Heart Healthy Foods....NOT

Everyone knows there are laws against false advertising. Maybe that is why we are so quick to buy the advertised so-called good foods. Too bad Mother Nature doesn't have an ad agency.

Good food is natural. Good food is not processed. Good food is not injected with man made antibiotics and hormones.

These are my top five most unhealthy foods.

1. Margarine....I don't care if it is labeled heart healthy. Margarine is nothing but trans fats. Scientists have known for more than 15 years that this stuff will kill you. Your grandparents would not touch the stuff. Go back to buying butter. Oh it may not be as easy to spread on your bread, but believe me it will go a long way toward keeping your heart healthy. You need some saturated fat in your diet---in fact about 10% of your daily calorie intake. Remember that some vitamins are only fat soluble.

2. Low-fat frozen yogurt... this is another fake healthy food. It has none of the live healthy bacteria found in regular yogurt. It is mostly high-fructose corn syrup---empty calories promoting artery-clogging plaque. It will spike your blood sugar and insulin levels. Go will the real thing or have a small helping of real ice cream.

3. Canned soup... Surprised you on that one didn't I. To make you think you are getting a tasty dish, canned soup is loaded with salt that works out to about 890 mg per serving. Add to that the over processed vegetables and the flavor enhancers and you just turned a staple into a nutrient-empty, trans-fat-loaded meal. Making your own soup is not hard and with a crock pot you don't even have to stir it. Use fresh vegetables and go easy on the salt.

4. Vegetable Oil... this ranks right up there with the margarine. Most vegetable oil is vastly over processed with heat that strips away any protective nutrients. Now you are going to heat it some more to fry something. Hey---free radicals that cause inflammation and heart disease. Look for COLD-Processed organic seed oils. I know they cost more in dollars but compare that cost to a health care cost involved in heart disease.

5. Sodas or as we say here in Texas Coke... There is absolutely nothing good that can be said about sodas. They damage your liver, significantly contribute to insulin resistance which in turn contributes to heart disease and diabetes. The diet stuff is even worse if possibly, because of the artificial sugars. If you won't give up cokes for the health benefits, then consider this. One coke a day will put on 15 pounds in a year. If you are over weight just giving up that one thing will make a big difference.

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