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6 Foods You Should Cut Out—No Questions Asked

From Team Beachbody - Click here for resources, tools and information to help you to reach your health, fitness and positive lifestyle goals!

If you cut these 6 foods from your diet and do nothing else, you'll get slimmer and life will get better.

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). I'd say all refined sugar but, somehow, I think this will be enough, since America's lobbied itself into almost all sweet junk food. It's not that HFCS is tons worse than sugar, but it has the lowest bottom line, meaning that it's added to the cheapest, and hence, worst-quality foods (using this last word very loosely).
Soda. Since cutting out item #1 eliminates sugared sodas, this rule is for diet soda. Filling yourself with phosphoric acid and aspartame is just not the cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle. Its zero cals are worse than nothing, since it negatively affects your body's ability to utilize nutrients for the other foods you eat.
Prepared dressings. I don't know who decided it's a good idea to douse vegetables with this stuff, but most salad dressings are a disgusting concoction of chemicals and trans fat, usually with some sugar thrown in. Stick with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and your body will love you for it.
Margarine. Okay, there are some newer and better fake butters in the world, but you need a trained eye to pick them out. Keeping products with this word in them from appearing at the checkout counter will keep your arteries open for business.
Animal fats. If you eat meat, you can't cut this stuff out, but if you always opt for the low or nonfat version of animal fats (except fish) you'll be way better off. Your body needs fat, but try to get yours from nuts, seeds, olives, and such.
Salt. Your body also needs salt. And the more you exercise the more salt you need. However, if you ever eat at restaurants, they ensure you're getting plenty. A good-sized "healthy" burrito has enough salt to get you through a moderately active day. With this in mind, it's hard to envision a scenario where you'd want to add salt to your food. So unless you're training for a triathlon, leave the salt shaker on the shelf.