How Whole Foods vs Processed Foods Power Your Body
Your body is an incredible machine made up of cells that are constantly working to keep you energized and literally, fuel your life. But like any machine, your cells need the right fuel to function. When you eat nutrient-dense foods, your cells get the support that they need to keep everything running smoothly. This results in better energy, mood and brainpower.
When you eat foods filled with foreign chemicals, your cells get confused. Over time, this can lead to chronic inflammation, fatigue, and other health issues.
Whole Foods
Whole foods like vegetables, fruits, dairy, seeds, nuts, and animal proteins are packed with nutrients that your body understands. You and these foods are made of the same building blocks - nature. Your body and whole foods “speak the same language.” When you eat these foods, your cells easily recognize them and can convert them into clean, usable energy.
Whole foods are packed with:
Vitamins and minerals to support cell function
Antioxidants to fight off harmful compounds
Healthy fats to support brain function
Processed Foods
On the other hand, ultra processed foods—things like fast food, sugary snacks, and soda—are full of artificial ingredients, chemicals, and refined sugars. Your body doesn’t recognize these foreign substances, because we didn’t evolve eating them. Your body then struggles to convert them into energy. Instead of providing your cells with what they need, processed foods create chaos within your system.
Eventually, your system clogs, misfires, and wears down. When you eat processed foods regularly, your cells become overwhelmed. They can’t generate energy efficiently, which causes experiences like:
Brain fog
Fatigue
Mood swings
Poor immune function
Hormone Imbalance
Gut Dysfunction
The Result of Cellular Breakdown: Inflammation
When your cells can’t process the junk from processed foods, your body starts to react to help you. It sounds the alarm and activates your immune system, which is your body’s defense team, to deal with the problem. But when this happens repeatedly and often, your immune system stays on high alert. This constant state of activation can lead to chronic inflammation, which affects your brain, muscles, tissues, and organs like your heart.
Chronic inflammation is an internal fire that burns slowly but steadily and over time looks like:
Joint pain
Mental Health Disorders
Cognitive decline
Weight gain
Heart disease
Chronic Fatigue
Prevent Inflammation
Some tips to help prevent inflammation:
Eat more complete proteins: Animal protein sources are complete proteins, full of vitamins and nutrients that help reduce inflammation.
Incorporate healthy fats: Foods like eggs, butter, and avocados provide essential fatty acids that support brain health and reduce inflammation.
Avoid processed foods: Minimize your intake of sugary snacks, soda, and fast food to keep your cells functioning optimally.
Stay hydrated: Drinking plenty of water helps your cells function efficiently and supports your detoxification process.
Want more information like this?
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