These Are the Worst Foods for Heart Health

These are some of the worst foods for heart health and how to look out for them.

As I got older and educated myself in the health and wellness space through nutritional and fitness courses through ISSA, an online platform to get certified in fitness, I learned how to make better choices to live a healthier lifestyle.

I started avoiding these worst foods for heart health as much as possible to focus on my overall wellness.

Sodium-drenched foods

Bacon. Bacon is salty goodness that almost everyone enjoys eating at breakfast time. The problem with bacon is that it’s full of saturated fats which boosts your bad cholesterol, making your heart work harder because of the increase in your blood pressure. Too much bacon can increase your chances of getting a stroke, heart attack, or worse—heart failure.

Like bacon, you have to remove processed meats like salami, hot dogs, and any other processed meats. They too have too much sodium and saturated fats. You may not think that street dog after a night out is harmful, but it is. Try and steer clear from these meats as well.

Baked goods

Who doesn’t like a good slice of cake, croissant, or cupcake? Once upon a time, when we were still able to work in the office with our peers, we enjoyed the morning croissant or donut that was in the break room a couple of times a month. Although the gesture is always appreciated, these baked goods are typically made from white flour and loaded with added sugar, which will spike your triglyceride level, which leads to weight gain and can cause heart disease.

Swap out your favorite baked goods with a fruit or veggie platter for your next rendezvous to the break room.

Alcohol

While alcohol is not a food, it is a category to highlight.

Who doesn’t like to have an alcoholic beverage once in a while? I know I enjoy a glass of wine from time to time, which is actually good for your heart. However, if you choose to partake in cocktails or beer, that may be another story. Heavy drinking will cause high blood pressure, heart failure, heart disease, and weight gain, just to name a few.

Not only that, but heavy drinking will lead you to do things you wouldn’t do if you were sober and will leave you with a splitting headache the next day. So be responsible when you decide to partake in spirits, as they are one of the worst foods for heart health.