Diet Food

A lot of people have heard how bad processed foods are and that they should be avoided. After all this is what most food guide pyramid plans, such as traditional Asian diets, advice. But the problem is, most people dont even know, let alone identify, what processed foods really are. If you cant identify processed foods, then that makes it doubly difficult to cut them off out of your diet.

In its broadest sense, processed foods are those whose chemical composition has been altered in such a way that the resulting product, although it may look and taste alike, bears no resemblance to their natural counterpart.

The reason why processed foods have become so popular in the modern Western society is because they are convenient to use, they have a long shelf life, they are easy to store and they are cheap to manufacture. However, the downside of processed foods is theyre really bad for our health.

For example, trans fats or hydrogenated oil will lodge itself in our cells, acting as a barrier that inhibits communication between cells and disrupts hormonal functions. Trans fat also increases the amount of bad cholesterol in your body and reduces good cholesterol. Needless to say trans fats cause a lot of health problems that include obesity, cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and osteoporosis.

So how can you tell whether a certain food is processed? Well, generally, if it comes in a package with a list of ingredients in the label, chances are the food is processed.

On the other side of the globe, in Asia, where people still consume the traditional Asian diet, these illnesses are almost unknown. If youve ever wondered why Asians are so slim and healthy, well its because of their diet. They have a Healthy Food Guide Pyramid that is hundreds of years old -- a traditional diet handed down from one generation to the next.

In light of the evils of processed foods, it is only sensible that Westerners follow suit and adapt the Asian diet or food guide pyramid. This Weight Loss Meal Plan is plant food based, with rice as the main staple. If you do not have access to Asian fruits and vegetables, you may substitute it with locally available ingredients as long as they are organically grown.

Meat and fish are seldom taken and usually only as a side dish. Most Westerners observing the Asian diet would immediately notice the lack of dairy products in the menu. This is because Asians have long ago determined that dairy products are not really good for the body. Theyre not even a good source of calcium because calcium in cows milk is difficult for our body to absorb.

The best sources of calcium are green leafy vegetables, beans and whole grains. This is evidenced by the fact that in Asia osteoporosis is rare.

Another advantage of the Asian diet is that it contains natural metabolism boosters to help you lose weight, antioxidants that fight cancer and delay aging, and nutrients that curb your hunger and moderate your food cravings.

iAutoblog the premier autoblogger software