In a world of efficiency, where everything wants to be quick, we may be too quick to care. This is especially true when it comes to our health. The food industry has transformed our food into a hurried and immediate satisfaction with no benefits besides its taste and its profit.

When we eat ultra-processed foods, we lack the fuel our body needs. Just as the quality of gas that is put into a car can change how well the car runs, the quality of food we put into our body changes how well our bodies run. Our bodies are not our not just our own, they are also God’s. It is our responsibility to take care of them accordingly. Aside from spiritual care, eating healthily is the most impactful form of health on our bodies. There are three steps to this. These are: knowing what food is unhealthy, knowing what kinds of food are healthy, and knowing how to change and balance what you eat.

The first step to eating healthily is to know what kinds of food are unhealthy and why they are unhealthy. Ultra-processed food is the king of unhealthy. Ultra-processed food is generally known as food high in unhealthy added ingredients.

For example, food with the first ingredient being added sugar, enriched wheat flour, or ingredients that you cannot pronounce. Some of these foods would be fast foods, soda, candy, sugary cereals, or store-bought cookies. Many things that you cannot make within your own home could also be considered ultra-processed. These are all foods that we would call junk food and for good reason.

An international study was conducted by the British Medical Journal (BMJ Group) on ultra-processed foods with nearly 10 million people, and the numbers are shocking. Higher intake of ultra-processed foods is responsible for over 30 health conditions. These are split from more solid evidence to less solid evidence. The most solid evidence is a 50% increased risk of cardiovascular disease related death, roughly 53% increased risk of anxiety and common mental disorders, and a 12% increased risk of type 2 diabetes. More evidence indicates that high intake of ultra-processed food correlates with a 21% increased risk of death of any cause, a roughly 66% increased risk of heart disease related death, obesity, and sleep problems, and a 22% increased risk of depression. There is also some evidence for the correlation of asthma, gastrointestinal health, some cancers, and cardiometabolic risks.

The second step to eating healthily is to know what kinds of food you should be eating. Dr. Lisa Young Speaks on a Fox News extra about this. She mentions a few ways to pick out healthy food and steps to take to become healthy.

First, when choosing food at the store, look at the ingredients list, specifically the order of ingredients. For example, if you were to buy a box of oatmeal, if the first ingredient is oats, and then added sugar is lower on the list, you are much better off than buying a sugary cereal.

Another important factor she mentions is to eat a colorful diet, such as many different fruits, vegetables, and meat. It is precisely having a naturally colorful plate of food when you eat. When choosing your food, it is important to know the difference between ultra-processed and processed food.

An example of processed foods would be canned beans or frozen fruit. Dr. Young suggests having things like these in your house, especially frozen fruit, which is relatively affordable. Making these little choices is a game changer in someone’s health. Making an effort to eat things in their natural form as they were intended to be eaten will be the most beneficial to your health.

The third step to eating healthily is knowing how to transform your diet from ultra-processed to either regular processed food or whole foods. This also means knowing how to do this in a healthy way. As Dr. Young suggests, taking baby steps is key. Trying to eat even one meal without ultra-processed foods makes a huge difference.

Also, focusing on adding more healthy foods to your diet, rather than trying to cute out unhealthy foods is more beneficial. Healthy food will fill you up much more than ultra-processed foods will. This will result in you not being as hungry throughout the day, which means you will end up eating less ultra-processed foods. This also means you will eventually train your body to not want or crave unhealthy and ultra-processed foods.

However, it is very important to understand that this does not mean that you can’t go out and get ice cream with your friends or eat some candy. Finding a balance of properly fueling your body and still having enjoyment of certain food is important to your overall health. If you are able to eat in a healthy manner day to day, it allows you to treat yourself, eat something unhealthy, while not throwing off your health.

In the end, God gave you all the food you need and can enjoy, growing from the Earth. You can make simple healthy recipes right within your own home and still go out and enjoy other foods. God intends for you to take good care of you body and balance that with healthily moderated pleasure. So, take all of this into consideration, find your healthy balance, and give thanks that you get to take care of your God-given body.

Sources:
Extra: The Very Real Dangers Of Ultra-Processed Junk Food | FOX News Rundown
Consistent evidence links ultra-processed food to over 30 damaging health outcomes – BMJ Group