There are an abundance of fattening and unhealthy foods available today. They lack nutrients, so you become more hungry. They are indigestible and contain incomplete (processed) foods, putting your body under strain. They contain high calories, which help to make you sluggish and stack on the weight.
Humans are easily swayed by attractive and psychologically honed advertising. But it doesn’t mean that the product is as the advertisement conveys to you. Most advertising is skin deep. It lacks substance. It is simply a highly effective way to sell a commodity or idea.
Let’s look at some of the common ingredients that are contained in some of the most highly advertised products, all of which are processed foods.
Hydrogenated oils – these have had hydrogen added to them to make them semi liquid. This change in chemical composition means the product has a longer shelf life which is great for the manufacturer. Calorie for calorie, hydrogenated oils cause significantly higher weight gain. The altered chemical structure disturbs the natural function of your body’s metabolism. These oils are considered to be a major source of chronic disease.
Sugar, HFCS or synthetic sweeteners – refined, or white, sugar has had all the minerals and other nutrients, stripped away from it, which are essential to its digestion. After consuming sugar, your body is obliged to go looking for these nutrients in your body. These are often found in your teeth and bones.
High fructose corn syrup is a cheap alternative to refined sugar, a cheap enough substance. This is one of the most unhealthy foods, as it is much sweeter than sugar. Just as with refined sugar, HFCS lacks the minerals for complete digestion and so teeth decay and osteoporosis ensue.
Synthetic sweeteners can be made from a variety of substances, including chemicals from the petroleum industry. The more common ones are aspartame (Nutrasweet, Equal, AminoSweet), sucralose (Splenda), neotame, acesulfame potassium (Sweet One, Sunnett), saccharin (Sweet ‘N Low).
Some are neurotoxins, meaning they damage your nervous system. They can disrupt your immune system. Many have a long list of the physical and mental symptoms they produce. Some interfere with your gut flora, creating digestive problems. Some lead to tumours and cancers.
Grains – these are mostly refined grains, not unlike refined sugars. The parts needed to digest the food have been refined out, making the grain ‘purer’. As this ‘pure’ form cannot be digested, the necessary nutrients are robbed from other parts of your body, leading to a nutrient shortfall or deficiency. This leads to more hunger and to greater ill health.
Grains are used to fatten up farm animals prior to slaughter. They have the same effect on you.
All this is without considering the problems many people have with gluten, the chemicals used in the growing and storage of grain, or the widespread use of GM in grain.
The fact that you can cope with many of these foods is a testament to the desire of your body to remain alive, not to the fact they are not dangerous. Your body will do anything in its power to remain alive. But when you feed it the wrong foods, it is limited in its abilities, not unlike a car running on the wrong fuel.
Avoid these fattening and unhealthy foods at all cost, if you value your health and your weight.
To find out which the healthiest foods are, which you can eat in abundance. click on Healthy Eating For Weight Loss.
