I thought I was doing everything right. Case in point?
Why Cut Processed Food
Work stress and late nights at the office, which led to 8 pm workouts, and then even later dinners, had put me in a cycle of having smoothies for dinner, or even worse, just a banana with almond butter, out of sheer tiredness. I realized that in my 10 years of working in the wellness industry, my diet had gotten way restrictive.
I also was just straight-up not eating some foods that are generally considered to be healthy. The other thing is that maaaaaybe I had a moderation problem. I decided something had to change. Not only was I uncomfortable in my own skin, I was about to be responsible for a Brooklyn-wide almond butter shortage.
So for the next month, I decided to completely cut out processed foods from my diet. The switch to eating whole, fresh fruits and vegetables was drastic—pretty much anything that came in a box, jar, or plastic bag was out, regardless of how healthy it appeared. But like Drake, I go 0 to real quick so if it meant things like olive oil, brown rice pasta, and coconut milk would also have to go, so be it.
Once packaged foods were off the table, I decided that any fruit, vegetable, or legume was completely OK to eat, even ones like tomatoes that I had been avoiding for years. The one exception? I wanted to still feel like a normal human being. I know this sounds intense.
I cut out processed foods for a month, here's what happened | Well+Good
But I felt that I needed to do something extreme in order to properly reset my eating habits. So what did no processed foods entail, exactly? Everyone has heard the phrase "processed foods" by now, but many people don't really know what life would be like without them. Here's a hint: Your health, mood , and appearance will improve—dramatically! Processed foods are chemical-laden, addictive foods usually sold in jars, boxes, and bags, and armies of well-paid food scientists make it their missions to come up with recipes that appeal to your taste buds, even if it means causing havoc to your health.
What's even scarier is that something called " ultra-processed food " exists, which is like the worst of the worst.
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- Getting Started.
According to a study published in BMJ Open , these kinds of products make up almost 60 percent of our daily calories and 90 percent of the added sugar we consume. Here's the final kicker, though: When you put processed foods into your body, not only are you choosing to fuel your body with nasty chemicals, you're depriving it of the nutrients it needs.
Processed foods are often stripped or void of nutrients, so it's not like you're eating an apple slice that's been dipped in gasoline; you're not even getting the fiber from the apple anymore. From weight loss to migraine relief, you can reap some serious health benefits if you ditch processed foods. While you may blame your chatty office or rowdy kiddos for your headaches, poor eating habits may be the real culprits. Every time you break for a snack or sit down to a meal, it's an opportunity to fuel and nourish your body.
What Happened When I Cut Out Processed Foods, Meat & Dairy For A Week
Processed foods are often lacking in fiber and nutrients that help fill you up, which can lead to overeating later. Opt for whole foods as often as possible to fuel yourself more efficiently. Worried about thinning hair? Dull hair? Loss of hair? Whatever your concern is, food can easily be part of the answer to your luscious locks. When you consistently opt for processed snacks, you rob your body of things like omega-3 fatty acids , which are important for healthy hair and rarely found in packaged, processed products.
The healthy fats found in things like walnuts help promote hair strength and sheen. Instead of relying on coffee, natural energy will come easier to you when you swap the processed stuff for whole foods. If you ever get crabby for no good reason, take a closer look at your diet. All those processed chemicals can affect mood because the 'foods' aren't actually giving your body any adequate nutrition; you're getting toxic ingredients, instead.
MSG can leave you depressed, saturated fats make you foggy, sugar and syrups cause crazy energy crashes; the list goes on and on. An expensive prescription from your dermatologist might do wonders for some people, but the answer to a better complexion may come from a visit with a nutritionist. Numerous studies have come out in the past year pointing to everything from dairy to zinc deficiencies for being the reason some people breakout.
Okay, you won't actually be able to stop the clock. But by trading in all the high-fructose corn syrup, additives, artificial colors, and other sketchy ingredients, you'll at least get out of the fast lane toward feeling and looking older than you are. A nutrient-rich diet not only strengthens your muscles and immunity but also helps fortify your nails. Regularly eating processed foods in place of whole foods can leave your nails feeling and looking brittle.
For strong nails, reach for foods high in protein and rich in the vitamin biotin; eggs and almonds are great sources of both. As mentioned earlier, most processed foods have been formulated and designed to taste as appealing as possible and get you addicted to them in the process. High-fructose corn syrup actually activates the part of your brain that gets addicted to things like drugs—and it can be found in tons of things from ketchup to cereal.
Plus, some people have cravings because their bodies are literally deficient and need certain nutrients. When you eat a lot "bad" foods, your body constantly feels either spiked with energy for a very short amount of time usually only when you're eating and then sluggish the rest of the time. Sugary cereals, cheese-dusted crackers, and instant noodles don't offer your body much fuel to run on and cutting out processed foods can be life-changing because you'll notice your body feels completely different. When choosing a snack, go for one higher in fiber, healthy fats and protein, and one that doesn't have a shelf life that's several months long.
After your snack, employ the only ab exercise you'll ever need to work on flattening your stomach! Research presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior found that fatty foods may disrupt the normal functioning of neurochemicals in your brain that are responsible for encouraging regular sleep.
And sugar-heavy, trans fat-filled packaged foods can also disrupt sleep. The added sugar in many products can keep you wired by spiking blood sugar and making it difficult to wind down for the night or causing you to wake up. Breaking Point: I hated my body.
Whenever I looked in the mirror, I felt like I was wearing a fat suit, that it wasn't really me. I hated being in pictures, so when I was asked to be a bridesmaid in a friend's wedding, I decided to order my dress a size smaller to motivate me to make some changes. Weeks went by, and I had done nothing. I finally got the dress in the mail, and it was way too small.
You'll be able to lose weight more easily
I could barely fit into it. That was really the catalyst. I joined a gym near my office and signed up for a personal trainer in an absolute panic. How I Lost It: I decided to change my whole mindset about weight loss. I wanted to stop counting calories and depriving myself. I stopped trying to find the quick magic cure and focused on what really works -- good, old-fashioned hard work. I read everything I could get my hands on about healthy weight loss and nutrition.
The Experiment
I decided that I would start eating clean, whole foods. I cut out most processed foods and cooked every meal that I ate. Every day at my lunch break from work, I would go to the gym and work out for 40 minutes, then eat my lunch at my desk when I got back. I was seeing my personal trainer twice a week as well.
The more success I had, the more dedicated I became.