3 Foods That Could Be Ruining Your Healthy Diet

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If you want to feel your best, you must treat your body with respect. We know it can be hard to make good healthy choices all the time, and sometimes that dessert looks utterly resistible, but you can always find alternatives to your favorite foods. You may not be aware of the effects that certain foods can have on your body, which may be why you can’t maintain a healthy diet.

Gut health is so important, and people often overlook this. It is paramount to have a good balance in the ecosystem of bacteria that live in your gastrointestinal tract in order to have optimal physical and emotional health.

These foods are wrecking your insides, and you may not even have known, so here we are about to name and shame… You might be surprised.

Gluten

healthline

Gluten is a type of protein that’s found in many grains, including wheat, rye, and barley. It can cause havoc on your gut and is very often the cause of IBS. Even if you don’t think  you are gluten-sensitive, eating gluten can have significant, terrible, long-term effects on your gut bacteria

There are lots of gluten-free alternatives to practically all of your favorite foods, so go to the gluten-free section in your supermarket. Try brown rice pasta instead of wheat, and gluten free bread is delicious toasted with peanut butter and jam mmmm.

Sugar

timesofindia

Did you know? Our bacteria have to eat, and they get their food from the food that we consume. Some foods break down into substances that feed the good bacteria in your body,  while others, including sugar, feed the bad stuff, so the more sugar we eat, the more the bad bacteria get lucky. This can then reduce the amount of good bacteria we have in our guts, which can wreak havoc on your body and eventually lead to immune diseases.

Sugar is hidden in most food products you would have never thought of, so always check labels. Names such as ‘natural ingredients,’ ‘brown rice syrup,’ and ‘sucrose’ are all hidden ways of saying sugar, so be careful!

Try sugar-free alternatives, or find your favorite sweet treats with natural sweeteners like stevia.

Dairy

harvardhealth

Some will be more sensitive to dairy products than others. We know there is nothing like a cheesy toasted sandwich, but research has shown that a diet rich in dairy products has a significant effect on your gut. Dairy also includes antibiotics, which just totally destroy any goodness inside of you.

Look for dairy-free alternatives such as nut milk to put into your daily coffee and dairy-free ice creams. There are lots of vegan-friendly food products available on the high street.