Processed Foods
Now, just in case you do no know what is considered processed foods, I will be very worst foods to eat specific. I will even list some every day foods you may be eating now. The way you know what processed foods are is that they mostly come in a package. I tell the children I teach that if you can not grow it, pick it, or catch it; it is probably a processed food. So in case you are nor clear, processed foods are far from the foods natural state. Example- Potato chips verses a potato.
White Flour has no nutrition
The one thing I avoid on a label of processed foods is 'bleached white flourwhite flour'. This is definitely a food I eliminated from my diet early on and never fed my children this. Eating this just pollutes the body. It has no value. All the goodness that wheat was supposed to give us has been removed. As far as I am concerned, you may as eat paper.
Wheat Flour
Yes, you may see wheat flour in processed foods. There are a couple of problems with wheat flour. First of all, it is most likely processed, which means the whole wheat goodness has been removed. It is very far from how it was meant to be eaten. It is inflammatory to the body and processes as if is sugar. This former health food has become one of the worst foods to eat. Second, most of the wheat grown in the United States is Genetically Modified. This is GMO product. A food that is a Genetically Modified Organism. It was created from a lab. Do you know other countries will not import our wheat?
What is the problem with GMO?
The biggest problem with GMO foods is the body does not know what to do with them. Your body thinks it is a chemical and processes it as if it is a toxin. The body stores toxins in fat. So, yes if you are eating wheat you probably have weight around the waist. Foods you may be eating that are considered processed
- white bread
- frozen crescent rolls
- cinnamon rolls
- pastry
- candy
- frozen dinners
- snacks in a bag
- corn chips
- cereals
- pop tarts
- cake
- packaged puddings
- pie
- most things you microwave
- bagels
Trans Fats
About a century ago, someone decided it was a good idea to make an inexpensive solid fat out of liquid fat. The really crazy part of this is the person that presented it to Proctor and Gamble intended it to be soap. Because it looked like lard it was sold as margarine to be a butter substitute. In 1911 this was sold as crisco. In my opinion, Once it was discovered to keep shelf life almost indefinitely, it meant $$$$. Our mothersworst foods to eat used it to make pie crust, cookies, and bread with this. Then it became popular cheap oil for the fast food industry. Typically the longer a food can last, the more unhealthy it is. Now, to make this, hydrogen is infused in the liquid oil. Guess what? It is one molecule away from being a plastic. The body does not know what to do with it. It is not a food. When we eat this, our cells do not know what to do with it. It is like eating plastic. Pubmed has many articles stating how trans fats are the cause of many diseases. Read here for more: Pubmed . I find it hard to believe that as soon as our government realized all this that they didn't ban it completely. They are just starting to make the manufacturer put it on labels! What are we doing to our children? I recommend you avoid eating any food that has these words on a label:- Hydrogenated oil
- partially hydrogenated oil
- shortening
- crisco
- margarine made with partially hydrogenated oil
- breakfast pastries
- donuts
- fried foods
- desserts
- salty snacks
- frozen meals
- coffee creamers
- frozen pizza
Benefits of Coconut Oil
It is easier to change habits if you can find a good substitute. Coconut has become a star when it comes to oils. Read more about the health benefits of coconut oil from Dr. Oz . You can order some from Amazon here Organic Coconut Oil, Extra Virgin, Cold Pressed, Unrefined, Non-GMO - 16 ounce (1 lb.) Use for Cooking, Hair and Skin - Hexane-Free Extraction and Fair-Trade Certified
Sugar
Ok, so we have all heard that sugar is not good for us. The question is why? Yes, our bodies do run on glucose, which is a sugar, and we need a certain amount to run efficiently. A a small amount. There are two kinds of sugar, natural sugar and added sugar. It is very different to have a piece of fruit with all the vitamins and fiber in it, than it is to drink a can of soda. The body reacts different to it. The problem is the amount of fructose we are now consuming. There is added sugar toworst foods to eat almost everything. That is the unnatural part. Our bodies cannot process it. We only need about 25 grams of natural sugar a day. One can of soda has 44 grams. This overload of fructose is what stresses the body. There is much proof that the overload of sugar is causing a host of health problems. For starts, it will cause the teeth to rot. Children that eat high amounts of sugar end up with many caveties. Second, it can start a craving for more sugar. It has been proven that sugar is an addictive substance. If you start the day with a sugar product chances are that you will eat a lot of sugar through out that day. This now can be the cause of weight gain, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Every time your glycemic index raises, you are gaining weight. Overload of sugar causes a surge in your insulin. This wreaks havoc with your body. Then it is a domino effect for other health issues such as heart disease and diabetes. It has also been proven to be a neurotoxin, which means toxic to the brain, and destroys nerve function. You have to be your own food detective.
