In a world where “Organic” labels are being slapped onto everything, we have to ask ourselves some questions. Do we really know what we are eating, or are we just trusting what the food industry says without looking deeply into how it’s made? If so,what do we need to consider when looking at how these foods are made? We’re often unconcerned about how processed foods can harm our bodies and damage the environment, so it’s important to thoroughly explore this question before forming and promoting any opinions.
Natural foods are made available in either their authentic form or a slightly altered variant. Processed foods, on the other hand, are modified with chemicals, artificial pesticides, artificial flavors, and sugars to extend their shelf life and improve their taste. This calls to question whether product availability is worth the risk of putting mysteriously concocted substances into our bodies.
Natural foods come in their original form. For example, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and meat are changed minimally from how they were originally made. You’re able to go to a store and look at a group of fruits and know exactly what you’re getting. Organic options might be a little more on the expensive side, but it’s worth it compared to other options out there. One benefit of eating natural foods is that you’re getting as many nutrients as the food can provide instead of random chemicals that can potentially harm your body. A downside of eating natural foods is how much they cost most of the time. In reality, unprocessed groceries cost twice, sometimes even three times as much as processed products.
Alternatively, processed foods do not come in their authentic form. They go through a process of enhancing, adding, flavoring, and coloring. Sugary drinks, packaged snacks, sweetened breakfast cereals, instant noodles, and processed meats—almost all of these contain unnatural chemicals that can be addictive. For example, Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is a flavor enhancer that triggers the brain’s dopamine system, also known as the chemical reward system. This may create a craving that can lead to addiction towards foods that contain MSG. It looks yummy on the outside, but inside the wrapper is a long list of chemicals, dyes, and preservatives. One good thing about processed foods is that they don’t really cost as much as you would expect. You could go to a random store and compare both natural and processed foods, and clearly tell the difference in prices.
One big issue with processed foods is that they train your taste buds to expect chemical flavoring and set unrealistic expectations. When you consistently eat foods made of artificial flavors and intense flavors, unprocessed foods start to taste bland and unexciting, as if your taste buds lost their ability to react to real food. However, real foods are what our bodies need. Companies deliberately make foods that trigger your dopamine system. This can make eating them feel good short-term, but can be damaging long-term. Natural foods don’t do that; their flavors may be more plain, but they give us the nutrients our bodies need instead of intense and unhealthy fake nutrients.
Processed foods may create health problems over time. High levels of sugar are connected to obesity and other health problems. Sometimes your body doesn’t know how to break down these artificial ingredients that were never meant to be in food in the first place. Many processed foods are stripped of their natural ingredients during manufacturing and then remade with lab-made ingredients just to make up for what’s lost. Natural foods do the opposite: they give you ingredients your body needs and can digest. Fruits are a very natural and good source of sugars that are harmless to the body, and they are very hydrating and very rich in dietary fiber and minerals. Grass-fed, unprocessed beef is another good food source of nutrients, giving you Omega-3 fatty acids, Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), and antioxidants. The meat has better nutrients for your body, can help your immune system, and has fats linked to reducing cancer. Natural foods also leave you feeling energized and mentally clear. Processed foods, on the contrary, are often linked to brain fog and chronic inflammation. The reason this happens is because they are high in refined sugar and often lack important vitamins like B12, which are crucial for a healthier brain.
With all of that being said, does this make you want to continue eating a lot of processed foods? Although we do not call for you to completely abolish your intake of any unnatural meals and go live in the forest raising your own beans, Thoreau style, it is always good to find a balance between the two. At the end of the day, the fuel we put into our bodies shapes everything, from our mood all the way to our long-term health. The choice may seem small, however, it is always good to live in harmony with your body, not in warfare.
