one medium soda (180 calories) = 1660 calories, 86 grams of fat, 27 grams of saturated fat.

Let’s say you eat a dessert. If we add chocolate chips (230 calories, 12 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat) it becomes a total of 1890 calories, 91 grams of fat, 32 grams of saturated fat.

Best case scenario:

Hamburger with condiments and vegetables (280 calories, 13 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat) + one small size french fries order (270 calories, 14 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat) + one medium soda (180 calories) = 730 calories, 27 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat.

You do the math….!!!

Of course, the best case scenario would be to order something totally different, like a chicken salad or grilled fish with a diet soft drink and fruits as dessert.

There are 2 definitions related to calories:

The small calorie (gram calorie) – represents the energy needed to increase the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius (about 4.184 Joules). The symbol of this unit is “cal”.

The large calorie (kg calorie) – represents the energy needed to increase the temperature of 1 kg of water by 1 degree Celsius (about 4.184 Kj). The symbol of this unit is Kcal and is often referred to as a Calorie (with a capital “C”).

However, there are a lot of other definitions for calories. For example, the thermochemical calorie (4.184 joules exactly), which is almost the same thing as the small calorie, is used to define the power of TNT. The equivalent of one tone of TNT is 1 billion thermochemical calories.
In order to reduce body weight, dietitians recommend to reduce the intake of calories. So, in a lot of countries, producers of food products are obliged to label the nutritional value (including calories) of their products. The energy obtained from a certain food product is expressed in both Kilocalories (Kcal) and Kilojoules (Kj). In this way, everyone can calculate the daily intake of Kilocalories and can balance it with the needed quantity of Kilocalories for their life style.

In order to estimate the energy value of a product, the first step is to estimate product’s digestible constituents (fat, protein, carbohydrates, etc.). The result of this analysis is then converted into an equivalent energy value based on a standardized table of energy densities:

FOOD COMPONENT/Kcal/g

1. fat/9
2. ethanol (alcohol)/7
3. proteins/4
4. carbohydrates/4
5. organic acids/3
6. polyols (sugar-free sweeteners)/2.4

Vitamins, minerals and water do not contribute in any way to the energy value of food products.

The recommended daily energy intake values for young adults are: 2,500 Kcal per day for men and 2,000 Kcal per day for women. However, the lifestyle is very important when establishing the daily needed energy intake. Children and old people require less energy, while active persons require more energy than the recommended value.

It is very important to remember that the human fat tissue contains approximately 87% lipids. This means that 1 kg of body-fat tissue has the caloric energy of 870 g of pure fat, representing about 7,800 Kcal. So, in order to lose 1 kg of body fat, you have to create an energy deficit (consume more than assimilate) of 7,800 Kcal.

Still, this can work in the other way too. If your energy intake exceeds your energy use with 7,800 Kcal, you will gain 1 kg of body fat.

These approximates assume that there is no gain or lose in muscles (muscles are built using food energy too) and that there is a direct relationship between calories provided by food and calories stores in the body as fat.

So, in order to lose weight quicker you have to burn more calories. The best solution for this is to increase your metabolic rate.

The metabolic rate represents the rate at which your body burns up calories. There are multiple solutions for speeding up the metabolic rate. The most important thing is to know what solution is more effective for your body, what determinate your metabolic rate and how can you influence it.

Usually, the energy provided by burned calories is used for three main functions:

BASAL METABOLIC RATE (BMR) – represents the amount of calories a person burns in order to stay alive, even when standing still. BMR uses approximately 60% of the energy provided by calories burned for an average person.
BURNING CALORIES FOR ACTIVITY – represents the energy used during movement. This function uses approximately 30% of the amount of energy provided by burned calories.
DIETARY THERMOGENESIS – represents meal-induced heat production (calories burned in the process of eating, digesting, absorbing and using food).

These functions can be influenced in order to speed up your rate of burning calories. Some of the best solutions for this are:

1. Exercises
2. Move More
3. Eat Less and Often
4. Eat Spicy Food

1. Exercises

The muscles in the human body are very important when it comes to burning calories. It is known that for every extra pound of muscles you put on, your body will burn an extra quantity of 50 Kcal a day. Also, a lot of exercises boost basal metabolic rate, allowing your body to burn calories at a more accelerated rate (for example: regular weight lifting training can increase the basal metabolic rate by about 15%). The main explanation for this is that muscles are metabolically active and can burn more calories that any other tissue in the human body, even when standing still.

Generally speaking, there are 2 types of exercises:

• Low intensity exercises
• High intensity exercises

The low intensity exercises are usually of a long duration (45 minutes or more), burn mainly fats and not carbohydrates, preserve joints, etc.

