Too far the other way?
I was torn as to whether to call this article "How Far We Have Come" or "How Far We Have Fallen." The days when our ancestors cut a block of ice from the lake or lowered food down the well to keep it preserved are fortunately long gone. Sometimes though, I wonder if we’ve gone too far the other way.
When my mom and dad moved off the farm and into the city, Mom began shopping at a large chain grocery store. She purchased more processed food than she ever had. All the ready-made options that were available intrigued her.
I clearly remember one of the first holiday meals we went to at their condo in the city. I noticed Mom was making instant mashed potatoes. I held the box up to show my sister, Corinne, and jokingly mouthed the words "what the hell?". We were used to Mom making everything homemade and the sight of that box of instant potatoes traumatized us. Could the time have come when Mom no longer liked slaving over a hot stove?
Any food that has been altered from its natural state before we consume it is considered processed. Heavily processed foods are high in sugar, salt, fat and empty calories. High consumption of these foods has been linked to a wide variety of health problems.
Don’t get me wrong, I like the convenience as much as the next guy. The part that distresses me is all the chemicals that are added to these foods to increase shelf life and enhance flavour. Aspartame, MSG, colour, preservatives and many other ingredients I cannot even begin to pronounce are added. If there is a long list of ingredients in a product it should be considered heavily processed. We profess to wanting to eat better, be healthier and protect the environment but we continue to buy these items.
Why are processed foods so hard to give up?
The more we consume of these additives the more we seem to crave them. Processed foods lack nutrients and fibre that helps fill you up, which can lead to bingeing later.
In my post from January 2019, "When Healthy Eating Goes South", I spoke about my desire not to focus on dieting, but rather on eating healthier in general. Reading back I see I also confessed to my bad eating habits.
It has only been the last few months that I have been seriously trying to avoid additives and preservatives in my food. When you stop eating so many processed foods you may notice changes in your overall health including: better mood and concentration, less chronic pain, reduced bloating and better sleep due to less salt and sugar and clearer skin. If you can manage portion sizes of healthy meals, you could have the bonus of some eight loss. After not eating processed foods for a few weeks I can tell when I have fallen off the wagon by the way I feel.
Additives and preservatives aren’t only in the foods we eat; they are in the make-up we wear and the shampoos, toothpastes and soaps we use. The cleaning and laundry products many of us buy are loaded with chemicals. It is truly overwhelming when you stop and think about it. A person doesn’t know which way to turn.
6 ways to eat less processed foods when you are on a budget:
1. Consume fewer sugary beverages and drink more water.
2. Increase your use of eggs, beans, seeds, oatmeal, frozen fruits and vegetables, cheaper cuts of meat and whole grains.
3. Make your own sauces and salad dressings.
4. Plan, cook at home and pack lunches. It is difficult to eat healthy when eating out. It is hard to know what ingredients are in your food if you haven’t prepared it yourself.
6. Use less salt, instead adding more garlic, pepper and fresh or dried herbs to enhance the flavour of your food.
There are so many fresh, delicious, simple to prepare foods available to us that we don’t need to put these toxins into our bodies if possible. Start slowly and pay attention to labels. Give it a try and see if you notice a difference in how you feel.
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