Processed foods have limited nutritional value and essentially only pad your waistline.

We are currently flooded and overwhelmed with processed foods. They assault our eating option around every corner. There are very limited means to avoid them but if you want to lose weight, you must avoid them. You may never be able to completely eat a completely clean diet devoid fo these delicious morsels, but you can reduce your consumption. A

A clean diet is one that las more whole foods and less processed foods. Cleansing your diet starts with you think about your food, learn more about where it comes from, and consider how healthy it is for you. Being more mindful of the foods you are eating is a good thing and can help you lose weight and keep it off.

Processed foods are full of empty calories. The means by which they are processed removed many of the nutrients and compounds that promote satiety so we end up eating more of the foods to induce fullness. Promoting satiety will reduce your caloric consumption which will lead to us eating fewer calories.

Whole foods are the way to go. Whole grain products, lean meats, fruits, and vegetables can promote fullness. The more they are processed, the more nutrients and fiber ate removed. Although highly processed crackers and cookies taste good, they will take a larger intake of calories to induce the same level fo satiety as their less-processed counterparts.

There remains a large debate over which diet is “best” for weight loss and maintenance, but one thing nearly everyone agrees on is to decrease the intake of processed foods.  For many of us, the easiest way to eat clean is to cook at home, but unprocessed foods are becoming more popular in restaurants. The key is choosing meals that have less fat, sugar, and low fiber carbohydrates. Although I love pasta and rice, many of them are overly processed.

The bottom line: Cut your processed food intake and lose weight. We all have a special fondness for Oreos but they have no place in a weight loss diet. Once you get into a rhythm of eating healthy less processed foods weight loss will come without effort.