What Are You Really Eating?
by Orit Fried I
t's almost impossible to find anyone who will dispute the benefits of a diet that consists of mostly unpro- cessed foods. Simply put, unprocessed foods are food items that remain in their natural state. Fresh meats and fish, fresh vegetables and herbs, and raw nuts and fruit all fall into this category. Alternatively, processed foods are items that have been either manufactured or "altered" by man. This category is somewhat unavoidable and can include things like cheeses, breads and canned foods.
But there's a third category, one that we'll refer to as overly-processed foods. These are items like boxed din- ner mixes, cheese in a spray can, soda and frozen dinners. And while these items can be convenient, let's examine what convenience may be doing to us as human beings.
The Food For starters, processed foods are built to sit on shelves and stay fresh. This doesn't happen on its own because food in its natural state is prone to spoiling. This lengthening of shelf-life is accomplished in one of two ways. One way is through the use of preservatives. Preservatives are nothing more than various combinations of man-made chemicals and/or natural ingredients placed in foods to slow down the pro- cess of spoiling. The second way to preserve foods is through processes like refining, hy- drogenating and homogenizing. These processes are all different, but the com- mon denominators are that the food is either stripped of certain valuable nutri- ents or altered on a cellular level. The latter usually involves exposing food to intense levels of heat, thus eliminat- ing certain bacteria, or subjecting the food's fat particles to what's known as artificial saturation, which also slows down spoilage. There's a lot of mixed research on
the subject of overly-processed food, but one thing is for sure. No one can predict the long-term effects of eating it. We know what saturated fats and trans- fatty acids do to our cholesterol levels. Other ailments that already have been linked to processed food range from migraine headaches and hyper-activity to high blood-pressure and obesity. The
bottom line is: How much is too much? Processed foods on the surface
may seem like a good deal, but meals prepared from whole foods can be even less expensive and just as conve- nient – if not more convenient – than processed foods. Ever made a pot of lentil soup? You can feed an army for pennies. How about a vegetable stir fry or tofu, vegetable and potato scramble? They are both cheap and quick. These inexpensive options are endless and much healthier for you and your family.
The Fix The next time you are around your loved ones, take a good look at them. Do they deserve a healthy spouse or a healthy parent? Do they deserve a healthy life themselves? Then, think about what a poor diet will do to them (and you) over the course of time. We all deserve a healthy life and it’s in our power to help make that happen. We can start by discarding two popular notions right now. The first one is that you’re too busy to cook. You're never too busy. Also, don't buy into the no- tion that you're saving money with pre-made foods. You're not. This doesn’t mean you have to eliminate all processed foods. There are, believe it or not, processed foods that are known to be good products. Canned organic tomatoes, artisan cheeses, whole grain breads, and cereals are just a few of them. Do a little research, read a few labels, and increase your understanding of what types of processing a product went through. Remember, it's really hard to avoid processed foods completely but you can reduce your consumption of overly processed foods with these tips.
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