Don't make these common nutritional mistakes

Don't Make These Common Nutrition Mistakes

Nutrition plays a key role in our health.

By eating the right foods, you'll benefit from improved physical and mental health.

Unfortunately, though, many people fall victim to one or more of the following nutrition mistakes.

Drinking Soda

How much harm can soda really pose to your health?

Because of its high caloric content without the presence of beneficial nutrients, soda is considered an empty-calorie beverage. While different types of soda contain different ingredients, they all receive their calories from processed sugar. It's not uncommon for a 12-ounce serving to pack up to 40 grams of processed sugar, which is more than the daily allowance recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA).

That excess sugar will wreak havoc on your health by suppressing your immune system, disrupting your sleep cycles, promoting body fat and more.

Counting Calories

When seeking to lose weight, many people reduce the amount of calories they consume, believing this will lead them to a slimmer waistline. The problem is that not all calories are the same. Calories from protein, for instance, are treated differently than those from sugar.

Therefore, counting calories doesn't always work. A better approach is to focus your diet on nutritional foods that are low in processed sugar and sodium.

Using Too Much Dressing or Sauce

Loading up on salad dressing, sauce or other condiments can quickly negate the otherwise positive health benefits of your food.

These products are often loaded with sugar, sodium and artificial preservatives.

Assuming All Fats Are Bad

There are different types of fats, not all of which are bad for your health. Trans-unsaturated fatty acids, or what's more commonly known as trans fat, is the worst type of fat. Studies have shown that consuming trans fat, even in small amounts, increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has even taken steps to ban the substance in food products sold in the United States.

Nonetheless, you can still find many foods with trans fat, some of which include microwaveable popcorn, cookies, crackers, breakfast meals and doughnuts.

On the other hand, unsaturated fatty acids are good for your health. They have the opposite effect by lowering your risk of heart disease. Unsaturated fatty acids raise levels of good cholesterol and lower levels of bad cholesterol to promote a healthy heart and cardiovascular system.

You can find unsaturated fatty acids in the following foods:

- Fish
- Olive oil
- Canola oil
- Nuts
- Avocados
- Dark Chocolate
Consuming Artificial Sweetener

With its zero caloric content, many people assume that artificial sweeteners are better for their health than real sugar.

Whether it's aspartame, sucralose, saccharin or acesulfame, though, artificial sweeteners are processed by the body the same was as processed sugar.

Therefore, they too can contribute to weight gain and elevated blood glucose levels.

Avoiding these nutrition mistakes will set you on the path to better health.

Just be conscious of what you eat and the ingredients your food contains.