The high intensity exercises are usually of a short duration (20 – 30 minutes the most), burn a lot of calories and increase the metabolic rate throughout the day, etc.

Referring to the effectiveness of exercises when it comes to burning calories, the main 10 most effective exercises are:

1. step aerobics
2. swimming
3. bicycling
4. rock climbing
5. racquetball
6. cross-country skiing
7. running
8. elliptical trainer
9. rowing
10. brisk walking

The upper mentioned 10 general exercises can help you burn from 150 to 400 Kcal in 30 minutes time. Still, there are other more effective exercises but of a much higher intensity, like:

• sprinting
• jumping rope

2. Move More

Most people burn around 30% of the calorie intake through daily activities. For sedentary people, this rate might drop to even 10%, leading to a considerable calorie surplus.

In order to maintain the usual rate of burning calories through daily activities, or even improve it, you have to keep moving. Small daily activities, that usually are not considered as a solution for weight loss, can help you a lot. You should make use of every opportunity to move, like:

• Do not park your car at the entrance in the office building;
• Swing your legs;
• Stand up when your talking on the phone;
• No elevators;
• Stand up and stretch;
• Release your muscles;

3. Eat Less and Often

There are proven evidence that eating smaller and regular meals will keep your metabolism going faster than larger and less frequent meals.

There are two main reasons why your metabolism rate is increased by small meals:
Hours after eating a meal, thyroid hormones begin to drop, slowing down metabolism. So, by eating more often, the thyroid hormones will remain active, maintaining your metabolism rate at a high level.

The thermogenic effect of eating smaller meals is slightly higher than eating the same amount of calories all at once. This means that calories are burned faster and better (the body has the ability and time to burn more calories) when eating little and often.

In order to help you estimate the daily intake of calories, here are some products that can provide 100 Kcal each:

• 6 egg whites;
• 1.8 oz if roasted chicken;
• 400 g of cooked spinach;
• 300 g of raw broccoli;
• a 250 ml glass of milk;
• 22 g of say flour;
• 1.7 oz pf grilled beef;
• 37 g of haricot beans.

4. Eat Spicy Food

Not many people know that chilies are the second most common spices in the word, after salt. The heat of chilies and peppers is caused by a substance called CAPSAICIN, a flavorless and odorless substance.

Capsaicin has a lot of positive effects on the human body, like:

• Lowers blood pressures;
• Speeds up the metabolism;
• Reduces cholesterol;
• Pain control;
• Treats fevers and colds;
• Prevents heart attacks;
• Prevents ulcers.

Some even believe that capsaicin can even help prevent cancer. Researchers say that capsaicin attacks mitochondria of cancer cells, triggering them death.

Referring to these aspects, Dr. Timothy Bates (a lead researcher in the field) stated: “as these compounds attach the very heart of the tumor cell, we believe that we have in effect discovered a fundamental ‘Achilles heel’ for all cancers”.

• Proteins
• Fats
• Carbohydrates
• Vitamins
• Minerals

Approximately 1600 – 1800 kcal are needed daily by a man adult, while a woman needs 1200 – 1400 kcal. The need for energy is different from person to person, depending mainly on the life style. For example, active men need approximately 3000 kcal daily, active women need 2500 kcal, while athletes usually need more than 5000 kcal per day. Any surplus of calories is transformed and stocked as fat by the human body. 1 kg of fat is the equivalent of 7000 kcal of stocked energy. Every time a person burns 7000 kcal more than he accumulates, he loses 1 kg of fat. For example, if you can burn with 1000 kcal per day more than you gather from food, you can get ride of 1 kg of fat in a week.

DO NOT FORGET that 1 kg of fat means actually 1.4 kg of adipose tissue because this contains, besides fat, water and other elements. Still, fat is an important element that must always be present in the human body. Women need four times more fat then men do (the minimum quantity of fat required by the human body is 13% for women and only 3% for men).
Usually, a 20 – 30 years old man has 15 – 18% fat in his body, while a woman of the same age has 25 – 28%. When dieting, sometimes less body weight means less fat and less muscles (mainly when the diet is unbalanced or is not suitable for that person). So, in this case the end of the diet means more fat, but less muscles.

Generally, breakfast and lunch must contain 600 kcal each and dinner must contain about 300 kcal. Breakfast should usually contain food rich in carbohydrates (like milk, cereals, etc.). Lunch should have 50% carbohydrates and 50% proteins (like eggs, fish, rise, chicken, pasta, etc.). Also, is recommended no to eat later than 8 o’clock PM. As mentioned before, exercises are the most effective and safe ways of burning calories, especially when dieting.

Here are some examples of activities that lead to burning of 100 kcal:

• Swimming or cycling for 12 – 15 minutes
• Playing football for 15 minutes
• Walking for 25 minutes
• Running for 10 minutes