In today’s day and age, processed foods are everywhere around us. In fact, they are sometimes hard to avoid. However, turning to healthier alternatives can not only curb your cravings and keep you satisfied, but also improve your health in more ways than one! Although the beginning transition can be somewhat difficult, it gets much easier over time. You’ll even find yourself wondering how you ever ate processed foods in the first place! Discover the benefits of eating non-processed foods by reading on.
The Facts About Processed Foods
1. Processed foods turn simple foods into complicated and sometimes downright unhealthy foods. When a food is processed, it means it is no longer in its natural, fresh state. Foods with more than two or three ingredients are technically processed—the more ingredients the more reason for concern. Processed foods often take out healthy nutrients while adding flavoring, coloring, sweeteners, fillers, sodium and preservatives that make the food look more attractive and have a longer shelf life while remaining palatable.
2. Overly processed foods can run down and disrupt your body. Since processed foods are man made products, there are long-term effects that can potentially harm you. Some of these are carcinogenic, such as aspartame, azodicarbonamide butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydrozyttoluene (BHT). Chances are if you can’t pronounce it, it’s bad for you. More and more studies prove that processed food consumption leads to obesity, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
3. Too many processed foods can make you sick. Since processed foods take out necessary nutrients and add more chemicals, you are going to get you sick one way or another, either from poor nutrition or from exposure to additives. Common problems include allergies, neurologic disorders, and cancers. Sticking to fresh foods is the way to a healthier body.
4. Many processed foods are made popular with addictive ingredients and clever marketing. Processed foods have the perfect amount of salt or sugar that can easily make you crave more, complete with the highly catchy commercial or color scheme on its packaging to attract your eyes in the grocery store.
5. If you incorporate processed foods into your everyday diet, it can easily lead to weight gain. Constantly eating these foods with no nutritional content and high sodium and calorie counts will eventually add up on the scale.
6. Processed foods don’t make you feel good afterwards and can be hard to digest. Due to their complexity, processed foods can be hard to travel through your digestive system. In most cases, they leave you lethargic, sleepy, and depressed. Listen to your body to eat what’s best for you.
How To Cut Back On Processed Foods
• Find a love for an organic, natural food. Once you start, you can’t stop!
• Try a new “natural” food at least once a week. You may discover your new favorite food.
• When it doubt, think green. You can’t go wrong with a leafy green veggie or delicious green fruit.
• Substitute a processed sugary snack for some naturally sweet fruit.
• Be sure to include a veggie side dish with dinner.
When your diet is compromised of at least 80% of nutrient-rich whole foods, you optimize your health in an important way! Start slow and someday you may even eliminate processed foods from your diet altogether! You will be amazed at how you feel on the inside, how you look on the outside, and it will open up a whole new world of knowledge and activities that you never knew before! Remember, you are what you eat! Eat right by eating healthy!
Resource:
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-13978/why-you-should-break-up-with-processed-foods-forever.html
