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What is a Bad Diet?



If you are just beginning a physical fitness or cycling program you might be wondering, "What is a bad diet?" A bad diet is a term that is used to describe foods and drinks that may not be supporting your weight loss or muscle building goals. It is one that is unhealthy, does not sustain physical exercise and that will eventually cause disease.

So exactly what is a bad diet? It is one that is high in fat, carbohydrates, salt and sugars and low in vitamins, minerals and fiber. The types of items that you will typically find in the kitchen cupboard and refrigerator of someone who eats a bad diet are white bread, doughnuts, potato chips, microwave dinners, fried foods, instant foods, cheese and meat.

You can’t answer the question "What is a bad diet?" without also including some information about beverages. Did you know for instance that if you eliminated all colas and coffees from your diet that you could lose as much as fifteen pounds in a month? The same thing would also happen if you cut out all coffee that has cream and sugar in it.

People who are on bad diets also seem to eat on the run more than others. They are more prone to suddenly ordering sodium, calorie and fat laden pizzas and Chinese food for dinner.

By contrast a person who has a good diet eats foods that are low in fat, high in fiber and rich in vitamins and minerals.

These types of individuals also drink plenty of water every day – at least eight cups. Water keeps the system flushed and it is a natural diuretic. Water flushes toxins out of your system.

They also tend to drink herbal teas, which are healthier for you than coffee. Fresh squeezed juices are also the preference of the person on a good diet as the store bought types are laced with sugar and sodium.

People who are on a good diet tend to be more organized then those who are not. They make lists of the healthy foods they need to buy and they almost never eat on the run. Eating on the run is the best way to develop a bad addiction to junk food.

An example of a good diet is the Mediterranean Food Pyramid, which uses olive oil and olives as a fat (instead of butter or fats) and is heavy on the brightly colored vegetables and fruits. The more vividly colored a vegetable or fruit is the more likely it is to have cancer-preventing qualities.

In fact the next time you want to ask yourself "What is a bad diet?" then all you need to do is look at the menu of your nearest fast food restaurant. Most of them supply information about how much nutrition is in their foods so you can see how high in fat, sodium and calories fast food really is.

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