Processed foods

Processed foods are bad, and it is one of the main reasons why people are getting fat and sick. There are different kinds of food processing. One example is apple being cut from a tree, beef being grounded into a machine, or better being separated from milk to create butter. That is mechanical processing. Chemical processing is refined ingredients with artificial flavors and substances. Natural food is just one thing with no added ingredients or chemicals or anything artificial, it is real food.

Processed foods are high in sugars and high fructose corn syrup. Sugar is not harmful with normal amounts. But with excessive amounts of sugar can be harmful. Sugar has no nutrients at all but only amounts of energy. Sugars can affect the metabolism and slow it down which can lead to gaining weight, high cholesterol, insulin resistance and more health issues. Sugars can cause diseases like heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cancers. Most people are not getting more sugar from adding sugar to their coffee or on top of their dessert or cereal; they are getting it from processed foods and sugar-sweetened drinks. Processed foods and drinks are the biggest source of added sugars in a person’s diet. Sugar alone is very unhealthy.

Processed foods are also known as “hyper rewarding” which can lead a person to over consume. It is in human nature to want to eat good food. Appetites go towards foods that are sweet and salty and fatty because they contain energy. Food manufacturers want people to buy their product which means it has to taste good in order for people to buy it. With all of the competitions between manufacturers, they make sure it has to taste good and be as desirable as possible. Processed foods overpower our brains and trick them into thinking they need to eat more. Our brains are supposed to help us regulate our body weight and regulate energy balance. People start to compromise their health by eating things they do not need to eat and eating more than they need too. Processed foods basically rewire our brains into thinking we need to eat more, and then they get sick. Everything a food manufacturer makes basically ends up leading a person to over consumption.

Processed foods also contain artificial flavors. On most ingredients packets or boxes, there will be ingredients that you have never even heard of, and that is artificial flavors. They are not actual foods, but artificial flavors and colors added for different purposes. Highly processed foods contain preservatives, which prevent the food from rotting. Color, which gives the food a certain color. Flavor, that gives the food its flavoring. And texturants that give the food a certain texture. Processed foods can also contain a dozen other chemicals that are not on the label. Of course, all these chemicals in foods have to be tested for safety. Most processed foods are filled with artificial ingredients.