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Even foods
that are labeled as "healthy" or "low calories" or "diet food" can
actually do more harm than good.
Oprah has been campaigning against processed foods and emphasizing
the importance of eating fresh foods and her assertion now seems to
have a scientific reason.
Why
processed food is not healthy?
The food manufacturers - with good intentions - have no choice but
to add "stuff" to make the food last longer and still taste
delicious. Since any food loses its natural flavors during
processing and when it sits on a shelf in the store or in your
pantry, companies add all kinds of chemicals to either retain some
of the original flavor or make the food be flavor-rich.
How does
processed food make you fat?
While the body looks for calories, it also looks for nutrients. That
is why when you are getting small or no nutrients in processed
foods, the body goes into the "hunger mode" and starts to preserve
calories. The net result is that the calorie-rich processed foods
turn into fat and the body refuses to burn them.
Eliminating
processed foods from your diet
Processed food is convenient, especially for busy moms or college
students or single women with demanding jobs. But it is best to
eliminate it or minimize it in the diet. These are some tips:
1- If it is in a can or a bottle or a box (or whatever exotic
packaging), ask yourself if you can avoid it.
2- While shopping in the supermarket, go to the fresh food aisles
first and try to find whatever you need there. Only then, go to the
processed food aisles.
3- Fresh food is typically more expensive - try to cut back in other
areas of your life to find the extra money.
To the extent possible, also stay away from ready-to-eat meals, no
matter what the label says or even if is sold in a health-foods or
gourmet supermarket. The best way to eat healthy is to cook
your own meal using sauces that you have prepared. You must also try
to read the recipe carefully to figure out how you can cut sugar and
fats.
Increase the intake of healthy protein (lean meat, eggs, tofu, etc.)
in your diet - high protein diets suppress appetite.
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