You Are What You Eat: Ultra-Processed Foods Linked to Heart Disease, Colorectal Cancer, and Premature Death.
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| Ultra-processed foods linked to heart disease, colorectal cancer, premature death |
Ultra-processed foods linked to heart disease, colorectal cancer, premature death
A new study of more than 100,000 people in 10 European countries has found that ultra-processed foods—including margarine, snacks, desserts, chips, and processed meats—are linked to higher rates of heart disease, colorectal cancer, and premature death. The researchers suggest that better regulation of ultra-processed foods may be needed to help curb their harmful effects on health. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
4 reasons why ultra-processed foods should be avoided
Ultra-processed foods have been linked to heart disease, colorectal cancer, and premature death. These processed foods are typically high in salt and sugar. They often contain large amounts of oils from seed crops like palm oil or corn oil. These oils are unhealthy for consumption on a regular basis. Not only that but these foods can contain more than two dozen ingredients--some of which you don't know even exist until you read the list. It is because of this that it's important to eliminate ultra-processed foods from your diet!
1) Processed foods are harmful for your health
2) Processed foods tend to be higher in calories and salt
3) Processed food production leads to deforestation
4) Production of processed food is reliant on factory farming, which harms both animals and the environment Factory farms also lead to a decrease in biodiversity as well as contributing to climate change.
The production of processed food has also contributed to our country's increase in soil erosion by 40%. So there are four reasons why we should all consider avoiding processed foods. I hope this post has been helpful!
What are ultra-processed foods?
Ultra-processed foods are processed at an industrial level and come in packages with little or no recognizable whole food ingredients. Examples of ultra-processed foods include packaged breads, microwavable meals like TV dinners, instant noodles like ramen or cup noodles that require only hot water for preparation.
The World Health Organization defines this type of food as having three characteristics: (1) it is designed to be eaten quickly, rather than slowly savored; (2) it contains multiple additives; and (3) it provides excess calories from sugar, fat, salt, or all three combined.
6 things you can do about it
1. Switch to healthier sources of fat in your diet by adding avocado or walnuts as toppings for your food instead of bacon bits or sugary sauces.
2. Reduce the amount of salt you eat in a day by starting with our tip on using less salt when cooking vegetables. 2. Lean meat is often heavily processed and contains saturated fats so we recommend including other types of protein like beans or fish into your diet on a regular basis.
3. Utilize the multitude of information available from resources such as the FDA, USDA, CDC website for research on foods containing high levels of sodium, sugar or saturated fats that are disguised in food labels as trans fat free or cholesterol free.
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| Ultra-processed foods linked to heart disease, colorectal cancer, premature death |
4. Engage in social media to share ideas and recipes with others who have similar dietary needs, habits, or preferences.
5. If budget permits, purchase organic produce because pesticides can be harmful not only to humans but also wildlife ecosystems.
6. Ultimately it's up to each individual person what they choose to put into their body but the data shows that some people will have higher risks than others.
Healthier versions of your favorite processed favorites
Cereal bars are a great breakfast or pre-workout snack for those of us on the go. Kellogg's has a variety of cereal bars such as Fruity Marshmallow Treats Cereal Bars that are made with real fruit purees.
Other good options include Nature Valley's Pecan Coconut Crunch Crispy Granola Bars, which have whole grains as well as dairy and eggs for protein, as well as M&M's Nut Cluster Bars with real roasted peanuts in a caramelly coating of white chocolate. With all these tasty treats waiting for you at your local grocery store, who needs high-fat junk food? But if you don't want to waste money, there are some other healthier alternatives out there too.
One simple way is to make your own oatmeal cookie by mixing oats, honey, brown sugar, egg whites, vanilla extract and baking powder together into a bowl before baking it up in the oven. Eating one homemade oatmeal cookie will take less than five minutes total. And then when you're ready for more cookies again later on that day or tomorrow morning, bake another batch!
SOURCE : Yasoquiz