Foods to Avoid

Making Decisions For A Healthier Teen:
When it comes to a broccoli or a donut, who wouldn't want the donut? :) BUT, you must think again. There are many foods out there that teens should limit or avoid.
•Foods with trans-fat (LIMIT OR AVOID; i.e. creamy frosting, deep-fried french fries, twinkies): Trans fats are made by a chemical process called hydrogenation. It is a chemical process where liquid oils are changed into solid fats. The more solid the fat, the more it clogs the arteries. Eating too much is one of the major risk factors for heart disease. Trans-fat also adds to the risk of cardiovascular disease.
(Interesting fact: The dish with the most trans fat that is served here in Hawaii is KFC's Chicken Pot Pie with 14 grams of trans fat! Remember that you should keep trans fat intake to less than 1% of total calories and on a 2,000 calorie diet, that is consuming less than 2 grams!)
Learn more about trans-fat and why companies use trans-fat in their products!

•On a less serious note shark, swordfish and marlin should be LIMITED OR AVOIDED: These fish contain high levels of mercury because they are at the top of the food chain and the level of mercury increases up the food chain. (This is known as biological magnification.) The high levels of mercury, may affect teens' developing nervous system.

•Foods with lots of salt (LIMIT; i.e. anchovies, bacon): Teens should only be eating about 6g of salt a day and that is only about a teaspoonful! Eating less sodium reduces blood pressure. Cutting back on salt could lower your blood pressure in just 4 weeks! When your blood pressure goes down, the risk of getting heart disease and stroke goes down as well! If this all doesn't interest you because you need your salty food, then you will love to hear this: you may notice that you will have a wider range of flavors in food because your taste buds are adjusting!