Have you ever read the ingredients in a label of a processed food? Take a look at the food label of some of the packaged foods the next time you shop or are in your cabinets and read the ingredient label. If you feel as though you can’t pronounce some of the words or don’t recognize the ingredients, chances are you should put that food back on the shelf. Processed foods tend to be high in salt or sodium which is used a preservative, a variety of sugars or sweeteners for taste that contribute calories, food coloring to make it look attractive, and certain types of fat that help keep the food shelf stable. Yes processed foods are convenient, but at what cost?
For years shelf-stable cookies, snacks, breads, and other products have been made with trans-fatty acids. Now there is a link between trans-fats and increased risk for heart disease, high cholesterol and obesity. Food dyes and monosodium glutamate have been linked to a cause of migraines. Some say that high fructose corn syrup can be associated with obesity and a possibly can increase risk for diabetes mellitus. What’s next?
Those some of these claims have been argued, there is something to be said about foods with ingredients that are familiar. What about if your ingredient list said whole wheat flour, canola oil, eggs, honey, and milk? These ingredients are probably much easier to pronounce and definitely recognizable. Do you think your body would react to these ingredients in much the same way; recognizable? In other words, you body is probably going to digest this food easier because it is a natural, whole, and nutritious food that it recognizes.
Does this mean you have to swear off processed foods forever? If you remember tip #3 – eat healthy 90% of the time, so 10% you don’t have to. Everything in moderation is ok – and that includes processed foods. But next time you go shopping, take a look at your food labels when you are making your choices. Tips for reducing processed foods: Shop the perimeter of your store – where all of the produce, low fat dairy, breads and lean meats are located; read your food labels; and eat foods that have been home cooked most of the time. Don’t know how to cook or don’t have time? Hire a personal chef – I use the healthiest ingredients I can find and will use all local and organic upon request!
Filed under: Tips for Weight Loss
