Foods most often associated with weight gain include sugar-sweetened beverages, potato chips, sweets, desserts, refined grains, processed meats, and red meats.
Experts say these foods, as well as other ultra-processed options, don’t provide much nutritional benefit.
Comment: Most people are unaware of the fact that potato chips, sweets and deserts can actually be baked with organic ingredients and the body will process them normally instead of storing them in the fat cells. The issue here would be proper portions. When the body is nutritionally satisfied it won’t send signals to the brain that it needs more nourishment.
“The problem with highly processed foods is that they don’t have much fiber, they have a lot of fat, they have a lot of sugar, and they have a lot of salt,” Dana Hunnes, PhD, a senior dietician at the University of California Los Angeles Medical Center, told Healthline.
Comment: Highly processed foods not only lack fiber, but are also depleted of essential vitamins and minerals that the body needs to function
“They are a dense source of calories without much else. They hang around in our intestinal system, because they don’t have the fiber to help move them along, and they just don’t provide much in the way of nutritious benefits,” she said.
Comment: These processed foods don’t just hang around our intestinal system, but eventually become fat stored in our hips, thighs, stomach, etc.
Kristin Kirkpatrick, MS, RDN, a registered dietitian and manager of wellness nutrition services at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute in Ohio, says ultra-processed foods can also make it difficult for consumers to control their portions.
“Recent studies have shown that ultra-processed foods can alter the ability to stop eating, making it hard to control portions,” she told Healthline. “Americans need to focus more on getting more bang for their nutritional buck. Every calorie must count. Ultra-processed foods provide empty calories that provide no nourishment, satiety, or health benefit.
Comment: The reason why these processed and ultra-processed foods are hard to stop eating is because of the addicting chemicals and sugars, that are designed to get the consumer addicted to their brands.
“We do have evidence that a low fiber, high sugar and refined carb diet can negatively alter microbiome. Ultra-processed foods are the pinnacle of such a pattern. We have more choice in the grocery store, more 24-hour food options, and more fast-food eateries than ever.”
“All of this has made us sicker and fatter.”
Comment: The bottom line here is getting educated on what is real food and what is chemically processed. Reading ingredient labels and eating organic will go a long way towards weight loss and good mental and physical health.
Article by: Health news
© Copyright – Hector Sectzer
