Whole Foods Versus Processed Foods

When you think of foods, do you associate what you eat to the possibilities of obtaining “Cancer”? Case studies reveal that eating processed foods on a continual basis will lead to diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Today’s society shops at their local grocers’ not knowing the foods that are being purchased to nourish the human body can be deadly at the very worst, or at the least lead to extreme weight gain.

Processed foods are any foods that are changed from its natural raw state and are chemically altered. Processed foods are manufactured to be available at mass levels and to have a shelf life of several years or even timeless. Processed foods are highly preserved with chemicals, fillers, additives, colors, and artificial flavorings. Artificial flavorings such as Aspartame, which is found in almost all substitute sweeteners like “Sweet N Low”, “Equal” and “Splenda” are used on a frequent basis just to replace a more chemical free sweetener for fewer calories.

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However, Aspartame has been linked to causing problems like Multiple Sclerosis, a disease that is incurable and killing people on a regular basis. The attraction to processed foods are, easy to cook, easy to eat and are convenience foods available at every fast food restaurant. Other processed foods linked to disease are as follows: Transfats, high fructose corn syrup, sugar, artificial sweeteners’ and monosodium glutamate, also known as “MSG. ” Each of these can have their disastrous side effects or diseases associated.

Transfats are in all fast foods and processed foods. Transfats are linked to several diseases like heart disease, cancer, digestive disorders, degenerated joint and tendon disease, skin issues, learning disabilities and stunted growth and auto immune diseases found in children. An interesting widely used processed food substance is high fructose corn syrup, (HFCS) which, Americans ingest over 67 pounds of a year as reported by Dr. Mehmet Oz on CBS. Dr. Oz, Daytime Emmy Award winning host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and is Vice-Chair and Professor of Surgery at Columbia University, say’s “a widely used processed food increases triglycerides levels in LDL, (bad cholesterol) within 60 minutes of ingestion”. With this parallel increase in the food chain, other diseases associated to HFCS are cardio vascular disease, hypo glycemia, diabetes. Another more common processed food that is normally craved like an addiction is sugar. Sugar associated diseases are that it can suppress the immune system against infectious diseases.

Sugar feeds cancer cells and has been linked to the development of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, and lung cancer. As previously discussed, artificial flavorings have also been linked heart disease and metabolic syndrome. Last, monosodium glutamate also known as, (MSG) is a concentrated salt and excite toxin that will over excite cells to the point of damage acting like poisons to the human body causing nerve damage and even vision loss.

Although processed foods have had some bad publicity, there are some positive things as well useful to society. The purpose today is that most families are on a budget and the cost to feed a family has risen drastically. Feeding a family of four or more can become an extreme financial burden. One way to beat the costs is buying such processed foods like “Hamburger Helper”, “Macaroni & Cheese” and the San Francisco treat “Rice a Roni. ” Add some low cost hamburger with transfat and for the cost of eight to ten dollars you can feed a family of four to six people.

At these costs how perhaps can buying better foods like fresh produce, low fat meats like fresh chicken and fish is affordable? The costs to buy these foods to feed one person would be almost the same cost of eight to ten dollars to feed a family. Health benefits of whole foods versus processed foods can be and obvious choice, but the costs can be over whelming to the average middle class family. Processed foods have been made more economical to buy for families on budgets or on government assistance over buying healthier whole foods.

State assistance makes it nearly impossible for a family to more likely buy what foods can feed their family and not provide good nutrition. These limitations make feeding families with only processed foods or less nutritious foods the only options. Processed foods are providing the ability to be more filling per serving and because the affordability the best choice for below poverty income families. The government is not making this financially easier for families to afford anything more than what there state access income can purchase.

As reported by the Associated Press by Mark Niesse on October 22, 2010 participants in the food stamp program, technically called the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program receives an average of $133. 00 dollars a month. The benefits of processed foods being less expensive are the beginning. Other benefits will be that processing kills pathogens, extends shelf life of the food. Canned foods will last a timeless length and can also make feeding starve stricken countries all over the world easier with processed foods.

Whole foods are used to control weight and to heal quite a bit of the same diseases that a large percentage of Americans live with every day. Cancer is a leading cause of death reported by the Cancer Treatment Centers of America. Cancer patients are given useful nutrition plans consisting mostly of whole foods and little to no processed foods Whole foods are natural foods that have no preservatives or chemicals that can raise any toxicity levels and can actual lower the acids that cause this when eating processed foods.

Well- known Doctor Mehmet Oz has Co authored “You: On a Diet” and stands by eating more whole foods and healthier nutrition that will add years to lives of humans and can treat such diseases as cancer along with others. Today more than 68 % of Americans are overweight or considered clinically obese as reported by the CDC in 2007 to 2008, “The Center for Disease Control and Prevention”.

Presently this is not solely just a result of eating processed foods alone, but over eating too many processed foods at a time and in large quantities that are also well out of portion sizes that any human being should ingest at any one meal. Eating like this with whole foods will have a reverse effect helping manage weight and prevent rapid weight gains and less chance of life threatening diseases. There are whole foods that are considered “super foods” that will be most beneficial to the body on a regular basis.

The following would be excellent foods to consider for better health: Yogurt, Garlic, Carotenoids-bioflavenoids, cruciferous vegetables and legumes. Yogurt is a simple health food that consists of a natural culture called lactobacillus. Yogurt can slow down the growth of tumor cells in the G. I. track, improve the immune system and can destroy active tumor cells. Garlic has been a natural protection against tumor cells and Garlic is toxic to pathogens and tumor cells. Carotenoids-bioflavenoids is found in vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower.

These vegetables have an ingredient known as “indoles”, which is proven to be a protection against cancer. These vegetables can increase the body’s production of important protective enzymes. Legumes are known as “seed foods” and can have the ability to envelop tumor cells and prevent their growth. Other foods considered “super foods” are apples, apricots, barley, citrus fruits, cranberries, fiber, figs, fish oils, fish, ginger, green tea, spinach and sea weed all have abilities to slow the growth of tumor cells in various ways in the human body.

Although it seems the American population along with other countries has the need and purpose to use processed foods on a regular basis, using these foods on a less frequent basis could aid in acquiring less health risks. Whole foods are not only a better health and nutrition goal to consider but having a healthier body weight and less health risk diseases can be a considerable reason to make them a better choice.