At Florida Aesthetics, we encourage the consumption of fresh, healthy, and natural foods. Not only do they help you to lead a healthy lifestyle (when chosen correctly), but they are also a guarantee that you are not consuming more unnatural food than you need. Below are a few reasons why the idea of avoiding (or at least minimizing) consumption of processed foods is picking up among health experts:

The chemicals used in processed meats, fast foods, packaged meals, and carbonated beverages (among other things) have been linked to kidney problems.

Eating processed foods, be it snacks, meals, fast food, or drinks, can decrease a person’s lifespan.

Eating processed foods can lead to an addiction. The sugars in these foods trigger brain activity in a way that has consumers craving more. The best way to avoid this is to minimize consumption to the greatest extent possible.

Added sugars in processed foods confuse the brain and prevent it from sending out signals of satiety.

What happens then is over consumption of what is most likely an unhealthy food item.

Low-fat foods simply strip the food of good fats and replace them with added sugars. More sugar is never a good idea for your health!

The take-away message here is for all of us to become educated consumers who are aware of what they are purchasing and feeding our bodies. When possible, we encourage you to stay away from that which is processed when its natural alternative is available or can be made. Our bodies take in and process natural foods more easily and smoothly than they do processed foods. Processed foods leave our bodies dealing with chemicals, colors, and added ingredients – all unnatural items that the human body does not need to function. The result, long-term, can be disastrous for your health.

Talk to your weight loss coach about how best to avoid processed foods and for tips on how to choose the best options among packaged foods that are hard to live without.