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The Foods I Quit Forever Which Made My Life So Much Happier
A psychological look at an unhealthy diet rather than calorie count
I am not usually one to “quit” foods, as my general philosophy is that no food should be off-limits. Rules of deprivation tend to make people more anxious and fearful of making healthful choices, than to help establish any long-term or sustainable living habits.
But there are five foods that I have quit — or only enjoy very rarely — for no other reason than that it has transformed my health for the better, and made my life so much happier:
- Soda
- Potato chips
- Crackers and pretzels
- Candy bars (the exception is dark chocolate)
- Plain cereal
What do all these foods have in common that other junk food doesn’t?
It is not so much that these foods are the unhealthiest kinds of food to exist, as I can think of many more decadent and deep-fried foods that have much more sugar, sodium, or fat. Yet why would I have cereal on my quit list, but fail to list donuts? Why are crackers and pretzels listed, but not french fries?
