This Will Make You Stop Eating Processed Foods

If you need more reasons to cut back on processed foods, this article is for you!

From processed meat to processed bread, processed foods are everywhere! Their great availability and alluring tastes make it even more challenging for us to maintain a healthy diet. But to be fair, not all processed food is bad for you.

In fact, there’s such a thing as healthy processed foods, like vinegar or minimally processed yogurt or meat. Although eating unprocessed foods is the best thing we can do for our health, there is no harm in eating some processed goods occasionally. And, of course, we should also steer clear of any highly processed foods.

You may already know that highly processed foods can decrease your energy levels, cause skin problems, and ruin your mood. But new research has yet revealed a more worrisome reason to start a non-processed food diet immediately. 

As it turns out, having a diet filled with processed foods can weaken your immune system, lower your body’s defense against harmful bacteria, and elevate your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases.

This recent study found that a diet rich in processed foods, which are low in fiber and high in refined sugars and fat, could build a breeding ground for bad gut bacteria and increase the risk of insulin resistance, which can result in type 2 diabetes.

Experts state that processed foods, like pre-packaged foods and any food that’s high in sugar, have a terrible lack of nutrients and fiber, which are necessary for supporting the gut microbiota. This means that the healthy gut bacteria will diminish, and thus fail to protect you against bad bacteria, which will cause you to fall ill. Over time, this can boost your risk of getting chronic inflammatory diseases.

What’s more, a diet high in ultra-processed red meat, such as hot dogs, could elevate the risk of cancer. Health experts suggest eating red meat varieties and other highly processed foods only occasionally, or better yet, never. 

To maintain optimal gut health, eat more unprocessed, healthy foods and cut back on all types of processed foods, especially the ones that are high in preservatives, sugar, salt, and saturated fat.

Fresh groceries will certainly make your body feel better than processed goods. So to help you engage in healthy eating, here are some of the healthiest foods to add to your diet:  

• Grass-fed, pastured meats (chicken, beef, lamb, pork.)
• Eggs from free chickens that have been enjoying plenty of sunshine
• Naturally-occurring fats like: extra virgin olive oil, butter from grass-fed cows, coconut oil, avocado oil, etc. 
• Whole grains, nuts, seeds, and beans.  
• Organic fruits and vegetables. (preferably in season) 
• Fresh herbs. 
• Raw/pasteurized + full fat dairy from grass-fed goats or cows. 
• Real, unrefined salt that still contains its nourishing minerals. 
• Fresh, wild-caught seafood.
• Natural sweeteners, like raw honey, minimally-processed sugars, and pure maple syrup.
• Sweeteners that are close enough to the natural state as possible, such as: Water and healthy beverages, like tea, milk, coffee, fresh juices, etc.   

Don’t forget to always favor cooking at home and making your own meal from scratch.