It’s no secret that processed foods are a serious no-no when it comes to keeping your heart healthy and your body in shape. However, a few options are worse than others. And while the typical salty snacks and frozen foods may come to mind when you think of the biggest culprits, it’s important to remember that many processed meats you could be eating every day will also wreak havoc on your health—including two in particular that health experts warn against.
To learn more about the worst processed meats you should cut out of your diet if you want a flatter belly, we spoke to experts Caitlin Policastro, a nurse practitioner at the New York Center for Innovative Medicine, Lisa Richards, nutritionist and creator of The Candida Diet, and Trista Best, dietitian for Balance One Supplements. They told us that deli meats (ham in particular) and pork are at the top of the list.
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Deli Ham
Richards says eating processed meats such as salami, lunch meat, and spam is never a great idea for your health due to the high sodium content they pack in. However, she cites ham as one of the worst options out there—it really takes the cake when it comes to salt! "Ham in particular has a concerning sodium content reaching nearly 50% of the daily value (DV) in the most common brands," she warns. "Sodium is used for both taste and preservation of deli meats and ham. This can not only lead to bloating, water retention, and high blood pressure but also added belly fat." Yikes!
If you really can't part with your ham sandwiches, Richards suggests searching for healthier alternatives. "For those that enjoy processed meats like these it is best to try and find low sodium options or avoid them altogether. Processed meats can certainly be a moderate part of most healthy individual's diets, but for those needing to follow heart healthy diets this is not the case," she concludes.
Pork
Another major culprit of cardiovascular issues and weight gain is highly processed pork. "Pork is loaded with saturated fat—leading to cardiovascular problems, high cholesterol, weight gain and more." Policastro says. And when it comes to the absolute worst options, Best says you should be sure to steer clear of fast food pork. "Fast food pork can take an already unhealthy animal product and increase it significantly," she notes, warning that this means you typically won't know "what all has gone into making the final product, which can include "added ingredients that raise its already high saturated fat content."
Best tells us that when you eat fast food pork, "there may also be added sugars from sauces such as barbecue and others. Then there is also the concern for high amounts of sodium that are usually in pork for stability, flavor, and texture." All of that can take a serious toll on your overall health and even result in weight gain.
At the end of the day, it's best to avoid processed meats as much as possible if you want to keep your heart healthy and your waistline slim. But of course, no one is perfect. Just make sure you're making healthy decisions that make your body feel good, and you'll be well on your way to looking good—and that likely means steering clear of those pork sandwiches.
