101 Reasons to Quit Eating Processed Foods Forever
It’s almost impossible to go to the market without coming back with something in a box, bag, can or jar. The simplicity of eliminating steps in preparing our food is now commonplace. We cut corners because food manufacturers make it so unbelievably easy and cheap to do so. Certainly some processed foods are safer than others, and most of us recognize how truly lucky we are to have so many options at our fingertips. And that’s just the point: When we change our food habits, we change the world.
It may seem as if processed food only affects our health, but there’s a much bigger impact…and all the more reason for us to cut processed foods out for good. Need a little motivation in making the shift to a truly whole foods diet? Here are 101 reasons to stop eating processed foods…forever.
- Genetically modified ingredients are found in approximately 80 percent of processed foods
- They’ve been linked to cancer
- Stomach issues
- Environmental destruction
- Corporate greed
- GMO salmon may soon be in our food supply
- GMO sugar beets already are
- So is GMO corn
- GMO soy
- GMO canola
- GMO cottonseed oil
- And GMO alfalfa
- As well as GMO squash
- GMO papayas
- And soon GMO apples
- GMO pineapples
- Pesticide residue is found in many processed foods
- Pesticides cause neurological disorders
- Reproductive disorders
- And developmental problems in young children
- They may be killing off our important bee populations
- And birds
- And bats
- And dragonflies
- Artificial colors cause behavior issues
- Artificial flavors do too
- Like MSG
- High fructose corn syrup is genetically modified
- It spikes blood sugar levels
- Chemical preservatives are as yucky as they sound
- Carrageenan causes cancer and digestive disturbances
- What is Butylated Hydroxyanisole? Why would you eat something named that?
- Conventional eggs can contain salmonella
- And the hens were treated like horrible, worthless slaves
- Growth hormone rGBH is in many processed dairy foods
- Growth hormones in dairy cause hormone problems in the people who consume them
- Carmine—a red coloring—comes from bug shells
- Most raspberry flavoring comes from a gland extracted from a beaver’s anus
- Real food doesn’t need stabilizers
- Or anti-caking agents
- Mad Cow Disease
- Pink Slime
- Meat Glue
- Avian Flu
- Swine Flu
- Nanoparticles
- Refined grains cause health problems
- Packaging waste
- Packaging toxins
- Gelatin comes from pig hooves
- Bug particles are common in processed foods
- Excessive sodium causes high blood pressure
- And heart disease
- Excessive fat clogs arteries
- Especially trans fats
- Hydrogenated oils
- Fractionated oils
- Confectioner’s glaze comes from beetles
- Nitrites cause cancer
- Sodium benzoate is toxic
- Brominated vegetable oil is too
- Processed food is made by machines
- And poorly paid workers
- The world’s top food manufacturers destroy rainforests
- They require long hours
- Employ child labor
- And lie about their impact on the planet
- You’re usually paying for big brand marketing efforts rather than quality ingredients
- Subsidies are given to giant corporations while small farmers struggle to stay in business
- Monsanto and other biotech companies were just granted “immunity from the courts” so they can push out GMOs even if a judge says they can’t
- Processed foods are meant to sit on shelves for months or longer
- Processed foods use a lot of fossil fuels in production and transport
- Factories cause pollution
- Food in packages causes food waste—a $100-billion-a-year problem
- Sugar consumption causes diabetes
- And obesity
- And behavioral disorders
- And skin conditions
- And more health problems
- Hidden gluten
- Hidden soy
- Hidden animal fat
- It’s not food made with love
- Fresh food tastes better
- Fresh food is more recognizable by your body
- When you make it yourself, you enjoy it more
- When someone cooks for you, it’s a gift of love and kindness
- We are what we eat
- And what we eat eats, too
- There are more nutrients in food made from scratch
- And more water
- And more fiber
- And more antioxidants
- Meals made from scratch are unique one-of-a-kind works of art
- Foods made in factories always taste the same
- Microwaves destroy food
- Cooking is interactive
- It’s stimulating
- It’s fun
- Anyone can do it
- Even you.
Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger
Image: poopoorama