Often there are 3 or 4 on the same label. It can still be labeled as "low sugar" because each one of them fits the guideline for "low". Even if they come from 'natural' sources like vegetables and fruit, milk, and grain, they still add up. Molasses, honey, and maple syrup have nutrients but still watch for gram count. The same for beet sugar, turbinado, fruit juice and nectars. I would dilute a child's juice. Dates and raisins are a great natural sugar substitute for recipes, but are very high in natural sugars. Quantity is what matters whatever form it is in. Natural sugars are better, but again, watch for quantity.
Everyday healthy Foods with disguised high sugar
Fat Free products are higher in sugar- granola bars (10 gr )
- yogurt with fruit (19 gr)
- fat free yogurt ( 31 gr 6 oz )
- juice ( 35 gr 8 oz )
- lemonade ( 29 gr 8 oz )
- fat free chocolate milk ( 54 gr 16 oz )
- iced tea ( 48 gr 16 oz )
- vitamin water ( 32 gr 20 oz )
- gatorade ( 28 gr 16 oz )
- bread ( 3 gr slice)
- cereals ( 16 gr cup )
- protein bars ( 14 + )
- canned soup (15 gr)
- bottled salad dressing (4 gr tbls)
- pop tart ( 20 gr )
- jar tomato sauce (12 gr 1/2 cup)
- dried fruit / raisins ( 25 gr tbls )
- apple sauce ( 22 gr 1/2 cup)
- fat free jello ( 17 gr )
- muffin ( 22 gr )
- instant oatmeal ( 16 gr)
- barbecue sauce ( 7 gr tbls )
Common names for sugar:
Watch for these words in labels - they are some form of sugar. The ones you see most often end in "ose"- fructose
- glucose
- dextrose
- maltose
- sucrose
- sucralose
- galactose
- glucose solids
- corn syrup
- high fructose corn syrup (the worst)
- corn syrup solids
- corn sweetener
- crystal dextrose
- brown sugar
- cane sugar
- corn sweetener
- malt syrup
- raw sugar
- sugar
- white sugar
- rice syrup
- fruit juice concentrate
- rice syrup
- malted barley
- pentose
- dextrin
- maltodextrin
- beet sugar
- date sugar
- malt
- diatase
- cane juice solids
- carob syrup
- manitol
- sorghum syrup
- ethyl maltol
- yellow sugar
- zylose
- sucanet
- sorbitol
- hexitol
- carbitol
- diglycerides
- dissaccharides
Artificial Sweeteners
Oh gosh, this is a whole other problem. I think the damage is even worse than sugar. It is a chemical. The body thinks it is sugar and it reacts the same way as if you had that much sugar. Again, the overload is the problem and people think 'diet' means it's OK to eat and drink as much as you want. The common one is Aspartame. It is in many diet products. It is one of the worst foods to eat. Many people have developed painful joints and much more from consuming this product.Sugar Substitutes
So now there are a couple of choices that agree with the body. Stevia is probably the number one choice to replace sugar. It is an herbal sweetener from the leaves of a plant. You can even use it to replace sugar for cooking. Here is a great article from Huffington Post healthy living about Stevia. It comes a powder or liquid. Find it here from Amazon and read the directions. You only need a tint bit! All Natural Stevia Powder - No fillers, Additives or Artificial Ingredients of Any Kind - Highly Concentrated Stevia Extract Sugar Substitute (125g). It is 300 times sweeter than sugar and will help you improve insulin sensitivity. Xylitol is another good choice to artificial sweeteners. It is about one third the calories as sugar and just as sweet. It can also be used in cooking. Find it here: Morning Pep 100 Percent Pure Birch Xylitol Sweetener, 1 Pound
Good News
Most processed foods are laden with trans fats and sugar. So, if you give up processed foods, you will automatically cut the other foods. I know it is difficult to cold turkey eliminate these foods if they are a big part of your daily diet. Small changes really make a big difference. Start by cutting the quantity. If you have three pastries a day, try two. After a month, you will feel different. This will help to start you on a new path of better habits. It gets easier as you go along. You will naturally want to make more changes. Here is a great book if you want really want to sugar detox The Blood Sugar Solution 10-Day Detox Diet: Activate Your Body's Natural Ability to Burn Fat and Lose Weight Fast Don't think of this as a diet. It becomes a way of life. If you are not sure what to eat, try some Paleo Recipes. Here are a couple of best selling cookbooks to get you started The Paleo Kitchen: Finding Primal Joy in Modern Cooking and Danielle Walker's Against All Grain: Meals Made Simple: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, and Paleo Recipes to Make Anytime
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