6 foods you shouldn’t consume after 30

Even if you don’t feel any different than you did in your teens and twenties, the body changes in ways that make it harder to lose the battle of the bulge and remain in good health. If you wish to age elegantly into a body you’ll want to parade no matter how many years go by, there are foods that should never pass your lips after you’ve celebrated the big 3-0. Compiled from eatthis.com, steer clear of these foods post your 30th.

White carbs



Unless your go-to sandwich bread is made with whole grains, consider yourself in trouble. Though you may not think of the home staple carb as a sweet indulgence, the body converts refined carbohydrates into sugar and then glucose, a nutrient that damages collagen, which maintains tightness of skin, and other wrinkle-fighting proteins. What’s more, when it comes to bread and even pasta, picking whole grains over refined will help keep your blood sugar levels stable and low, hence supporting weight maintenance and healthy weight loss. Ditch white carbs to maintain a youthful figure.



Iced coffee



This icy beverage is becoming all the rage in Pakistan but do you realise that drinking a caffeinated beverage out of a straw, which is how most of us devour our beloved iced coffee, is a skin-aging double-dilemma. During the day, we’re exposed to skin-stressors like UV rays, but while we sleep our cells repair themselves. However, consuming too much caffeine can interfere with sleep quality, cutting into this rejuvenation time and prematurely aging the skin. What’s more, researchers have found that repetitive facial movements, like sipping through a straw, can cause fine lines and wrinkles.

Margarine



Butter substitutes like margarine are often made to appear healthy but trust me, it’s a trap. Margarine is chock-full of partially-hydrogenated oils, one of the most common trans-fats. You may have heard that this type of fat is linked to heart disease, but what most people don’t know is that it may also accelerate the skin’s aging process by making the skin more vulnerable to ultraviolet radiation. When the skin gets damaged by the sun, it breaks down the skin’s elastin and collagen. But that’s not all —studies have also found that including margarine in your diet can cause chronic inflammation, which may also accelerate wrinkle formation. No, thank you!

Soy sauce



Puffy, dark circles under the eyes tend to become more pronounced with each passing birthday and being dehydrated makes matters even worse. To wake up looking refreshed, steer clear of moisture-sucking salty foods like soy sauce. Did you know that a mere tablespoon of the dark concoction has a whopping 879 milligrams of sodium? That number is ridiculously high, and is detrimental to your overall health. Forego soy sauce when you go for your next sushi session and season with wasabi instead. And don’t forget to drink plenty of water.

Hot dogs



Meat may be considered the ultimate man food but if you gobble down the wrong kinds, your fertility may pay the price. A 2014 study published in the journal Epidemiology found an association between eating processed meats like salami and hot dogs (be it beef or chicken) and decreased fertility in men. Don’t be too happy ladies; this yummy treat doesn’t do any favours to your waistline either. Fascinatingly enough, the meat’s saturated fat content is over the roof, so let’s please try to forget how great these meat villains taste with mustard and ketchup!

Coffee creamer



Coffee creamer and sunblock have more in common than you might think. They both contain titanium dioxide, an ultraviolet radiation blocker that doubles as a whitening agent. The additive has been proven to cause liver and tissue damage and may also have other health implications, according to a recent review of the chemical. Coffee creamer is also typically overflowing with trans-fats, often hiding under its lesser-known name: hydrogenated oil. This scary ingredient has been shown to diminish memory in adults under 45 years old. If you’re working hard or don’t want to forget where you parked your car, this is one ingredient you should ditch now. Need more reasons to toss creamer? The trans-fats in creamers can cause inflammation, which can aggravate aches in joints. Now, that’s painful.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2^nd, 2016.

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