Processed Foods

Modern day convenience foods -- foods that are heavily processed and often loaded with sugar -- are essentially the equivalent of pesticides in farming.

Think about it. Pesticides are designed to quickly and conveniently kill plant bugs. What they also unavoidably kill, however, are the microorganisms in the soil, and ultimately, the soil itself.

In much the same way, processed and prepackaged foods are designed to quickly and conveniently kill your hunger or thirst, or both.

But convenience foods are often so preservative-dense and nutrient-deficient that they do more harm than good inside your body. Among other things, they promote the growth of pathogens -- bad bugs -- thereby hampering the growth of beneficial bacteria in your gut. And you know where that leads -- right?

What, exactly, are processed foods?

Simply put, they are foods altered from their natural state.6 They might be canned, frozen, or dehydrated. They frequently contain trans fats, and high levels of sodium and sugar. A few processed foods can be healthier than others -- 100 percent fruit and vegetable juices, for example. Or frozen vegetables.

Processed foods to be avoided include:

boxed meals (macaroni and cheese, hamburger and tuna 'helpers,' etc.)
chips and other high-calorie snack foods
foods made with refined white flour (white breads, pastas, rice)
frozen dinners
high-fat canned foods (spaghetti, for example)
packaged cakes and cookies
processed meats (sausage, hot dogs, bologna and other packaged lunch meats)
sodium-laden canned foods
sugared cereals
If you're planning to wean yourself from convenience foods, start by eliminating processed meats. They're the worst of the worst and are thought to increase your risk of certain types of cancers.