10 Things the Processed Food Industry Doesn't Want You to Know

By Donna Gates, Body Ecology

We've been led to believe that processed foods seem like the answer to today’s busy lives. New fads and fancy advertisements make promises that keep us coming back for more. The sad reality is that processed products are everywhere we look, making them increasingly harder to avoid. 

Processed foods are also more convenient - that's what it really comes down to in an ever increasing time poor society. It's so much easier to bake a cake by opening up a box, pouring out a dry mix, and adding an egg and some oil than starting from scratch. But what is the price we really pay for this seemingly great convenience?

1. Processed Foods Are Addictive and Can Cause You To Overeat

Whole foods are made up of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, fiber and water. When foods are processed the components of these foods are modified (for example, fiber, water and nutrients are removed) and in other cases, components are concentrated. In each case, processing changes the way they are digested and assimilated in your body.

Eating highly processed or highly concentrated foods can artificially stimulate dopamine (the pleasure neurotransmitter), which plays a role in addiction. In this way, you are eating foods that lack nutrients and fiber, but create a pleasurable feeling. A food addiction starts because you feel good when you are eating these foods and they make you think they taste better. You crave that pleasurable feeling again and again and voilà…this is what starts a food addiction.

2. Processed Foods Are Linked to Obesity

Additives in processed foods, like high fructose corn syrup, sugar and MSG have been linked to weight gain and obesity. 

Dr. Mercola recently reported about a new study that showed childhood obesity could be reduced by 18 percent, simply by cutting out fast food advertisements during children’s programming. The Australian government is clearly more concerned about their children’s health as television advertisements to children were banned several years ago.

3. Processed Foods Often Contain Ingredients That Do Not Follow The Principle of Food Combining

This can lead to low energy, poor digestion, illness, acidic blood and weight gain. An example would be a frozen meat and cheese pizza. Cheese (a dairy product), meat (an animal protein) and pizza crust (a grain product) make a terrible food combination that can wreak havoc on your digestive health.

4. Processed Foods Contribute to An Imbalanced Inner Ecosystem

This can lead to digestive problems, cravings, illness and disease. Beneficial microflora cannot survive in your digestive tract when you are poisoning them. Like us they thrive on foods that are made by nature not by man.

5. A Diet High in Processed Foods Can Lead to Depression, Memory Issues and Mood Swings

Ingredients in processed foods are often the lowest cost and sub-par, nutritionally. For example, the fats and oils used in processed foods are refined, which means they are stripped of the essential fatty acids necessary for healthy blood sugar levels, moods and memory. Your heart, hormones and brain suffer when you choose to eat these fats and oils. Instead choose organic, unrefined or “virgin” fats and oils.

6. Processed Foods Often Go Hand In Hand With “Eating on the run” or Multitasking

Most people will choose convenience if they are on the run and in today’s busy lives, who of us isn’t? Unfortunately, multitasking while eating causes people to lose touch with their natural appetite, often leading to weight gain. Additionally, multitasking sends the wrong signals to your digestive system, which needs to be in a restful mode to digest properly.

7. Nutrition Labels on Processed Foods Are Often Misleading and Have Harmful Health Effects

Many labels say “sugar free,” but contain other sweeteners like agave, which is like high fructose corn syrup. 

Additionally, product labeling may hide ingredients like GM (genetically modified) foods and harmful additives like MSG. (These are hidden behind words on the label like “natural flavorings” or “approved spices”).

8. Diets High in Processed Meats (like hot dogs and deli meats) Have Been Linked to Various Forms of Cancer

One of the reasons for this link to cancer is thought to be because of the preservatives used in processed meats. Clare Hughes, Australian Cancer Council nutrition program manager, says a number of studies have linked processed meat to cancer and the problem is multi-fold. "Processed meats are high in salt and fat. In addition, chemicals such as nitrites are added to many processed meats to maintain their colour and to prevent contamination. Nitrites can be converted in the stomach to carcinogenic nitrosamines."

