10 Foods & Drinks That Are Surprisingly Terrible For Your Heart

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Being quarantined either altered your health in a positive direction or in a negative one. Figuring out this new life from the business and personal side can become overwhelming but your health should always come first. As you may know, what you eat plays about 70% in this losing weight venture, and what’s on your plate can help maintain not only your muscles and curves but your heart as well. MSN spoke with a cardiologist about how our diets relate to our hearts, “Heart-healthy foods contain nutrients that have been shown to benefit the cardiovascular system or reduce the risk of developing heart disease by lowering ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol and blood triglycerides, reducing blood pressure, controlling weight and/or improving insulin sensitivity,” says Rania Batayneh, MPH, the owner of Essential Nutrition For You and the author of The One One One Diet.

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Some of the foods and drinks to avoid in order to maintain or develop a healthy heart are; frozen dinners, fruit-flavored yogurt, energy bars, and packaged snacks. Take a look at the list below for 10 more foods and drinks that are surprisingly terrible for your heart…

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1. Flavored Milk Alternatives

Almond, cashew and other alternative milks are all about the details. Flavored and sweetened milk substitutes can make it difficult to choose the healthiest option says Suzanne Fisher, RD, LDN. Additions, like chocolate and vanilla flavoring, can quickly pile on the calories.

2. Rotisserie Chicken

Rotisserie chicken often contains more sodium and saturated fat than your typical home-cooked chicken. To keep it healthy roast your own at home so you have control on the amount of added sodium. Also make sure to remove the skin to trim down on saturated fat.

3. Fruit Smoothies

“In theory they should be healthy, unless you count how many grams of sugar you are actually consuming,” says Suzanne Fisher, RD, LDN. Not all fruits are created equal. Dr. Fisher continues, “Plus, by drinking fruit instead of eating it whole, you lose the essential fiber that could help normalize elevated blood lipids—a key risk factor of heart disease”.

4. Canned Soup

Canned soups are extremely high in sodium. Most broths contain at least 500 milligrams of sodium per cup added to the other salty ingredients will max you on your daily sodium limit in one serving. More sodium equals a risk of heightened blood pressure which could result to heart failure.

5. Energy/Sports Drinks

Sticking to water means you’ll stay away from all the added sugar and caffeine. This combination in these sports drinks can cause undue stress to your heart. H2O will forever be the best choice to hydrate and replenish the body.

6. Ketchup

As the theme continues high sugar and high sodium is no good for you. Ketchup is loaded with both.

7. Processed Deli Meats

“Even the lower-fat versions of cured lunch meats contain the preservative sodium nitrate,” says Suzanne Fisher, RD, LDN, founder of Fisher Nutrition Systems in Cooper City, Florida. Nitrates may increase internal inflammation, and “chronic inflammation has a direct link to the development of atherosclerosis,” the stiffening or narrowing of the arteries, she adds.

8. Diet Soda

Research suggests that the chemicals added in diet soda and the artificial sweeteners can alter gastrointestinal bacteria that make people more at risk to gaining weight and becoming obese.

9. Reduced-Fat Salad Dressings

Just like our previous food and drink items, it’s all about the details. Looking into reduced-fat salad dressings seems unnecessary but “When fat is removed, sugar is typically added to maintain the taste and texture,” Suzanne Fisher, RD, LDN shares. Solely focusing on the low in fat or calories doesn’t mean it’s healthy.

10. Alcohol

Heavy drinking adds calories to your diet which can lead to weight gain. This is a factor that’s also linked to developing heart disease and high blood pressure.