If you don’t love fried chicken, well, I just feel like this relationship just may not be working out. Same goes for fruit, vegetables, bread, dairy, and Coca-Cola. Take those away and what do we have left? Soy burgers? Pass!!

Maybe I’m being a little dramatic here, but not by much according to the ‘experts.’

Here is a list of the worst foods that you could possibly eat:

1. Soda. If you like a tasty beverage, you might want to slow it down, jack. Soda is not only the primary culprit in the obesity epidemic, it is also linked to a million kinds of cancer not to mention memory loss, nerve disorders, and premature aging. Looks like we’d be better off smoking!

2. Hot Dogs. Hams, sausages and hotdogs are examples of processed meats that are harmful to your health. Regularly intake of these foods will eventually lead to increased risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Plus with all the calories they make you a big boy.

3. High-Calorie Pastries. The decadent pastries we sinfully sink our teeth into may be nice & tasty but the calories and fat in these foods are not only going to expand your waistline, it’s also going to lead you closer to heart disease.

4. Canned Fruit. While canned fruit is still fruit, the idea that it’s healthy is one big lie. The photo below shows someone who’s about to drink peach-flavored liquid sugar.

5. Artificial Sweeteners. While a lot of artificial sweeteners are zero-calorie substitutes for sugar, studies have shown that they are linked to health issues like metabolic syndrome, Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

6. Farmed Salmon. Studies show that farmed salmon can be loaded with carcinogenic chemicals, flame retardants, antibiotics and pesticides. These things are little cancer filets.

7. Microwaveable Popcorn. Filled with chemicals and flavoring agents that pose health risks, microwave popcorn poses respiratory risks and is linked to Alzheimer’s Disease and certain cancers. The chemicals that line the popcorn bag is also another factor why you should leave microwave popcorn out of your menu.

8. Swordfish. Grilled swordfish may be delicious but it also really high in mercury, harmful to brain development, especially with young children. Other high-mercury fish include albacore tuna, king mackerel, marlin, and different kinds of shark. In other news: shark taste lousy.

9. Hydrogenated Oils. Processed foods rely on hydrogenated oils so they can be preserved for really long times. However, because they change the structure of cell membranes in the body, continued consumption, you got it: causes cancer. And they make you fat. But they do taste good!!

10. Condiments that Require No Refrigeration. Sauces, dips, creamers and other condiments that remain stable at room temperature are drenched with food coloring, sweeteners, chemicals, salt and other preservatives that will keep them “fresh.” Unfortunately, this leads to premature heart disease.

11. Fried Foods. When you fry foods at high temperatures, they form toxic chemical compounds that you then ingest. They lead to higher risk of breast, head, neck, esophageal, pancreatic and prostate cancers. Still, whatever that huge fried thing is looks AWESOME.

12. Genetically-Modified Foods. Foods that have been genetically-modified lead to higher incidences of rapid tumor growth. Soybeans and corn are among the foods most often genetically-modified. Chickens are, too. bok BOK!

13. Dirty Fruits. The so-called “dirty fruits” include apples, strawberries and grapes that have been grown with pesticides. Unless these foods are grown organically and not treated with pesticides, they can increase your, yep, cancer risk.

14. Refined white flours. The stuff that bagels are made of, refined white flour is harmful because they lead to increased blood sugar levels and feed cancer cells. There’s really no benefit to bagels EXCEPT they really make us happy.

15. Bacon. Eating this tasty treat six days a week versus once a week increases your risk of stroke by 40%.

16. Milk. You may get calcium from dairy products but at the same time, you are also ingesting saturated fats which are linked to increased risk of heart disease, stroke, certain cancers, migraines and rheumatoid arthritis. WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO NOW?

17. Junk Food. This term encompasses foodstuffs like chips, gum, candy and the like which have high fat, sugar, salt and calorie content. They are linked to obesity, diabetes, depression and nutritional deficiencies.

18. Regular Potato Chips. This junk food deserves special mention because they are full of preservatives, trans fats, sodium, and artificial flavors. In addition, the high temperatures at which it is subjected for cooking brings forth the development of cancer-causing substances like acrylamide which is also found in cigarettes.

19. Canned Tomatoes. Bisphenol-A or BPA is found in the lining of canned foods. BPA is a chemical that is linked to intestinal damage, heart disease and other ailments. Canned tomatoes are vulnerable to BPA leaching because they are highly acidic.

20. Frozen Dinners. Aside form the fact that they are stuffed with calories, they are also highly-processed and contain excessive amounts of sodium. And if there’s meat in there? Watch out!!

21. Donuts. Trans fats, sugar and refined flour are the main staples of every doughnut you buy at the store. All these are linked to obesity and heart disease. If you eat 2 per day, you’ll be lucky to see Christmas.

22. “Low Fat” Foods. Tempting if you want to lose weight, however, in order to arrive at their “low-fat” version, these foods often substitute one rotten ingredient for another. These cookies here, I’ll say, look especially tasty.

I’m a little discouraged after all these. I feel like – this is what I eat. If you’re like me, let’s cut way, way back on the bad stuff, add in tons of good & tasty things, and enjoy the ride for a lot longer!!