Strict exercise regime without correct diet is unhelpful: Replace mayonnaise, eight other foods for fast weight loss

If you are on a disciplined exercise regimen and you still find out that you are not losing much weight, it could simply be because of some unhealthy foods which manage to sneak into your diet. There are a number of foods which are very easily and cheaply available in all stores. The hectic modern life can make you reach out to flavourful junk food or to any processed readymade foods but these could be the very reason you’re not losing any weight. A study published in the British Medical Journal in 2019 revealed that the consumption of processed foods increases the risk of cardiovascular, coronary heart and cerebrovascular diseases. Another study in Health Promotion Perspectives in 2015 showed that consumption of fast foods or processed, readymade foods don’t just lead to weight gain, obesity and cardiovascular diseases, but also does irreparable damage that therapies later cannot correct. So clearly, continuing to eat unhealthy foods — no matter how delicious they are — is not in your best interests. Here are 10 unhealthy foods you might be consuming a lot of without realising, and 10 healthy substitutes for them. 1. Chocolate with dark chocolate When it comes to chocolate, “the darker the better” should be your mantra instead of grabbing at milk or white chocolates stuffed with all the dry fruits and nuts in the world. This is primarily because cacao beans are rich in fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, and dark chocolate is one of the most undiluted forms to get these nutrients from. strong>2. Chips with baked veggie crisps No matter what the slogan on that bag of potato chips might declare, you should know that these manufactured chips are indeed processed foods and have additives to increase their shelf life. Why depend on them when you can thinly slice all sorts of veggies (carrots, beetroots, sweet potatoes) and bake veggies crisps at home? 3. Ice-cream with frozen yoghurt Sugar, high-fat dairy or cream, add-ons like chocolate chips, fake fruit flavours etc. make ice creams extremely unhealthy. Instead of buying a tub of ice cream, you could just freeze some yoghurt at home for the same creamy texture, and add chopped fruits and nuts to give it some flavour and crunch. 4. Butter with olive oil Sure, the best cuisines in the world promote the use of butter, and it has a brilliant flavour indeed. But it’s also very high in calories and fat. On the other hand, people from the Mediterranean region (who live long and healthy lives too) use olive oil to cook because it’s got (healthy) monounsaturated fats, antioxidants, iron and potassium. 5. Red meat with soy chunks You might already know how bad eating red meat regularly can be for your arteries and heart, and you might think soy cannot possibly meet its flavour profile - but soy chunks, chaanp and steaks can give you that meaty texture while also giving you a healthy, plant-based source of protein. 6. Sugary breakfast cereals with whole grains Most breakfast cereals are loaded with sugar and preservatives. You can replace those with simply cooked whole grains like oats, barley, quinoa, millets, etc. and jazz up the meal with fresh fruits, yoghurt, nuts and seeds. 7. Sugary jams with smashed fruits Putting a spoonful or two of jam on toast makes for a sweet breakfast and treat, but it’s sugary, full of preservatives and absolutely not good for you. You could just smash some bananas, strawberries, blueberries or avocados and put them on your toast for a naturally sweet, sour and totally healthy meal. 8. Mayonnaise with hummus That jar of mayo might be tasty but it’s also packed with fat and preservatives. But when you can whip up some protein and fibre-packed hummus with chickpeas at home — which can be used as a dip and as something you can put on toast — why would you want mayo anyway? 9. Creamy salad dressing with vinaigrette dressing You’ll find shelves packed with creamy salad dressings in most stores nowadays. While eating a salad daily is great, using these unhealthy dressings is not. Instead, you can simply mix olive oil and vinegar/lemon juice to make a quick and nutritious vinaigrette dressing any day. 10. White rice with quinoa White rice is loaded with carbohydrates and quinoa with protein and fibre. This easy replacement makes a lot of sense and you know it. So make the swap in your diet today. For more information, read our article on Healthy recipes. Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, India’s first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.