Processed foods. You're opinion on them.

H

heatherisadork

New member
I've been thinking a lot about food. About processed food. Does eating non-processed food really help in one's weight loss efforts? High fructose corn syrup, im noticing, is in EVERYTHING practically. Even "healthy" food. It's claimed that high fructose corn syrup, like sugar, is fine in moderation. However, since it is in a lot of processed food, the only way to eat it in moderation would be to mostly eat an organic diet. Is this true?

What are your opinions on processed foods opposed to organic?


(I posted this in my weight loss diary as well)
 
Science has shown two things.

Organic is a label created by advertisers to sell stuff.

there is nothing wrong with Fructose..I just had this debate in a different thread :)
 
Jericho said:
Science has shown two things.

Organic is a label created by advertisers to sell stuff.

there is nothing wrong with Fructose..I just had this debate in a different thread :)
Click to expand...

It is recommended that a person with hypothyroidism should stick to a mostly natural diet (). It's being debated that 40% of adults have a thyroid condition in which many are actually not even diagnosed. So I'm just wondering if you think with hypothyroidism taken into account, that fructose and other additives should be avoided more in a persons daily diet.

I do have a thyroid condition so i'm really just trying to figure out what type of diet I want to follow. Eating processed foods would be easier to manage, but I'm not sure if it's necessarily healthy.
 
I've never seen high fructose corn syrup in anything I would consider a healthy food.

I think (highly) processed food is bad. It's almost impossible to eat a diet of things that haven't been tampered with at all by humans. But my rule is: anything that grew from the ground or is naturally occurring is ok (eg fruits and veggies - they don't have to be organic) and then anything that I buy that is made by someone else, like canned goods have to have ONLY simple ingredients. For example, the veggie soup I buy has only water and veggies in it. nothing else. Usually, the only products that have only simple ingredients are organic (like the soup I buy). The only exception to this is I've had difficulty finding whole wheat bread with only simple ingredients.

Just editing my post: Fructose isn't bad, that's the sugar in fruit. High fructose corn syrup is bad because it's been chemically altered. Just like partially hydrogenated oils.
 
Last edited:
The problem with that question is that everyone has a different definition of "processed" food. Until you can come to a common definition of what is processed and what isn't, then it's going to be hard to come to any kind of consensus on the question.

In *my* opinion: I think that putting a bunch of chemicals in my body is not a good thing. I try to eat foods that are as close to their natural form as possible when I can. That doesn't mean that I am a food-nazi about avoiding processed foods ... I still eat things out of a package. But I do try to eat things that are as fresh and/or as close to their natural form as possible.

As far as HFCS, a recent study at Princeton recently reiterated that HFCS leads to more fat gain than eating plain sugar:


I think there's a lot more research to be done on the topic, but quite frankly, I think that the less you can consume, the better you are.
 
Let me tell you this my way.

HFCS has a lot of calories per ounce. They are also calories that get burned up in the body very quickly. That means that you will be very hunger soon and you will eat more. The chances of overeating (eating more calories per day, than your body will burn) are very high.

Does that make sense?
 
I have no problems with them. Do I eat much of them? Not as much as I used but I still eat them quite often. I don't buy into all the silly hype around MSG, HFCS, etc. HFCS lately seems to becoming an excuse for obesity...give me a break!

I agree with Jericho above I suppose. :)
 
Last edited:
KaraCooks puts it very reasonably. I too try to eat as close to the natural form if possible. I think the key success to my weight loss was that I made a switch focusing on foods that I buy from the farmer's market. I will eat cheese, or canned tuna, etc.. because they do come in handy when you're travelling. But overall, I stick to my fresh foods.

Another plus about buying fresh produce/meats from your local farmer's market - you're supporting your local economy. :) (and I don't mean just your country)

And oh yes, my food bills have come down too!
 
Last edited:
I've lost most of my weight so far while eating mostly processed foods. I don't think it makes a difference. Processed foods tend to be cheaper and really cuts down on my food bill.

Conversely, I've gained weight on healthy foods. Not saying healthy food makes you gain weight, just what I experienced. I think because I believed you could eat as much as you want if it was healthy allowed me to binge on healthy foods creating weight gain. But eating junk foods makes me cautious and I tend to buy small portions and cut out any snacking.

I think it's quantity not quality.
 
heatherisadork said:
I've been thinking a lot about food. About processed food. Does eating non-processed food really help in one's weight loss efforts? High fructose corn syrup, im noticing, is in EVERYTHING practically. Even "healthy" food. It's claimed that high fructose corn syrup, like sugar, is fine in moderation. However, since it is in a lot of processed food, the only way to eat it in moderation would be to mostly eat an organic diet. Is this true?

What are your opinions on processed foods opposed to organic?


(I posted this in my weight loss diary as well)
Click to expand...

EVERYTHING is fine in moderation. End of story.
 
heatherisadork said:
Yes but what exactly is considered a moderate amount? It's in so much food now a days so I'm just wondering.
Click to expand...

Honestly? I couldn't tell you what a moderate amount is, because I believe that it varies from person to person. A moderate amount of water to me, might not be a moderate amount of water to you. A moderate amount of chocolate to me, might not be a moderate amount of chocolate to you. A moderate amount of masturba...

...

...

...

:leaving:
 
ChefChiTown said:
Honestly? I couldn't tell you what a moderate amount is, because I believe that it varies from person to person. A moderate amount of water to me, might not be a moderate amount of water to you. A moderate amount of chocolate to me, might not be a moderate amount of chocolate to you. A moderate amount of masturba...

...

...

...

:leaving:
Click to expand...


Well masturbation is fun no matter how much you get! Good point though. I read that I should be drinking like, 80oz's of water because of my weight but I struggle at even drinking 64 ounces and my piss is as clear the water I drink.
 
Moderation is about the size of your fist. I eat that much and it doesn't do jack for my hunger but apparently it should and the rest is just my damn imagination according to everyone.
 
Jacklinger said:
Moderation is about the size of your fist. I eat that much and it doesn't do jack for my hunger but apparently it should and the rest is just my damn imagination according to everyone.
Click to expand...

you just need more masturbation!!! :party:

if your feeling hungry even after eating a healthy amount of food, go masturbate instead because it's just as satisfying!

but seriously, id go by calories more then size. I can eat a handful of lettuce for a meal but that definitely wouldn't be enough for my body to use as a source of energy!
 
So first of all the sort of "organic vs. processed" is a false dichotomy. You can get tons of heavily processed organic foods.

The general thing that happens to processed food is that (and this is VEEEERY generally speaking) with each processing the energy content / weight rises, and the amount of salt rises. Also depending on the food in questions various things are added or subtracted that changes the nutritional value.

For instance more heavily processed flour will net you bread with less fiber, this is the result of the flour being more processed. mashed potatoes will net you a much faster release of the energy into the bloodstream from the potatoes due to the structure of the plant changing before you put it into your intestines etc.

But, the easiest rule of thumb to go by, in my opinion, is that heavily processed food is more salty, more energy dense and for someone trying to loose weight "badder".

The while "chemicals in food" debate is.. i think.. too complicated to say either ore... "chemicals" is sort of a weasel word in my opinion since everything can be understood as chemicals, whether it is a rock that has never been touched by human hands or a kinder maxi king. so.. :) but other than nit picking go with kara, she usually hits the nail on the head with a lot less confusing words than me :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top