There are numerous products that should be steered clear of. Most are quite obvious: cotton candy, Butterfingers, Hardee’s Monster Thickburgers. However, some foods are not as blatantly filthy. I plan to talk about those.

1. Canned Food – Canned goods contain a nasty chemical called Bisphenol A (BPA) within their lining.¹ Several studies have linked it to different diseases and cancer. It is certainly something that should be avoided. Even some self proclaimed healthy and ‘organic ‘ food suppliers use packaging produced with BPA.² However, companies such as Nalgene³ and Eden Organics⁴ have recognized the health risks of BPA and have made special efforts to eliminate its use in their packaging and products.
   
2. All Natural – anything with this vague statement on their package puts their integrity in jeopardy. This term might be the most overused and under-regulated marketing tactic in the food industry. An example of recent deception would be a lawsuit against Snapple regarding the use of high fructose corn syrup.⁵ I do not want to make a blanket statement regarding all products with All Natural labels. Most all natural foods lay a simple foundation for healthy alternatives. I feel it is not enough. What’s more is the premium cost associated with their falsely advertised health product. There have been numerous requests for the FDA to tighten up their regulations on these types of labels.⁶
   
3. Prepackaged Spices – spices are cheap in the absence of expensive containers. Do we really need to buy a disposable pepper grinder every time we want ground pepper? Ordering spices bulk can translate into 1/5 the cost of fancy packaged spices. What I do is get 4oz mason jars and label them appropriately. Yes this is not detrimental to your health, only your bank account. However you can fine tune the quality and types of spices you purchase.
   
4. Mediocre Sit-down Restaurants - not only does the food cost more than fast food but the taste, ingredients, and nutritional content are highly questionable. The worst example is Romano’s Macaroni Grill – Chicken Portobella which contains around 7,000mg of sodium (300% daily allowance).⁷ Do your homework before you drop fifty bones on dinner for two.
   
5. Non-organic produce - the amount of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and other chemicals that conventional produce are allowed to be exposed to is astonishing. There are certain fruits and vegetables with higher concentrations of these toxins which allows you to substitute with their non-organic counterpart.⁸ Of course eating strictly organic is not practical, in fact some regions do not even have this option. Pick your battles and go for the safest conventional fruits or vegetables.
   

Education is key. Take the time to learn about the products you consume. A lot of the guidelines I suggest could potentially be the answer to your weight loss and fitness goals. If the toxins and negative nutritional items are removed, I guarantee you will see positive results in your health and general well being.

1. A Survey of Bisphenol A in U.S. Canned Foods
2. BPA In Cans
3. Bottle Maker to Stop Using Plastic Linked to Health Concerns
4. Eden Organic BPA Free Can
5. Snapple to Face Lawsuit Over ‘All Natural’ Claim
6. Food Label Makeovers Proposed by CSPI
7. Romano’s Macaroni Grill Chicken Portabella Nutrional Facts
8. Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides: The Full List