It seems like everything you eat these days is bad for you. First, eggs are part of a balanced breakfast. Then, they are filled with cholesterol, back away slowly. Next, you're allowed to eat the whites for lean protein but make sure you take out the yolks, that was where all that nasty cholesterol was hiding. Whew. And it goes like this for so many foods. Luckily our understanding of how different foods affect the body grows daily. So, for the current moment, let's review the top 5 ingredients you definitely should banish from mealtime.

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Sugar

It is much easier to omit sugar from your menu now than it was a decade ago. Sugar substitutes like Splenda allow you to continue to bake sweet things with less calories and no sacrifice on flavor. Newer alternatives like Truvia are sugar substitutes made from plants without the chemical component that scares some consumers away from artificial sweeteners.

A high-sugar intake can lead to spikes in blood sugar and the resultant crash, which makes you crave even more sugar, starting the cycle again. The way to break the cycle is by removing sugar from your diet. The best way to achieve a sugar-free lifestyle is by slowly substituting healthy foods for the sugar-filled ones you currently nosh.

For example, if you like to chew hard candy in the afternoon at work, try buying the sugar-free alternatives available in the candy aisle. Also, if you eat pastries for breakfast, try some fruit instead. If you eat strawberries, bananas, or other sweet fruit, you should be able to satisfy your cravings. Once you wean your body off of sugar, the fruit will taste as sweet as any pastry because your threshold for sweets will be lowered.