I’ve been on a bit of a mission lately. After spending most of the year focusing on my career, I’ve spent the past few months trying to overhaul my heath.

Since watching the documentary Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, which focused on how juicing can cure a host of physical ailments and spur weight loss, I’ve been incorporating more fruits and vegetables into my diet.

Recently, I saw a trailer for the film, Hungry for Change, and it got me thinking. During the clip, Dr. Alejandro Junger says, “The problem is we are not eating food, we are eating food-like products.”

We’ve been conditioned by the diet and food industries to think that foods like butter, sugar, lean meats, and natural fats are bad, so we consume chemically-laden foods made to taste like the real thing and our bodies don’t quite know what to do.

Think about it. Do you use margarine or artificial sweeteners? Do you drink soda? Do you eat processed foods and snacks? If so, then you’re consuming food-like products.

Many people turn to low or no fat foods to lose weight, but these types of foods can wreak havoc on our bodies. Although they may be lower in fat and calories, they are often times devoid of nutritional value and laden with sodium and high fructose corn syrup, which has been linked to obesity.

If you’re trying to lose weight or live a healthier life, the recipe is simple: Eat real food, incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet, and exercise more. That’s really it.

Are you eating food or food-like products? 

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2 Comments

  1. the rule of thumb is to avoid “foods” that are marketed.

    most of what’s marketed is not actual food. a lot of it is created in a multinational company’s lab and eventually kitchen.

    i’ve been reading a great book called “appetite for profit: how the food industry undermines our health”. if i had a child, i’d read it to him/her until they understood. if i was with someone now, i’d beg them to read it.

    personally, i don’t eat faux food. this has been my rule of thumb for years. mc donald’s and kfc simply are really foods.

    but if you’re eating a diet of whole foods – fruits, vegetables, whole grains and non-chemically pumped animals – you should be okay as long as you’re not overdoing things. this is all you’ll find in my cabinets/fridge, minus the meat. i have some condiments – olives, capers, soy sauce, miso – but that’s mostly it for pre-made “processed” stuff.

    we americans, we’re so duped. it’svery sad.

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