Thereâs a big differenceâthe fresher the bean, the more lively it looks and the more snap it has when you bend and break it. The frozen beanâs enzymes are dead; however, some of its vitamins and minerals are still living and itâs been treated with fewerif any) preservatives, so it will appear healthier than its canned counterpart. Since it is more alive and less toxic than the canned bean, it will look and taste more fresh. Canned foods not only contain chemical preservatives and no enzymes, but few vitamins and minerals remain in them, and toxins from the can may leach into the food. No wonder canned food looks drab and lifeless and needs artificial colors and flavors added to it! Living foods produce vibrant people. Wilted and tired-looking foods produce wilted and tired people. And dead foods, over time, kill us.
FACTOID
Processing foods kills the naturally occurring enzymes. Dead enzymes equal dead food. You cannot be energetic, vibrant, and lively if you eat dead food.
This is why people experience more energy when they shift from processed to fresh and/or organic foods.
Why do food companies make groceries with items in them that can literally make us sick? Because making food that lasts longerâincreasing the amount of âshelf lifeâ it has before it spoils and, consequently, throwing fewer foods awayâmeans companies make a lot more money. But an ancient Chiffon margarine commercial warned, âItâs not nice to fool Mother Nature!â As it turns out, the joke is on usâthe body doesnât utilize these unnatural nutrients. Of course, that doesnât stop food companies from adding them. Pollan discovered that refining and processing foods allows companies to charge more for the same product. For fun, try to guess what grain comprises the main ingredient of these processed foods?
Twinkies
Marshmallows
Cheetos
Cheese Whiz
Sports drinks
Powdered juice drinks
The answer? Corn. The companies that manufacture these products make more money by charging us higher prices for these processed products than they could ever charge for kernels of corn. I call these and other man-made foods âplastic,â since they bearno resemblance to the products theyâre made from. These days, the vast majority of Americans are living on plastic foods.
Pick Your Poison: The 411 on Sugar Substitutes
Among the nationâs most common âplastic foodsâ are the sugar substitutes that sit atop most every table. Every few years, controversy arises over whether these products are healthier than sugar. The answer changes as new research deepens our understanding of the relationship between carbohydrates and insulin.
When we consume overcivilized, refined sugars like white sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, glucose (the form of sugar our body uses for energy) surges into our bloodstream. The pancreas then sprints into action as it tries to release the hormone insulin into the bloodstream fast enough for the brain and body to use the glucose for energy. When we eat natural, complex sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, and molasses, glucose still enters our bloodstream but at a much slower pace. This allows the pancreas to release insulin more comfortably. Because it can work at a more reasonable pace, the organ doesnât wear itself out sprinting and hitting the brakes over and over againâor, more accurately, given how much refined sugar most of us eatâby sprinting, then sprinting again and again. All of that revving up exhausts the pancreas, often causing diabetes. Any excess sugar it doesnât move quickly enough to use gets converted to fat. And because the sugar is converted to energy so quickly, it leaves us craving more food soon after.
Many people use artificial sweeteners to stay thin and avoid the cycle of sugar highs and lows. But as many problems as white sugar causes, I believe it is healthier than sugar substitutes, which include aspartame,
FACTOID
Processing foods kills the naturally occurring enzymes. Dead enzymes equal dead food. You cannot be energetic, vibrant, and lively if you eat dead food.
This is why people experience more energy when they shift from processed to fresh and/or organic foods.
Why do food companies make groceries with items in them that can literally make us sick? Because making food that lasts longerâincreasing the amount of âshelf lifeâ it has before it spoils and, consequently, throwing fewer foods awayâmeans companies make a lot more money. But an ancient Chiffon margarine commercial warned, âItâs not nice to fool Mother Nature!â As it turns out, the joke is on usâthe body doesnât utilize these unnatural nutrients. Of course, that doesnât stop food companies from adding them. Pollan discovered that refining and processing foods allows companies to charge more for the same product. For fun, try to guess what grain comprises the main ingredient of these processed foods?
Twinkies
Marshmallows
Cheetos
Cheese Whiz
Sports drinks
Powdered juice drinks
The answer? Corn. The companies that manufacture these products make more money by charging us higher prices for these processed products than they could ever charge for kernels of corn. I call these and other man-made foods âplastic,â since they bearno resemblance to the products theyâre made from. These days, the vast majority of Americans are living on plastic foods.
Pick Your Poison: The 411 on Sugar Substitutes
Among the nationâs most common âplastic foodsâ are the sugar substitutes that sit atop most every table. Every few years, controversy arises over whether these products are healthier than sugar. The answer changes as new research deepens our understanding of the relationship between carbohydrates and insulin.
When we consume overcivilized, refined sugars like white sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, glucose (the form of sugar our body uses for energy) surges into our bloodstream. The pancreas then sprints into action as it tries to release the hormone insulin into the bloodstream fast enough for the brain and body to use the glucose for energy. When we eat natural, complex sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, and molasses, glucose still enters our bloodstream but at a much slower pace. This allows the pancreas to release insulin more comfortably. Because it can work at a more reasonable pace, the organ doesnât wear itself out sprinting and hitting the brakes over and over againâor, more accurately, given how much refined sugar most of us eatâby sprinting, then sprinting again and again. All of that revving up exhausts the pancreas, often causing diabetes. Any excess sugar it doesnât move quickly enough to use gets converted to fat. And because the sugar is converted to energy so quickly, it leaves us craving more food soon after.
Many people use artificial sweeteners to stay thin and avoid the cycle of sugar highs and lows. But as many problems as white sugar causes, I believe it is healthier than sugar substitutes, which include aspartame,
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