When you think of fatty foods, you probably have a mental picture to stay away from burgers, fries and anything in the all the above category of grease. Some blame genetics while others can’t figure out why their diet and work-out routine are only causing them more frustration than actual fat loss. Have you ever listened to your friends and the list goes on and on of foods you should stay away from? You can have the perfect work out routine and diet but if you are still eating these foods below, the results will only be counterproductive.
1. Sugar:
Sugar is uniquely fattening. It contains two molecules: Fructose and Glucose that have two very different roles in the body. Glucose has a vital role when it comes to our metabolism and producing energy for our body, it’s important and beneficial in balance. Fructose is as well, fructose is also in fruit, known as fruit sugar. On the other hand is not healthy when consumed in excess. Excess fructose intake causes more insulin resistance in the body and in turn increases the deposition of fat in the fat cells. Too much fructose also blocks leptin, which is a protein based hormone that sends signals to the brain and lets our bodies know that we are full, it also regulates fat storage. Basically Fructose, one of the two main molecules in sugar, in excess is not your fat loss friend. You will never feel full after a meal if your intake of sugar is too high because of its resistance to hormones that help you brain know when you are full.
The key here is a balance of glucose and fructose, but you won’t get that by eating sugary foods that are void of nutrients. Aside from sugar being the biggest weight loss inhibitor, its also as addictive as Cocaine. Sugar causes opiate and dopamine activity in the reward center of the brain as if it was a prescribed narcotic. Just like a Narcotic or Nicotine, it becomes an addiction if abused. In the case of sugar addiction it can lead to extreme weight gain and the inability to discontinue eating after you’re full because it effects the opiate (pain/reward) centers in the brain in a strong way. Don’t be fooled artificial sweeteners are just as bad and can have even more toxic effects on your body, also still leading to excess fat.
2. Dairy & Meat:
No, I’m not going to tell you to stop eating cheese or your favorite cut of steak but you should be aware of what they are feeding the animals because it may have a huge contribution to your weight gain. Hormones, steroids and antibiotics. Yes, that’s right, and we wonder why are 10 year old kids are looking like full grown adults. Below I’m going to break down how each one of those has a huge effect on your body.
Hormones and Steroids:
Hormones are produced naturally in the body in small amounts. Unfortunately, Scientists and food production companies have come up with a synthetic steroid hormone that has unnatural and lasting effects on our bodies. They use this synthetic hormone in animals to increase milk production and increase the amount of meat produced from one animal. It makes them grow unnaturally fast and produce more bang for their buck at the expense of us. Cancer Risk has been linked to synthetic hormones and needless to say extreme weight gain.
Antibiotics:
Antibiotics are also used to “beef” up their meat and increase animal size by 3%. Unfortunately, weight gain is the least of our worries when it comes to these drugs. Antibiotics kill flora that naturally thrives in the animals’ intestines therefore killing our gut flora after ingesting them. Many of these antibiotics used have been taken off the market for human consumption because of its adverse and toxic side effects but are then sold at a reduced rate to Meat producers to treat infected animals. Many like to argue that using antibiotics will make us drug resistant but for those who choose a homeopathic or holistic course of treatment, the real argument is why are we being fed prescription drugs without our consent? And why are they using infected animals pumped with antibiotics and not informing the public? Well the answer is simple, MONEY. It would be to expensive for them to dispose of every infected animal and in turn would drive up the cost of meat. Once again, we get the short end of that stick.
3. White Foods:
White foods typically mean chemically processed and refined. Flour, rice, past, bread, crackers, cereal and simple sugar are all examples. Onions, white beans, potatoes and cauliflower do not fall into this category. The difference between these two are the processing of fiber. Refined and chemically processed foods are stripped of the weight loss key, fiber. Some vitamins and minerals are added back after processing butte nutritional value does not compare to the real whole food.
White foods are typically a Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) which means its packed with genes made up in a lab instead of the earth. GMO’s have been linked to a number of illnesses including tumors, organ failure, gastric lesions, liver and kidney damage and so much more. If you thought eating a fruit or vegetable made up in a lab is bad enough, you were wrong, they also spray these “Frankenfruits” with pesticides and herbicides which are known Carcinogens when ingested by humans. While Big pharma argues there is very little difference between a naturally grown fruit or veggie versus a GM fruit or veggie, the evidence is in our rapid health decline since the introduction of mass GMO usage in 2008. Big pharma or local grown? The decision is your choice.
Processed foods are truly your worst enemy. They are high in sugars and because they are typically addictive can lead to over consumption. They also contain many artificial ingredients like preservatives, colorants, flavor and texturants that have all been proven to effect our health negatively. Lets not forget they are typically very low in nutrients and fiber which can lead to many digestive issues.
So we learned that not only can Sugar, antibiotic and hormone fed animals and white foods make it darn near impossible to lose weight, they also have a negative effects on your health. Obesity, cancer, gastrointestinal disease and organ failure, among other illnesses, are on a rapid increase and there are many contributing factors but the one thing that we all have in common no matter the race or status is our food. Be aware and be alert. Take that extra 10-15 minutes in the store to choose foods that will aid you in your weight loss journey without causing long and short term health issues. Do your best to avoid processed meat & diary, it’s full of antibiotics, hormones and fed genetically modified foods. Avoid the white flour foods such as bread, crackers, cereal and other bread based foods. Last but not least do your best to cut out sugar and crave healthier sugar (and artificial sweetener) free sweets and treats.
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