3 of the 7 Worst Junk Foods!

Copied from Real Age Website

Worst Junk Food #1: Pizza

If you count pizza as its own food group, watch out. Cheese and pizza are the No. 1 and No. 2 sources of artery-clogging saturated fat in the American diet. One slice of extra-cheesy pizza can contain as much as two-thirds of your daily saturated fat limit. Nutrition expert Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RD, CDN, author of Read It Before You Eat It, offers these tips to lighten up your pizza: Top it with veggies instead of pepperoni and sausage. While you're at it, say "no" to breadsticks and "yes" to a side salad, and you're on the way to preventing heart disease.

Worst Junk Food #2: Fettuccine Alfredo

A Mediterranean diet isn't a license to gorge on pasta 24/7. Mounds of fettuccine are bad enough for the waistline, but there's nothing heart-healthy about Alfredo sauce. With only three ingredients (cream, butter, and cheese), the dish can contain 50 grams of saturated fat, which raises LDL (bad) cholesterol. To put that in perspective, an entire pint of Ben & Jerry's Chubby Hubby comes in at 40 grams. Love your pasta? Choose whole-grain noodles and keep the serving size to 1 cup. Add fresh, chopped herbs; vegetables sautéed in olive oil; and lean protein, such as beans or chicken.

Worst Junk Food #3: Submarine Sandwich

To many guys, the submarine sandwich is the world's most perfect food. It requires neither a stovetop nor utensils, and contains all the major food groups. That's where its virtues end. According to Taub-Dix, the monster sandwich supplies up to 6 servings of white bread, plus a quarter-pound (or more!) of cured meats. Researchers have found that eating just one serving of processed meat daily (one to two slices of deli meat) is associated with a 42% higher risk of heart disease and a 19% higher risk of type 2 diabetes. Turn your sandwich into a real heart hero by using whole-grain bread and roasted turkey or chicken breast.

I really hope this is no surprise, but I'm still amazed at how many people just dont get it!

Stay tuned for the remaining 4.  You might be surprised!

Get Strong! Stay Strong!

Chris