Processed Foods Part 1: Are Highly Processed and Sugary Foods That Bad?
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Here is a myth or a common thought people have shared with me:
Highly processed food and sugar aren’t that bad.
The truth:
Highly processed foods contain chemicals, such as bad oils. And sugar is a powerful drug. They are the reason we are so overweight and have so many preventable diseases. So, they are that bad.
I am not trying to sound overly dramatic, but I really do want to be clear on this. Highly processed foods with unhealthy oils and lots of sugar are big problems for us, especially here in the U.S. It is why we have large numbers of people who suffer from diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, autoimmune disorders, cognitive conditions, Alzheimer’s, and cancer. And the list could go on. It messes with our gut, nerves, joints, emotions, hormones, and brain. Highly processed foods and sugar affects us physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Our bodies were created to process, absorb, and live off of real foods and beverages in their most whole forms-- from out of the ground, roaming the land, out of the sea and air. So anything lab created and highly processed is foreign to the body, causes a lot of inflammation, and damages the body in the long term. How it will damage someone's body will vary from person to person.
Hippocrates says it best, “Let food be thy medicine and let thy medicine be thy food.”
I am not saying you should never celebrate your birthday with a slice of cake, share an occasional pie at your favorite pizza place, or enjoy a glass of wine on the weekend. It is the repeated, daily intake of these highly processed foods and sugars that are the issue. Like your morning flavored coffee and pastry, fast food for lunch, midday soda and crunchy snack, and dinner using packaged seasons and boxed instant sides.
The Biggest Enemy To Our Future Self's Health
You need to know what will cause you to gain weight and increase your risk for medical conditions versus foods and drinks that will help you maintain a healthy weight and greatly reduce your chance of premature death.
This is real.
Our health isn’t something to mess around with. I saw it firsthand working with cardiac patients as a nurse. Most of them wouldn’t have been there if they understood and/or practiced how to take care of their health.
My heart went out to them and their families.
I wanted to do something to keep people from having to lay in bed to recover after a heart attack. Something that would give people a fighting chance at avoiding a heart attack in the first place. Something that simplified what it means to be healthy and how to overcome the challenges in doing so. My experience as a nurse is one of the big reasons I am where I am today.
Our health is one of our greatest assets. We can’t enjoy life to the fullest, be there for our families, serve our community, or work to the best of our abilities with poor health. Our choices now add up in the end. And I don’t want you to regret later in life that you never made changes to be healthier for your future self.
I cannot not stress this enough with you. It would be a disservice to you if I didn’t and wasn’t upfront about what is ruining our health and killing us. I care for you too much.
So, how are you feeling right now? How is your health? Are you happy where it is? Do you like how your future self will be if you continue to stay on the same path?
A top reason clients seek me to help them with their health and wellness is because they don’t like the path they are currently headed down. If that is you, let’s talk.
In Part 2, we will categorize these highly processed and sugary foods and beverages in one of three ways: those okay to have all the time, those okay to have on occasion, and those not okay to really ever have.
To your best health and wellness,
Jen
More on the effects of processed foods and sugar on our bodies, check out these books:
- Sugar Crush by Dr. Richard P. Jacoby and Raquel Baldelomar.
- What the Heck Do I Eat? by Dr. Mark Hyman
- Grain Brain by Dr. David Perlmutter
- Genius Food by Max Lugavere
