Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Health Problems Caused by Food


If you’re like most people, you don’t give much consideration to all the ingredients in the food you eat everyday. You’re busy, you’re stressed, and you have to get dinner on the table at a certain time. If it looks good and tastes good, what’s the big deal? A lifelong diet of unhealthy food can cause some serious health issues that sneak up on you when you least expect it.

10 Common Health Problems Caused by Food

1.     Obesity

Obesity is one of the primary health problems associated with unhealthy food. Each day you’re being influenced by the food industry who wants to make money by selling you certain products. Diet foods, for example, are anything but healthy and they do not promote weight loss. They are a scam designed to keep you hungry and dependent on their products.

High fructose corn syrup is a common additive in millions of processed food products and it’s guaranteed to pack on the pounds. HFCS tricks your body into thinking you’re always hungry by interfering with normal leptin and ghrelin levels. Also, the trans fats in chips and snacks cause obesity by tricking your taste buds into thinking you’re eating something nourishing.

2.     Autoimmune Disease

Millions of people suffer from some type of autoimmune disease that didn’t exist 100 years ago. The connection? Most of the foods you find in your grocery store didn’t exist 100 years ago. An autoimmune disease means the body has suddenly begun attacking its own healthy tissues because it no longer recognizes them.

The preservatives and additives in processed food don’t just get into the gut; they get into the entire body, causing the immune system to respond with an attack. Eventually, this essential system begins to break down and malfunction, resulting in autoimmune disease such as crohn’s disease and multiple sclerosis.

3.     High Cholesterol

The issue of high cholesterol is a tricky one. For decades now, you’ve been lead to believe that saturated fat is terrible for your health and will contribute to high cholesterol. The truth is, saturated fat is actually good for your health. It’s the trans fats you need to avoid.

Cholesterol is actually essential for good health and cholesterol-lowering statin drugs could actually kill you. Surprised? Statin drugs keep your body from making any cholesterol at all, which can lead to dementia, slow wound healing, autoimmune disease, muscle problems, and cataracts.

Margarine, vegetable oil, diet foods, and fast foods are loaded with trans fats that do serious damage to your health. Try switching to coconut oil, butter, and olive oil. It will do wonders for you!

4.     Digestive Disorders

Have you ever really looked at the digestive aisle of a pharmacy? It’s incredible how many stomach remedies are out there for heartburn, diarrhea, constipation, and the like. It’s as though people actually believe they’re supposed to feel sick after they eat.

Processed food may taste good but it’s filled with chemicals, additives, and preservatives your digestive system cannot properly break down. Plus, it’s completely devoid of nutrients. This type of diet easily sets you up for the development of crohn’s disease, acid reflux disease, chronic constipation, and more.

To beat digestive disorders naturally, cut the junk food out of your diet and load up on plenty of fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

5.     Yeast Infections

So many women get chronic yeast infections and can’t figure out what’s causing them. Chances are, it’s the bad food you’re eating. Sugary snacks and drinks feed candida yeast and cause it to grow out of control. Oftentimes, intolerance to gluten can lead to chronic yeast infections due to malnutrition and low gut bacteria. Adding more garlic, cayenne, and onions to your diet can help reduce yeast infections naturally.

6.     Thyroid Problems

Thyroid problems are rampant in the United States and Canada. The most common autoimmune disease is Grave’s disease and can be caused by eating unhealthy processed food. Gluten intolerance is a common cause of secondary thyroid disease.

7.     Chronic Sinus Problems

If you sniffle and sneeze 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it’s not hay fever. You’re allergic to something you’re eating or what’s in your environment. Chronic sinus problems are caused by inflammation, which can be exacerbated by processed foods and undiagnosed gluten or lactose intolerance.

8.     Headaches

So many people get headaches every day and they don’t know what’s causing them. Using NSAID pain relievers may stop the pain for now but they will do nothing to address the underlying cause of headaches. Plus, overuse of these pain relievers can lead to chronic yeast infections and stomach ulcers. Monosodium glutamate is a common food additive that contributes to migraine headaches.

9.     Anxiety

Anxiety attacks can be debilitating. It may surprise you to know that they can also be caused by food. Caffeine, for one, shouldn’t be consumed by people with anxiety disorder. However, it goes deeper than that. Studies have shown that mood disorders may be triggered by low gut bacteria and leaky gut syndrome.

10.    Sleep Disturbances

Another health problem caused by food is sleep disturbance. Certain food additives and dyes such as Yellow 5 can cause a heightened state of anxiety and make it difficult to sleep. Aspartame is a potent neurotoxin that interfere with the way your brain functions, which can lead to anxiety, agitation, and decreased quality of sleep.

Yes, many health problems are caused by food but they can also be healed by food. The first step to healing completely from any disorder is eating a healthy, preservative-free diet. Once you change your diet, you change your life.