1 of 23

PHOTO: ALEKSANDRS SAMUILOVS/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

People come to me regularly for advice on ways to really improve their health. If and when we get to discussing diet (often-times the first words out of my mouth), I almost always hear “But you don’t understand, I’m a SUPER healthy eater.”

Then I probe a little deeper. Not even all that deep. And it quickly becomes clear to me that this person is consuming plenty of foods that aren’t a part of a healthy diet.

Now don’t beat yourself up too much for making these mistakes, as there’s so much confusion surrounding labels these days. Companies throw around buzz words such as “organic,” “all-natural,” “sugar-free” and others like they’re no big deal. But it’s on the consumer to use common sense as well.

So regardless of what the label says, do some critical thinking. And if you need a cheat sheet, here are 23 foods that many of us consume on a regular basis that we absolutely, positively shouldn’t.

1. Most Cooking Oils

I feel obliged to make this the first item on the list, because these are literally everywhere, and often get a pass when it comes to foods that are terrible for us. Canola, vegetable, soybean and corn oils are pushed as “heart healthy” choices for both cooking and baking. They’re also in just about every processed, packaged food that you’ll find on your supermarket shelves.

The problem with these oils is that they’re exceptionally high in omega-6 polyunsaturated fats (PUFA’s). Consuming a diet that’s high in omega-6 fats will create system-wide inflammation, which is present in all forms of disease, including diabetes and heart disease.

I would highly encourage you to only cook with coconut oil or ghee, and to use a high quality extra-virgin olive oil for unheated purposes, such as salad dressings or to add some extra healthy raw fats into your meal.

Contrary to what you’ll read in many places, don’t spend big bucks on extra virgin coconut oil for cooking purposes. Instead opt for a high quality refined coconut oil that is not hydrogenated, contains no hexane and is certified organic.