The Dangers of Processed Foods

It’s often difficult to eat healthy all the time. But the health benefits of choosing whole, natural foods over heavily processed fast food or convenience products far outweigh the negatives! So where do you begin? I’m Wendy Corr, with your daily wellness tip!

About one-third of U.S. adults are obese and approximately 17% of children and adolescents aged 2—19 years are obese. That’s 12.5 million kids who are at risk of serious health concerns – and much of that is due to poor food choices!

Even for people at a healthy weight, a poor diet is associated with major health risks that can cause illness and even death. These include heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and certain types of cancer.

So much of our food issues come from PROCESSED FOODS. That means anything that’s been manufactured in a plant by some big food company, rather than GROWN on a plant!

Processed foods are high in sugar and high fructose corn syrups, trans fats, artificial colors and ingredients and chemical preservatives that bog down your body’s ability to function. So why are the grocery store shelves filled with these items that are so bad for us?

Big food companies want you to purchase their products. As a result, their food engineers create products that taste good AND which activate the parts of our brains that create food addictions… which keeps you coming back for more! Plus, they price them so low that in some cases, processed foods are cheaper than real, whole foods.

So what’s the alternative? Eat an apple and some raw nuts instead of a granola bar. Bake a potato sprinkled with real cheese instead of making macaroni and cheese from a box. Drink sparkling water with lemon instead of a sugar- or chemical-loaded soda.

Fight back against the food companies that are holding your taste buds hostage! Make conscious choices to break the hold that processed foods have on your health. YOU HAVE THE POWER!

Thanks for tuning in to Wellness with Wendy! I’m a certified holistic nutritionist, a mom, an entertainer and a radio personality – so finding balance is the key to my life. For more health and wellness news and advice, follow my blog on mybighornbasin.com. See you again next time for Wellness with Wendy!