PALM OIL

When a regular fat like palm oil is blasted with hydrogen and turned into a solid, it becomes a trans fat. This allows packaged foods to stay “fresh” allowing them to sit on the supermarket shelf for years.  Eating food filled with palm oil can raise your “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and lower your “good” HDL.

SHORTENING

If shortening is listed as an ingredient, you need to throw it out, since this is a trans fat. It clogs your arteries and can cause obesity.

WHITE FLOUR, RICE, PASTA AND BREAD

When a whole grain is refined, most of its nutrients are sucked out in an effort to extend its shelf life and the fiber is removed, which can send up your blood sugar and insulin.

HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP

High fructose corn syrup  increases triglycerides, boosts fat-storing hormones and drives you to overeat and in essence causes you to gain weight.

ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS 

Aspartame, saccharin and sucralose tend to be harder on our metabolic systems than plain old sugar. These sweeteners actually do more harm than good as they trick the brain into forgetting that sweetness means extra calories, making you more likely to keep eating sweet treats without limits.