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With regards to sustaining a healthier, wholesome diet plan sugar certainly is getting a lot of bad publicity. Yet another food that's being put into the "extremely harmful category" is processed foods. Is all of this bad publicity well deserved? Like nearly all issues there isn't a clear answer. Processed foods are those which have been altered from their natural condition, and sometimes that will make them significantly less nutritious. But that doesn't have to generally be true. There are three simple reasons why food is processed by the industry from their natural state. They might become divided into convenience, safety and to create food to taste better. When food is processed when canning, dehydrating or freezing it is done for a specific purpose: to make those meals easier for the people to use. So long as harmful ingredients will not be a part of processing like sugar, processing actually does preserve the majority of the nutritional value. In fact, some food products such as juices add calcium when processed, causing them to be healthier. So how will you know what will be good processed foods as opposed to poor processed foods? A person's biggest defense is going to be knowledge, and our most important source of this information is on the food labels. Fortunately much of what you need to know is there, but unfortunately if you aren't a chemist they could be a challenge to interpret. Plus food processors are basing whatever they put on those product labels from directives from government departments, and even though they're trying to do the proper thing they are certainly not all-knowing when it comes to what is right and exactly what may be right. While looking at food product labels when you buy processed foods, what would a person search for? 1. Sugar content. Refined fructose can be found in virtually all processed food in the form of some type of corn syrup. It makes food taste sweeter, but it's primarily metabolized inside of the liver, which means this food component is capable of doing for your liver what alcohol and additional poisons can do. 2. Artificial preservatives. Non-natural colors, shelf-life lengthening preservative chemicals as well as artificial flavoring all have been attributable to neurological issues. A lot of the defense for using them is the idea that as long as you limit any use you'll likely be all right. That's not much of an endorsement for a product's health benefits. 3. Refined carbohydrates. Lots of breakfast food products such as cereal, waffles and bagels include refined carbohydrates that easily break down into sugar. These will truly play havoc with insulin levels, a factor in insulin resistance. 4. Low in fiber. Most Americans do not eat sufficient fiber, and much of that is actually because individuals consume processed foods rather than vegetables and fruits. A great deal of our fiber originates from those indigestible part of plant food, and in lieu of eating these kind of foods along with seeds and nuts people nibble on pretzels, chips and other processed foods empty of fiber. 5. Trans Fats and processed vegetable oil. Fried foods, bakery, crackers and chips are examples of food that is elevated in these terrible fats. They are usually quite easy to see on the labels. To be risk-free, buy whole foods out of the produce aisle in addition to fresh meats and fish. The closer food is to its natural state in most cases the healthier it is going to be for you. When you eat your meals can have a great deal to do with losing weight and staying healthy. Intermittent fasting can be part of that. Knowing how much to eat, as we have always been told, is also a major part of your calorie intake. Read more on our websites. Jim O'Connell is a writer and avid health advocate now living in Chicago.
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