It’s Probably Not Your Fault You Are Overweight

The disregard by corporate farms in creating an unhealthy food supply is compounded by those who buy the foods from the farms.  Especially the manufacturers of our modern over-processed food products.

Yes most farm products go through processing, such as harvesting, cutting, bottling, canning or freezing.  We do however need to understand the over-processing of the foods we are consuming.  There is a big difference between chemical processing and mechanical processing.

Real Food does not have ingredients, it is just food, whether it’s been chopped, roasted, boiled, bottled, canned, frozen or beat into butter.  Most of what we consider processed foods today are chemically processed using refined ingredients and artificial substances.  Such as grains which have been ground to flour, then had sugars, preservatives, chemical coloring and flavoring and texturants added to make them more appealing to our palate.

Although this fairly common label lists many ingredients which are added to the product it does not even tell the whole story.  Notice it says artificial flavors, and many also say artificial colors.  There could be 10 or more chemicals blended to attain the flavor desired, and they do not have to be disclosed.

Sugar or worse corn syrup is one of the most commonly added ingredients when processing foods.  Corn syrup is actually a chemically processed food in itself.  Most of us would not consume enough sugar to cause us harm if we are adding it to our cereal, coffee, etc.  But manufacturers realize how much more pleasing their products are when it is added, so we are getting massive amounts in our diet.  Sugar has devastating effects on our bodies because of the effect it has on metabolism.  It causes diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer.  It changes our body chemistry from a neutral or slightly alkaline PH to a very acidic one where all diseases start or flourish.

Processed foods are very rewarding and cause over eating.  Companies are in fierce competition for our dollars and know that if their foods taste good we will continually consume them.  Our naturally evolved taste buds gravitate towards foods that are fatty, salty and sweet, because we need those nutrients to survive and have energy.  Food manufacturers spend enormous amounts of money on research and development to make their foods taste as good as possible.

These processed foods are very rewarding to the brain and are engineered to overpower anything naturally found in food.  The reward value of these engineered foods can bypass the mechanisms in our brains and bodies that regulate our intake and output or energy balance which should keep us at a healthy weight.  This  “food reward” of processed, engineered foods is so rewarding to our brains it can cause us to eat unhealthy amounts of food, as well as food that is not exactly helpful to our overall health.

As a result, many people actually become addicted to unhealthy, engineered, overly processed foods.  It is possible to have your brain chemistry hijacked by these hyper rewarding foods to the point your cannot stop eating them no matter how hard you try.  There is an intense dopamine release that can occur in the brain which results in an addiction to sugar and highly rewarding unhealthy foods. This can actually cause an addiction much like the abuse of drugs such as cocaine, since that area of the brain is activated in much the same way.

The End of Overeating, Taking Control of Your Insatiable Appetite

 

Processed foods are extremely high in refined carbohydrates.  Yes natural whole carbohydrates are a good source of energy and fiber, but refined carbohydrates which are so pleasing to the taste buds are broken down very quickly in the digestive tract and lead to elevated blood sugar and insulin levels.  This leads to carb cravings a few hours later when the levels decline.

Your Food Is Fooling You: How Your Brain Is Hijacked by Sugar, Fat, and Salt

Don’t be fooled by labels which say whole grains, as these are usually highly refined by grinding to a fine powder and are as harmful as the refined carbohydrates.  Look for whole single ingredient foods with complex carbohydrates rather than simple carbohydrates.

There are many nutrients found in whole foods which we are just beginning to understand and most  cannot be found anywhere else.  Certainly they are not in the processed foods and junk food we consume.  The more processed foods you eat the fewer vitamins, minerals, antioxidents, and other nutrients you are getting.

The fibers our body needs are soluable, fermentable fibers which act as a probiotic in feeding the friendly bacteria in the intestine.  These desireable fibers help to slow down digestion leaving us feeling fuller, preventing over eating, as well as slowing down the absorption of carbohydrates making us feel satisfied.  Much of the fiber which occurs natural in foods is removed during processing, leaving processed foods very low in fiber.

Because manufacturers need their products to have a long shelf life, have consistency from one batch to the next and also need them to be easily consumed, they are often processed to be very easy to chew and swallow.  It seems they almost melt in your mouth.  This also leads to over eating as we can eat more in a shorter period of time.  We also exert less energy in digesting these foods.  It takes half as many calories to digest refined foods as whole foods.

The Thermic Effect of Food or TEF measures how different foods stimulate energy expenditure after they are eaten.  The TEF is about a 10% total of the energy expenditure or metabolic rate.  People who eat primarily refined foods cut their TEF in half reducing the amount of calories they use each day.

We need fat in our diet, however processed foods are usually very high in unhealthy fats, such as corn oil, or other processed vegetable oils.  These fats are generally hydrogenated which turns them into dangerous trans fats.  These fats increase the danger of heart disease and contain high amounts of Omega 6 fatty acids which can drive oxidization and inflammation in the body.  Choose foods which contain coconut oil, olive oil, or butter and use these to cook with yourself.

When we replace REAL FOODS like butter, whole grains, and fresh vegetables with processed foods we get fat and sick.

 

Anyone taking on the task of losing weight has to do it in a healthy way or the results may not be lasting and can in fact be devastating.

To begin a weight loss program first you will need to reset or “detox” your body, this will also help you to get over the insatiable appetite and cravings which may have been a contributor to the weight gain.

Along with a new way of eating which will be more healthy, beginning daily exercise is important.

This Clean 9 Program is excellent, it keeps you accountable and gives you each step to take each day.  Very moderate exercise of just 30 minutes a day at your own pace combined with a reduction in calories and elimination of unhealthy foods can get you on the path to continuing with a more advanced program of introducing more foods, supplements and exercise in the F.I.T. 15 Program.  Before you know it you have lost fat, gained some muscle, flexibility, endurance, and feel so much more energetic.  You are giving your body what it needs every single day.