Processed foods although  tasty and appetizing are generally stripped of much of their nutritional value.  Some foods even have nutrients added back and are advertised as enhanced with vitamins or minerals etc. etc.  Of course with busy lifestyles we all use convenience foods now and again and there is nothing wrong with that.  But there is no argument that obesity and other lifestyle diseases are on the increase in the western world and most would agree that this is due in no small part to eating processed foods.

One problem many people experience when trying to revert to a whole food diet is that our taste buds have grown accostomed over the years to the strong and addictive tastes of salt, sugar and other flavourings.  You almost have to retrain your palate to accomodate the more muted taste of whole food.  I promise though that once you make the change you will begin to feel so much better it will be  impossible to think of going back to processed foods again.  If you can’t go all the way at first  just try to replace some processed foods for whole food where you can.  There are however some habits that you should really try to break.

1. Stop eating sugar. When we eat a sugary snack we produce insulin which pulls sugar out of the blood stream and stores it in our cells where it is converted to fat.  Insulin does this so effectively that blood sugar levels plummet and we start to crave sugar all over again , and so the cycle continues.  Convenience foods are loaded with sugar even foods such as breakfast bars and yoghurts.  Try to enjoy naturally sweet foods such as strawberries or blueberries.  You can add these to natural yoghurts, you will soon get used to the taste and you will begin to notice how sweet they are after a short period of time.

2. Avoid “low fat” labels. As consumers we have been given the message that high fat foods are harmful.  This has led many of us to look for suitable low fat alternatives.  In many products however for example low fat yoghurts or mayonase the food will be bulked up with carbohydrate.  This isn’t much better than eating sweets/candy.  The story is the same for pasta or bread made from processed white flour, very little nutrition but lots of sugar which will make blood sugar levels fluctuate wildly.  Try to use whole grain bread (not whole wheat) and experiment also with whole grain brown rice and barley rather than pasta.

3. Use good oils. Basically there are three major types of fat in our diet.  These are saturated, mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fats.  When a fat is exposed to oxygen it spoils and produces free radicals which damage our cells.  The more saturated the fat the less it spoils so for example butter which is a saturated fat can stay in a fridge for days without  going rancid.  It is now thought that small amounts of saturated fats such as butter and cream will do us no harm whereas polyunsaturated and hydrogenated oils give rise to high levels of free radicals in our bodies.  The  best oil to use would be olive oil either plain or extra virgin.

4. Include fish and raw food in your diet. Oily fish such as salmon and mackerel have lots of omega-3 fats which are very good for us.  These fats are anti- inflammatory and also help to lower cholesterol.  Raw foods contain enzymes that help with our digestion.  Its important to remember however that food that has been transported over long distances and that has been stored for long periods may have lost vitamins and enzymes.  It’s a good idea to buy your raw fresh food locally where possible.

If you follow these simple tips you should begin to feel more energized and hopefully see some pounds fall away.