9. Eating Too Many Processed Foods Can Lead to Infertility and Malnutrition

Processed foods, like cereal, are stripped of important vitamins and nutrients that your body truly needs. You could be eating a large amount of calories and still be malnourished if your diet is high in processed foods. Animal studies have shown that over three generations, a deficient diet causes reproduction to cease. Today, infertility is on the rise, affecting 7.3 million people in America.

10. Processed Foods are Made For Long Shelf-life, Not Long Human Life! 

Chemicals, additives and preservatives are added to processed foods so that they will last for a long time without going rancid or affecting the taste of the food. Food manufacturers spend time, money and research on beautiful packaging and strategies to lengthen shelf-life, with little attention on how the foods will lengthen your life or create lasting health.

Source Link: http://bodyecology.com...

5-Step Plan to Kick Your Sugar Addiction

We have all heard that sugar can affect our waistlines, but recent research also provides evidence to support what many have been saying for years – that sugar can cause addiction-like symptoms such as craving, withdrawal and tolerance. So what can we do if we find ourselves experiencing these symptoms? Below are five steps to help you break out of the cycle of sugar highs and lows and get control of your sugar intake.


Know the enemy
The key to curbing your sugar addiction is to curb your sugar intake. In order to do this, it is important to know where sugar is located – and often hiding – in your diet. Thus, the first step of this plan is to learn how to properly interpret nutrition labels so that you can see the amount of sugar you are eating and identify exactly where it is coming from (see example and steps below). Using this knowledge, I encourage people to keep track of their sugar intake for one week with a notepad, smartphone or whatever works best for you.

Step 1: Each gram of sugar is equivalent to approximately 4 calories so you can multiply the grams of sugars listed by 4 (26 X 4). In this case, roughly 104 calories per serving come from sugar.

Step 2: After step 1, check the serving size. If there is more than 1 serving, multiply the number found in step 1 by the number of serving sizes (104 X 2). In this case, the entire drink or food item contains about 208 calories from sugar alone.



Cease and desist
At the end of the week, look over your list and identify which type of food or beverage is contributing the most to your sugar intake; does most of your sugar come from 3 p.m. soda trips to the vending machine or is it hidden in your normal breakfast of yogurt and a protein bar? Then, focus on eliminating the main contributor to your sugar intake.

Withstand withdrawal
When you begin to cut this food or drink out of your diet, you might find yourself experiencing symptoms of withdrawal such as irritability, tiredness or headaches. At first, you may interpret these symptoms as signs of hunger and be tempted to reach for a quick sugar fix, but remember, this is just your body adjusting to life without this source of sugar. Remain steadfast and stick to your goal – within a matter of days, you should feel like your normal self again.

Curb cravings
Even after withdrawal symptoms subside, you may experience cravings for that food or drink. These cravings do not have to derail your efforts; if you anticipate them, you can have strategies prepared to confront them effectively. For example, try to identify what exactly it is that you are craving about the food or drink. If you are craving the crunchiness of the food that you are trying to cut down on, for instance, try carrots or celery when you sit down to watch a movie instead of chips. Maybe you are craving the bubbly taste of the soda? Try some flavored seltzer water instead. If it’s the sweet taste, try to eat more fruit. Although certain fruits do contain high amounts of sugar, especially dried fruits, they can be a good source of nutrients and thus, are healthier alternatives to soda, cake, cookies or candy.

Set a new goal
Once you feel like you’ve made a real change with the largest source of sugar in your diet, move on to the next major source. You don’t necessarily have to record your weekly sugar intake again; you can simply refer back to your original list. Continue this cycle to free yourself from sugar-centered eating habits.


For more detailed information about sugar addiction and how to overcome it, pick up a copy of my recent book, Why Diets Fail (Because You're Addicted To Sugar).

Source: doctoroz.com