Random Wednesday: Foods to cut from your Diet

Happy Wednesday Folks!

I've been lagging a little bit on the good 'ol art of blogging lately.  My apologies, I just haven't really been up to it (aka I haven't had anything to talk about because my life is kinda boring).

My weekend was, once again, pretty lame.  I worked Friday and Saturday night.  I did get my hair cut on Saturday morning though, so that was kind of productive.  The rest of Saturday was spent on the couch with Marley until I had to go to work.

Sleepy boy

I went to the hair dresser looking like this...yikes!

 Sunday was, as it always is, a lazy day.  My roomie Erin, Vinnie, and I went to brunch at Glenn's Diner in Lincoln Square.  I've heard about this amazing place but we had never ventured over there to try it out.  Wow, I am sooo glad we did.  It was awesome.  One bloody mary and some pigs in a blanket later (yes I did order pigs in a blanket, yes I am still 6 years old) and I was ready to fall into a food coma.  Now I really want to go back for lunch or dinner sometime.  They are a seafood house and they're lunch and dinner menu looked very scrumptious. 

Glenn's Diner

Vinnie and I went grocery shopping and I remembered why I usually go grocery shopping without him.  He tends to sneak random ass food into the cart while I'm not looking so we end up spending $200 plus at the end of our trip and we're stuck with a bunch of pizza rolls, spaghetti o's, and other random college kid junk food that my boy still insists on eating against my wishes.  I am glad we have a full fridge again though.  I made chicken fettuccine alfredo per the boy's request and we had a couple of captain/cokes and watched MIB 3, which was surprisingly good.  Good Sunday overall.

So today I found an article on Yahoo talking about the 14 foods that you should cut from your diet.  It was pretty interesting to me because I wouldn't have expected some of the foods on this list.  You can read the full article here.  Since I am trying to eat healthier with the start of the new year, I am glad that I found this article now so that I can keep it in mind when I'm shopping for healthy foods.  Here are some of the foods that I was most surprised about being on the list:

Swordfish:  I don't often eat swordfish (who does) but at the restaurant I worked in throughout college, swordfish was often a featured dish so I have tried it a few times.  This article states that " Swordfish is notoriously high in the heavy metal, a potent neurotoxin that can damage developing children and even trigger heart attacks in adults. Aside from obvious health concerns, swordfish is often overfished and some of the gear commonly used to wrangle in swordfish often kills turtles, seabirds, and sharks".  It's safe to say I won't be consuming swordfish ever again.  The article goes on to suggest "For a healthy omega-3 brain boost, look for fish that are low in contaminants and have stable populations, such as wild-caught Alaskan salmon".

Strawberries: Of course I just bought a big container of strawberries before I read this.  Farmers apply tons of dangerous pesticides to their strawberry fields.  Stay away from chemically grown strawberries and opt for organic strawberries instead.

Canned Tomatoes:  "The resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A, or BPA, a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity."  Eek, canned tomatoes could cause some harmful impacts to people.  The article suggests choosing tomatoes in glass bottles or tetra pak boxes instead.

 Bread: This made me sad to hear because I do love me some sandwiches (which is why I probably won't give up bread).  Bread has gone through some extensive genetic manipulations in the 1960's and 70's to increase yields.  This changed it's effects on humans who consume it.  "Modern-day wheat is triggering all sorts of health problems, everything from digestive diseases like celiac and inflammatory bowel disease to acid reflux, obesity, asthma, and skin disorders."  Bread is apparently a food that yields unexpected benefits when avoided.  This article suggest staying away from bread all together and consuming grains like quinoa, buckwheat, millet, and wild rice, but in smaller quantities (less than a half cup).

Sprouts: Now I don't like sprouts so this is not a problem for me, but it is still pretty shocking.  According to this article, "sprouts have been at the center of at least 40 significant outbreaks of foodborne illness over the past 20 years".  To get the crunch of sprouts without the bacteria, consume shredded cabbage or carrots.  I guess now I'm glad I always order my Turkey Tom from Jimmy John's without sprouts!

*all information and pictures were taken from this article by Leah Zerbe And Emily Main on Yahoo Health. 

Alright since this post is so random, today I am linking up with Shanna over at Because Shanna Said So... for Random Wednesday!

 
P.S. I already love you Shanna because you share the same name as my favorite (and only) older sister :)

XO. Tarah