Why you're addicted to processed foods

There’s something the food industry doesn’t want you to know. Most of their products are engineered to be as addictive and un-satisfying as possible.

First of all, let me explain what I mean by “processed foods”. This means anything that has been altered from it’s natural state (if it ever HAD a natural state, that is) to be more appealing, or to increase it’s storage-life. This includes added colors, flavor-enhancers, preservatives, and anything on the ingredients list that you can’t identifiy or pronounce. Basically, if it didn’t grow out of the ground or have a mother, it’s processed to some degree. Even some foods that may appear to be unaltered and wholesome can contain hidden ingredients that you wouldn’t know about unless you read the label with a magnifying glass.

To some extent, this is unavoidable. Most people can’t grow or butcher their own food these days, so we depend on the food industry to provide us with things we can’t get for ourselves. Even seemingly-innocent fruits and vegetables have been harvested prematurely, artificially ripened, and treated with processes that keep them from rotting before they can reach our neighborhood store shelves. I accept this as a necessary evil, especially if I want to keep enjoying my favorite produce out of season.

What I’m talking about here is the stuff that doesn’t ever seem to go bad. It can sit on the shelf for months or years