Processed Food is Unhealthy and Harmful for Health. Should you avoid consuming it at all costs?
Eating real food is a challenge in this day and age. Let’s face it, getting to the supermarket these days can be a bit of a mission. Not to mention all the confusing labels at the back of the packaged food section and the supermarket itself.
Processed food is everywhere, and even though it may seem convenient, it’s still harmful to our health, and we should avoid consuming it at all costs!
Below, We have curated a list of 6 reasons that tell you why you should avoid eating processed food!
- Processed foods are High in Added Sugar, Sodium & Unhealthy Fats!
Processed foods come in boxes, bags, cans, and other packaging. Most processed foods contain ingredients like added sugars or artificial sweeteners that make them taste good.
They are usually high in fat, sugar, sodium, and empty calories. Unhealthy fats include saturated fat and trans fats, raising blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Sodium can increase blood pressure in sensitive people and make heart failure worse. Eating more fresh whole foods is better for your health than eating processed foods.
- They’re Made by Humans, Not Nature!
A raw food item is processed into a palatable food item through steps.
Most processed foods are meant to be eaten immediately or soon after they’re made, but some can be stored and then eaten later (think Cheerios and store-bought bread)
They usually contain more sodium, fat, and sugar than whole foods. Food can look like “processed food” even when it’s not.
Some processed foods aren’t healthy, while others are perfectly fine. Processed food is made out of whole food in factories but doesn’t include everything made out of whole food in your kitchen.
- Processed Foods May Lower the Quality of Life
A new study finds that processed foods are generally associated with a lower quality of life than unprocessed foods.
At the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, researchers published a study on September 13, 2017.
Researchers noted that these diets had higher amounts of solid fats and sugars (the SFS criterion), which is the basis for defining highly processed foods.
The study sample consisted of more than 16,000 Americans living in every state except Alaska and Hawaii. We might want to rethink processed food diets as they can lead to a lower quality of life.
- Processed Foods are Easy to Overeat
Processed foods are addictive. Processed foods are full of calories and low in nutrients.
Processed foods are engineered to be irresistible. It disrupts your hormones as it’s not real food. You can improve your health by reducing the amount of processed food you eat!
- Poor Health Outcomes!
We often overlook the huge variety of processed foods we consume and how they affect our bodies. Processed foods are convenient.
Processed foods don’t feel like the food at all. We mindlessly eat processed foods. Eating processed food makes us happy, unfortunately. This list might seem daunting, but some simple steps can help avoid the traps of processed foods.
It’s not just the food we eat but how we eat it that contributes to poor health outcomes in processed foods.
- We Don’t Get Benefits of Natural Food
Processed foods have artificial ingredients added to them. The processing that food goes through can make it difficult to digest.
Extra processing can lead to food having fewer nutrients. Some processed foods contain a lot of sugar and sodium, which are not good for health.
You can get the best from your food by eating fresh, unprocessed foods as much as possible.
Verdict!
These six tips are great to keep in mind as you think about your everyday eating habits.
Processed food is less healthy for you than whole foods, so avoid it as often as possible.
If you do eat some, do so in moderation and be sure to compensate for any unexpected lack of nutrients by including healthy, nourishing whole foods in your diet. And if you don’t eat any at all, that’s even better!