Are processed foods really that bad for you?!
Are processed foods really that bad for you?
Why are processed foods bad for you? How can you tell what food is healthy and what isn't? Are all fruits and vegetables processed? How can you pick ones that aren't? Is eating organic food really that better of a choice? And what exactly is the difference between organic foods and processed foods? I mean they have to do something to the food for it to be safe....right?
Answers:
everything you eat has nutritional value to it. when a food is processed (be it pasteurization, packaging, freezing, etc.), it alters its composition and therefore its nutritional value. i.e. pasteurization is the process of heating a liquid to a certain temperature to kill off bacteria, but it's also killing the good enzymes. that's why the conventional orange juice you find at your grocery store tastes nothing like freshly squeezed orange juice. you'll find that the most healthy people in this world live in an area that is untouched by fast food and processed foods.
i don't trust big name companies. there was a time when i would indulge in oreos, doritos, and conventional foods. after reading kevin trudeau's book "natural cures", it put into perspective how our body thrives when eating the *right* foods and how it gets all messed up when you overload it with what the average american eats (trudeau may sound like a nutjob at times, but what he says does sound valid).
i personally believe eating organic foods is much better for my health and the environment. organic produce and veggies are grown the most natural way, without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and the countless other sprays they use to keep insects and other wildlife away. when your body is overloaded with all the toxins, chemicals, and artificial ingredients, our health is at risk of developing disease and doesn't function at its optimal state. it just isn't natural to eat an apple that's been sprayed with a chemical whose name you can't pronounce.
best wishes.
Source(s):
don't eat this book - morgan spurlock
diet for a new america - john robbins
Processed food and organic food really have no relation. Processed foods, like Kraft cheese slices, use artificial preservatives to prolong shelf life and save money, organic foods are fruits and vegs that are grown without pesticides, there is no organic meat, which means all animal products are not organic. Your best bet when trying to eat healthy is too eat food in it's simplest form, like an apple, and makes your own sauces from scratch. Regular produce is just as good, and less expensive than organic, if you just wash it.
only in excess
Gosh this is a toughy..You are what you eat..Seen the subway ads...all that fat and trans fat!!!Check out those lables!!! Ask the waitress.Read a womans magazine or think what is in certain foods.Usually the foods you purchase pre-made or fast food is more expensive too.Lots of preservatives and chemicals. A healthy way to look at it is too much of anything is not good for you or your weight. I know I'm a food-aholic.Fat tastes better than other things. Most comfort foods are higher in fat..so more flavor.
Fruits and vegetables are not processed unless they've been made into something else. A simple way to look at is is this. If it doesn't look like it does in nature, it's been processed. When people say processed foods are bad for you, they're referring to things like packaged foods on the shelf (sauce mixes, cookies, fish sticks, veggie deli meats, etc.) But some processed foods aren't so bad, like pasta and bread. I consider some processed foods, like tofu, to be good.
Organic just refers to the way in which the produce was grown. Without chemicals, etc. You can still have organic processed foods (like Newman's brand).
Nothing needs to be done to food for it to be safe, except washing it, cooking it, and storing it properly.
I think the healthiest diet is one consisting primarily of whole foods (unprocessed fruit and veg!) and whole grains (whole wheat flour, brown rice, quinoa etc.) without a lot of fat and low in sugar and added salt.
How about an example.
Vegetable - Green Beans Frozen - Fresh green beans come to the processing plant and step #1 is to declump the vines from the beans and then snip the stem end off (mechanically) the washing in water to remove field soil etc., the water is sanitary for both organic or non organic.. Beans are inspected , beans are cut or sliced, then blanched in steam or water, beans are cooled with sanitary chilled water, beans are frozen with cold air and frozen individually ( are loose and do not stick to each other. There are no additives or cleaners involved in both the organic or non- organic product -- yet this is called PROCESSED. There is nothing non healthy in this process.
The only difference between the organic and the non organic is in the field and what pesticides are allowed to be used. Even the organic have some approved pesticides while the non organic use pesticides but they are use within the requirements of the E.P.A.