
The human kind has made remarkable advances in the last couple of centuries. We have been able to make our lifes easier in so many ways. When it comes to food most people have more than their ancestors ever imagined and we can get a pretty decent meal with the click of a button, or by opening our cupboard and choosing from a range of products like meat with various sauces, canned soups of any choice and a lot more. But at what cost does this come?
Any food that is not fresh and has been tampered with preservatives to extend its life on the shelf of a super-market or to enhance it’s taste is processed. Additionally, anything that comes in a package, a bottle, or a can is in most cases processed.
Make a habit of always checking the label of ingredients. If there are more than 2-3 ingredients consider it processed.
While whole foods are usually fresh, in a raw, unaltered state, processed food have gone through some type of manufacturing process, stripping them from valuable nutrients and replacing them with ingredients which extend their shelf life. Typically most packaged or canned food go through a high heating process, which kills all nutrients and enzymes found in the raw state. The final product will contain very little, if any, of the benefits of the whole food. Instead the ingredients included to give flavour and texture increase the risk for various health issues and diseases.
Most of the processed foods contain preservatives such as
Trans Fats should be avoided at all costs. They are created when hydrogen is added to oil. Most vegetable oils like canola, corn etc. contain some amount of trans fats. Margarine as well. Most fast-food use cheap quality oils to deep fry foods so you should avoid fried chips, chicken nuggets and any such food.
Sodium nitrite is typically found in processed meat like salami, ham, sausages etc. Sodium nitrate has been linked to cancer and other health issues. Nitrite is an easy way to give a pink shade to processed meats. Nitrite reacts with the meat myoglobin to cause colour changes, first converting to nitrosomyoglobin (bright red), then, on heating, to nitrosohemochrome (a pink pigment).
In the meat-packing industry, nitrite is used to prevent botulism. Historically, salt has been used for the preservation of meat. The salt-preserved meat product was usually brownish-grey in colour. When sodium nitrite is added with the salt, the meat develops a red, then pink colour, which is associated with cured meats.
Through research in the early 1900s, sodium nitrite has been found to give taste and colour to the meat and extended storage life.
MSG is created from a chemical called glutamate. It enhances the flavour of savoury dishes (e.g. Chinese food and fast food). There have been many reports of people having reactions such as headaches, flushing, sweating, numbness, heart palpitations, nausea and more.
Most food have some percentage of colouring and should of-course be avoided.
The king of additives. A very cheap flavour enhancing compound which is added to most packaged food to provide the sweet taste consumers want. It is hidden in so many foods and adds to the daily sugar intake without people being aware.
Another sweetener found in many sodas, chewing gums and more. It is 200 times more sweet that normal sugar! Stay away from it!
Other additives are Sodium Benzoate, BHA and BHT, Sulfur Dioxide, Propylparaben.
All the above have been linked with various heath issues such as obesity, diabetes and also to several cancer types. This is because processed food
The take away is simple.
Looking into the new year’s resolution, I had been curious to see how I can kick start my metabolism again. Whilst I have been experimenting with MCT oil and did explore biohacking with it, as mentioned here, I have decided as part of the new year’s resolution to do a wet fast of at least…
There seems to be war going-on! Pieces of meat and fruit are flying around! Keep your heads low! Carnivore vs Vegan. So confusing. What is really healthier? Is there one definite answer?
Τα κορεσμένα λιπαρά είναι στο επίκεντρο των περισσοτέρων συζητήσεων γύρω από τη διατροφή. Άλλοι υποστηρίζουν ότι πρέπει να τα αποφεύγουμε και άλλοι ότι είναι το μόνο είδος λίπους που πρέπει να τρώμε. Αν κάνουμε μια κετογονική διατροφή πάντως τα κορεσμένα λιπαρά θα αποτελούν σημαντικό μέρος των θερμιδών μας και έτσι καλό είναι να καταλάβουμε την…
After finishing my practitioner series, I started with the expert series. Towards the end of the practitioner series I already noticed a decline in sleep quality, also according to the statistics of my ring. Little did I know that it would even get worse. On the other hand, I had a great experience doing my…
Testing, Supplements and Actions In this section we will cover what are the test you should be considering but also layout of actionable steps to follow to improve your gut health. This steps are to be built on top of the ten protocol steps provided. Table of Contents 15-Actionable Micro-Strategies Actionable non-specific steps to follow…
Storing nutrients and deficiencies It is key to supporting your body to get all the nutrients your need for optimal function. All nutrients are critical as they usually take part in many processes. Maintaining normal vitamin levels in your body is crucial for all-over wellbeing, both mentally and physically. If you’re not getting enough vitamins from…