Just Say No To Processed Food!
"I don't eat processed foods because I care too much about sustaining my health to risk it on anything that might jeopardize it." ~ Dr, Frank Lipman
Nutritional bandits gum up our body signals, confuse our internal conversation, create a toxic overload in the body, and rob us of our health when consumed regularly. Today we take a look at Nutritional Bandit #5: Processed or Refined Foods.
“Whole” foods are any food humankind has NOT changed in some way. “Processed” or “refined” foods, then, are any food that HAS been CHANGED in some way. They usually come in packages, boxes, cans or bottles (such as sugar, flour, bread, pasta, cereal, white rice, mixes, sauces, salad dressings, junk food, fast food and more) and are the bulk of what you will find in the center of the grocery store — including HEALTH FOOD STORES!
Processed foods make up 70% of the U.S. diet! They are pumped full of artificial flavors, artificial colors, GMOs, MSG, pesticides, phosphates, and additives and are usually really high in sodium, sugar, and high fructose corn syrup. They also have many important parts (like fiber and nutrients) removed. These "nutrients" (important vitamins and minerals) are NECESSARY to metabolize what’s left, so your body either has to rob nutrients from itself or get them from a different source in order to metabolize the refined food. Over time this leads to nutritional bankruptcy we experience as poor health, sickness, and chronic illness.
In addition, processed foods are SERIOUSLY ADDICTIVE, cause inflammation (one of the leading causes of chronic illness), wreak havoc on your digestion, and contribute to mood disorders and low energy.
“The problem is we are not eating food anymore, we are eating FOOD-LIKE PRODUCTS.” ~ Dr. Alejandro Junger
The goal is to eat REAL “WHOLE” FOOD — closest to the way that nature made it! Real, whole food is grown, hunted or foraged without refinement, processing or added chemicals. Whole foods are foods in their most natural state, which means they are not processed or only minimally processed. They are unrefined and unadulterated, without additives or preservatives, the way that nature made them.
This category seems to carry the most confusion as to what’s allowed and what isn’t. And there are SO MANY packaged foods that it’s impossible for me to know — especially because I try to stay away from all processed foods in general. Here are some examples that hopefully will help you understand:
WHOLE FOOD SOMEWHAT PROCESSED HIGHLY PROCESSED
Apple Applesauce Apple toaster pastry
Orange Orange juice Orange drink
Strawberries Strawberry preserves Strawberry jello
Peach Canned peaches in juice Canned peaches in syrup
Corn on the cob Corn tortilla chips Corn flakes
Garlic Minced garlic in a jar Bottled garlic marinade
Fresh chicken breasts Deli sliced chicken Chicken nuggets
Brown rice White rice Instant rice
Does this mean that you can never eat anything that comes in a package, can or box? No, but it does mean that you need to READ THE LABELS on ALL packaged products.
Make sure it’s ORGANIC.
Don’t consume ANYTHING that you can’t pronounce or don’t know what it is.
Have any parts been removed or is it in its whole form?
If you’re not sure whether it’s okay, THEN DON’T CONSUME IT!
This is the single most important step you can take towards eating healthy!