Why have we become addicted to processed foods?

Why have we become so addicted to processed foods? I have read Micheal Pollan's book In Defense of Food: An Eaters Manifesto and it was life changing. I already knew processed foods were bad for you but after reading that book I knew I had to make a change. In the book Pollan's states you can only shop the perimeter of the grocery store because that is where the REAL food is. Everything else is fake and processed. Sugar, fat and salt can be addictive and are found in all processed foods. Those 3 culprits are why we find processed foods so delicious and addicting. Who can forget the popular Pringle's commercial "Once you pop, you can't stop." What a horrible yet true slogan, I remember eating Pringle's and it was true once you had one you had to have about 20 more. Why would anyone want to sit down and eat an entire box or bag of any processed good? We don't, but the sugar and salt force you to do it. We have all been there, a slave to our sugar/salt craving, just one more bite turns into finishing the bag.

But wait their is help! Their are things you can do to guarantee this doesn't happen to you.

1. Stock up on the good stuff. Fruits and veggies are what your body needs, you may not crave them like you crave the junk but they with help your body feel better. Stop buying processed foods! You can do this little by little until one day you look in your frig and all you see are whole foods.

2. When a craving strikes, drink 10 sips of water and wait 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes have past see if you are still hungry. Most of the time you won't be, that craving was just your body telling you it needed water.

3. Be disciplined. Portion out your foods. If you just can't give up that one naughty processed item, portion it out into individual servings. That way you can monitor yourself and only eat one serving at one sitting.

Next time you go to grab that bag of potato chips remember you can change that addiction and grab an apple instead. Good nutrition and fitness is about BALANCE. And if you're struggling, we can help. Click here to check out our 14 Day Nutrition guide to get your diet back on track and turn your fitness journey into your lifestyle.