Processed Food Does Not Promote Health

Let’s face it, America today is simply not a healthy nation overall. It seems as though most people are suffering from some type of health issue that is affecting the quality of their life. For some, those ailments include headaches, indigestion, or joint pain. Others suffer from more serious problems like heart disease, obesity, or cancer. Why is this? When placing blame, one has to take a serious look at the SAD (Standard American Diet) diet. The SAD diet consists of mostly processed foods. Processed foods are foods that have been altered from their natural state. These foods contain additives including preservatives, colors, bleaches, and artificial flavors. In fact, there are over 3500 different additives in the processed food supply today. In his book “Disease-Proof Your Child – Feeding Kids Right,” Dr. Joel Fuhrman writes, “A body made from refined foods, white flour, oils, sugar, and other highly processed “fake” food develops into a sickly human…..junk food isn’t cheap; we pay a steep price for it years after consuming it.”

Most health experts would agree that processed foods were not meant to supply us with a high amount of nutrients. They are made in bulk quantities with the ideas of producing long shelf-life and appealing taste. That’s about it. Much of what goes into these foods is foreign to the body and does not promote health. One of the most highly respected doctors in the country today, Dr. Mark Hyman, states that “the real cause of epidemics and mental and physical illness in this country is our SAD diet…the highly processed, nutrient-poor foods that are sold to us do exactly the opposite of enriching us. They turn off the right genes, turn on the wrong ones, and send your system into chaos.”

The beauty in all this is that there is a much better choice. There are some amazing, life-giving foods that we can choose to have more of. These things include fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, herbs, and spices. Sadly, these foods represent about 5% of the typical American diet. In my next blog post I will feature information on these healthy foods, as well as a wonderful community gathering called a farmer’s market. Stay tuned!