What you need to know about processed foods

By Betty Murray

If you think the FDA approves every ingredient that goes into the food products you buy at your local grocery store, you are sorely mistaken. The FDA only looks into ingredients they are notified about — and according to an estimate from the Pew Research Center, there are at least 1,000 ingredients used in food products today that the FDA has no knowledge of.

The GRAS

Even seemingly “good” nutrients such as vitamins and minerals found in processed foods are not natural. For example, according to Melanie Warner, author of Pandora’s Lunchbox, explains that fortified nutrients such as vitamin C in a supplement or box of cereal do not come from an orange, but rather a corn ingredient that has been through a “complex, multi-step bacterial and chemical process.”

There is no such thing as a “healthy” processed food. Fiber-enriched protein bars still contain mass quantities of ingredients you can’t pronounce and go through a product process you can’t replicate in your kitchen at home. Don’t be fooled by food products claiming to contain “natural” ingredients if you can’t make the food at home with natural plant products, such as fruits, vegetables and beans.

Processed foods allow toxins to enter your body, which may be leading to weight gain or inability to lose excess fat. The body surrounds toxins in the body with fat; in order to lose that fat, you must cleanse your body of the toxins that are found in not only processed foods, but unfiltered water, household chemicals, cosmetics, prescription drugs, cigarette smoke, alcohol and air pollution.

There are four steps to cleansing your body of toxins:

Begin healthy eating habits, and eliminate junk foods, fast foods and processed foods.

Use a body cleanse to clean the existing toxins from your body.

Detoxify to neutralize toxins and poisons in the body.

Rebuild the body’s immune system by consuming pure, healthy foods, free of trans fats and pesticides.

Learn more about how to cleanse the body of toxins and lose unwanted fat in my book, Cleanse<. in=”” this=”” book=”” i=”” explain=”” how=”” to=”” make=”” knowledge-based=”” dietary=”” decisions=”” by=”” using=”” whole=”” foods=”” and=”” supplements=”” detoxify=”” cleanse=”” the=”” body.=”” cleans=”” get=”” rid=”” of=”” those=”” extra=”” pounds=”” nagging=”” health=”” problems.=”” readability=”8.97723292469″>

Betty Murray, CN, HHC, RYT is a Certified Nutritionist & Holistic Health Counselor, founder of the Dallas-based integrative medical center, Wellness and founder of the Metabolic Blueprint wellness program. Betty’s nutrition counseling practice specializes in metabolic and digestive disorders and weight loss resistance. A master of the biochemistry of the body, Betty teaches her clients how to utilize nutritional interventions to improve their health. Betty is a member of the Institute of Functional Medicine and the National Association of Nutrition Professionals.

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