The Problems with Processed Foods

While recently browsing through my Twitter I came upon a tweet titled “What happens to your body when you eat ramen and Gatorade?” My eyebrow rose slightly. I found my fingers double clicking the mouse. I was instantly directed to a video made by Stefani Bardin, and her colleague, about the effects processed foods have on the human body. Two people swallowed pill-sized cameras to make a side-by-side comparison between eating processed and whole foods. The difference was disturbing to say the least. It got me thinking about the food most of eat today and how we have let things come this far.

Walk into any local grocery store and you are sure to be surrounded with chemically enhanced food and beverages. Food processing began in the late nineteenth century with the age of industrialization. Factories were canning, processing, preserving and packaging food in large quantities. These foods were cheaper, could last longer and could travel long distances. Now our foods are filled with dyes, chemicals, additives, preservatives and refined you-name-its. The convenience and affordability of processed food has made it a staple in the American diet, but at what cost?

            In most cases processing food reduces nutrients or adds unhealthy ingredients. Our bodies often have a much more difficult time trying to digest all the man-made components of manufactured edible goods. High processed food often contain high amounts of the following:

·      Sugar

·      Salt

·      Fat

·      MSG

·      Calories

Health issues such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and high plod pressure can all result from poor eating. Being young, busy, and often strapped for cash, it can be hard to make the change. Here are a few small ways to switch to whole foods:

·      Snack on raw nuts instead of roasted, salted nuts (less sodium and fat)

·      Eat bread that lists the first ingredient as 100% whole grain

·      Grab an apple and skip the juice

·      Buy natural peanut butters that don’t contain partially hydrogenated oils (aka trans fats).

The sooner we recognize the damage we are doing to our bodies the sooner we can make a change.

Callie Gilliland