By Staff Writer - April, 14th 2014

If the old saying “you are what you eat” is true then a lot of us are in trouble because the typical American diet has become one that’s full of processed and fast foods that are high in fat, sugar, sodium, and chemicals. This explains much of the obesity epidemic and plays a major role in the alarming rise of cases of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. It also shows that we need to get back to eating real food now more than ever. The benefits of eating real food are endless and especially apparent when you consider what goes into prepackaged foods. Here is a rundown of some of the benefits of eating real food along with some interesting (and scary!) facts about processed foods.

by Joe Martino

Making dietary changes can be tough. It is by far one of the biggest topics I discuss with people when it comes to questions about making healthy lifestyle changes. One of the toughest parts? We are addicted to many foods and how they make us feel. Processed foods are so important to get off of as they contain a lot of ingredients that are very poor for our health and cause many chronic illnesses. Things like artificial colors, sweeteners, preservatives and low quality ingredients are a recipe for poor health.

Certain foods like sugar or coffee for example, come with certain addictive qualities, so trying to cut them or other foods out can be tough. In other cases, it may not even be addictive qualities in the food, the way it makes you feel or the habitual nature of eating it. For example, when you eat heavier foods you …

As you can see, the benefits of eating real food go way beyond just your physical health—they help your peace of mind too by giving you the comfort of knowing that you’re not filling your body or that of your family with an endless list of ingredients that are full of health risks.

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