If you've been chanting along the lines of "new year, new me", it's quite possible that you're trying to implement every resolution you promised to accomplish in 2018, and as is common for most people, these might include some major diet changes.
But how healthy is the "healthy" diet you've adopted this year? No matter how controlled your proportions of banana bread or French fries, or even fruit yoghurt, are, Australian dietician Suzie Burrell claims they should be ditched from our lives altogether.
Also: Best and worst diets of 2018 revealed
As Suzie explained on her blog, such a "black and white approach is clear and simple". However, she added that your "diet and health will benefit" from such an approach you in the long run.
So what are the seven deadly demons for your diet when it comes to food?
1. TURKISH TOAST
As crisp, convenient and healthy a large latte with Turkish toast layered with Vegemite and butter may sound, it should be something you absolutely must reconsider.
"The harsh truth is that a typical serve of Turkish toast from the local cafe has a similar amount of carbohydrates as at least four slices of regular bread," wrote Suzie.
Turkish toast slices are much bigger than regular bread, plus the sides are "full of refined white flour", she explained.
"Turkish bread is also surprisingly high in salt, which is another reason to get rid of it from your diet for good," she added, suggesting rye or sourdough as substitutes.
2. BANANA BREAD
This again might seem easy and healthy as it has "banana" in it, but it's "really cake", warned Suzie, and does practically nothing to help the waistline.
"With up to 80 grams of carbs, 20 grams of sugar and 30 grams of fat in a single slice, banana bread has much more in common with cake than it does with bread," Susie said.
This is basically adding 300-400 calories to our diet, which is unnecessary. Instead, opt for multi-grain bread.
3. MARGARINE
This spread might sound like its thinner than butter, hence leading to the misconception that it's weight-loss friendly, but what is little known is that "processed vegetable oil is the base of the majority of margarines", Suzie explained.
"While there are some which claim to reduce cholesterol, it could be argued that there is no point adding in refined oils to the diet to achieve a relatively small outcome when you could get the same outcome by eating well, losing a few kilos and avoiding refined vegetable oils altogether."
4. FRUIT YOGHURT
Fruit, probiotics and goodness all mixed together seem to be the holy trinity for healthy food. But as Suzie explains: "Even the healthiest [of fruit yoghurts] contains close to four teaspoons of sugar'.
Just replace it with natural or Greek yoghurt. If you need a sweetener at all, there's always real fruit.
5. WHITE RICE
This might seem like making a healthy choice while adding with all the stir fries and curries, "[but] a single cup of white rice contains 45 grams of refined carbohydrates (a slice of bread contains 12-15 grams), and it is the type of carb that sends blood glucose levels soaring."
Susie categorised white rice as "filler food" – lacking the fibre and protein which its brown counterpart contains.
6. FRENCH FRIES
Let's face it – there's no substitute for the comfort that fries provide us, and we are well aware of how unhealthy they actually are.
"The issue with thin French fries is that they absorb more oil than fatter chips and are extremely easy to overeat," explained Suzie, adding that a single cup contains 300 calories.
Choose thick-cut chips instead, if you absolutely cannot live without them!
7. BISCUITS
An exceptionally yummy snack, but "a simple plain sweet biscuit is made of sugar, vegetable oil and refined white flour and offers nothing positive nutritionally," explained Suzie.
There's no replacement, as she claims one must make a "blanket rule of saying no to offers of plain sweet biscuits".
Plus, it's a foolproof way of cutting down on unnecessary snacking at work, too!
