8. Protein Bars
While younger folks might be able to get away with skipping breakfast or simply eating a starchy ‘weight loss’ cereal or bar, research suggests that eating 20 to 30 grams of protein at each meal is ideal—especially as we age.
Aside from its high sugar count, many protein bars only pack 10 grams of protein, which won’t do much in terms of keeping you full and satisfied until lunch.
If you typically reach for a bar like this, swap it out for a quick homemade meal of boiled or scrambled eggs in light butter or olive oil and whole-wheat toast.
You can try homemade protein shake or real (not ‘non-fat’) yogurt with granola.
9. Margarine
I’ve been saying this for years. Remember those cheap brown tubs of butter-like substances growing up?
Butter alternatives like margarine are often made with partially-hydrogenated oils, one of the most common trans-fats.
You may have heard that this type of fat is linked to heart disease, but what most people don’t know is that it may also accelerate the skin’s aging process by making the skin more vulnerable to ultraviolet radiation.
When the skin gets damaged by the sun, it breaks down the skin’s elastin and collagen.
But now some butter substitutes are advertising non-trans fat products.
But that’s not all, studies have also found that eating margarine can cause chronic inflammation, which may also accelerate wrinkle formation.
Stick to the real thing–just don’t eat a lot of it.