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Is Your Kitchen Filled with Packaged Food? Time to Reconsider Your Choices.

A healthy lifestyle promotion

By AcePublished 10 months ago 5 min read
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Best medicine is healthy eating.

Introduction

Now, let's talk about that protein bar packet. Can it truly replace this plate of homemade food that you've been led to believe? Protein bars claim to have micronutrients, natural sweeteners, healthy fats, and high fibre, but they are not as healthy as they are made out to be. Anything that is packed, processed, and preserved cannot be healthy.

The Myth of Packaged Food

Let's look at the healthiest people in the world—those who live in the Blue Zones. These are five regions around the world where people live the longest, with average lifespans surpassing 100 years. The Blue Zones include Okinawa in Japan, Ikaria in Greece, the Ogliastra region in Sardinia, Loma Linda in California, and the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica. What do you think they eat? Yogurt cups, packaged oatmeals, or ready-to-make breakfast smoothies? No, they eat home-cooked food sourced locally. They stick to time-honoured recipes passed down from their ancestors.

Indian Traditional Foods: A Healthy Choice

In India, our traditional foods include dal chawal, idli sambar, roti sabzi, or fish and rice. These dishes are made from locally sourced ingredients and are tailored to complement the local weather conditions. Our traditional food is our health food. There's no need to rely on packaged foods for healthy fats when we have coconut oil and ghee that already provide them. We don't need multi-grain cereals when our homemade rotis are packed with fibre. Our traditional food also possesses medicinal qualities. Spices like turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, and cumin, commonly used in Indian cooking, have various health benefits.

Questionable Ingredients, Hygiene, and Packaging

Now, let's address the packaged and processed food items in our kitchens. They raise three main concerns: the questionable ingredients, hygiene, and harmful packaging. Most packaged foods contain preservatives, excess salt, and artificial colors, all of which are detrimental to our health. Preservatives can kill beneficial bacteria, trigger breathing problems, cause hyperactivity, weaken heart tissues, and even lead to cancer. Preservatives are found in cereals, biscuits, crackers, breads, ready-to-eat meals, cheese, yogurt, deli meat, sauces, soups, and nearly everything that is packaged.

Think about the shelf life of a homemade batch of cookies, which is around two to three weeks at most when kept outside the fridge. How is it that biscuit packets stay intact for months or even years? It's because they are loaded with chemicals that extend their shelf life but reduce yours. The same applies to heat-and-eat meals, which many people have turned to due to busy lives. These microwave meals have replaced traditional homemade meals for some individuals. However, the frozen food market in India alone is worth 1.2 billion dollars, and many of these ready-to-heat packets can be kept at room temperature for months. Imagine leaving a homemade dal or curry outside the fridge for that long. The amount of preservatives in these packaged meals is concerning.

Salt, another common ingredient in packaged foods, acts as a preservative and flavour enhancer. However, consuming excessive sodium increases the risk of high blood pressure, stomach cancer, heart diseases, and premature death. Deli meats, cheese, and bread have often replaced traditional breakfast options for many, but is this habit sustainable? Should we continue consuming packaged food despite knowing its drawbacks? Is it worth risking our health?

The Dangers of Preservatives

The solution lies in reducing the intake of packaged and processed foods. It may not be feasible to eliminate them entirely from our kitchens, but we can certainly limit their consumption. It's time to reconsider the food we have taken for granted.

Let's talk about some specific examples of common packaged foods and their hidden risks. Take those colorful cereals that many people consume every morning. The vibrant colors are often derived from food dyes, which contain acrylamide—a chemical known to cause cancer. Packaged bread, cakes, and biscuits also contain food dyes and artificial creams that may have adverse effects on our health.

Hidden Risks of Packaged Foods

Microwave popcorn, a popular snack for many, poses its own risks. The popcorn bags are lined with per fluorinated compounds (PFCs) that prevent oil from seeping through. However, when these compounds are heated, they break down into chemicals that may contribute to cancer.

We are often kept in the dark about these aspects of packaged food. We assume they are safe because they save time, taste good, and come to our rescue. But it's time to reassess our choices. A samosa, for instance, may be a better snack (followed by a workout, of course) than mindlessly munching on microwave popcorn without knowing what we're putting into our bodies.

We know very little about the actual ingredients used in packaged food. Furthermore, the hygiene standards and conditions under which these food items are made and processed are often questionable. Recent incidents, such as the discovery of salmonella in a major chocolate factory, highlight the potential risks even in renowned food production facilities.

Re-evaluating Our Food Choices

In conclusion, it's time to rethink the food in our kitchens. While it may not be practical to completely eliminate packaged and processed foods, we can make a conscious effort to reduce their consumption. Let's take inspiration from the people in the Blue Zones who prioritize homemade, locally sourced food. Our traditional recipes, made from fresh ingredients, offer a wealth of health benefits and medicinal properties that are hard to replicate in packaged foods.

Remember, taking care of our bodies and prioritizing our health should be our ultimate goal. So, let's maximize the intake of homemade food and make informed choices about the packaged foods we consume.

Conclusion

In a world where convenience often takes precedence over nutrition, it's important to pause and reconsider the choices we make regarding our food. Packaged and processed foods may seem convenient and tempting, but they often come with hidden risks. The ingredients, hygiene standards, and packaging of these products may not align with our health goals.

By embracing traditional, homemade food and reducing our reliance on packaged alternatives, we can take a significant step towards a healthier lifestyle. Let's prioritize fresh, locally sourced ingredients and the time-honoured.

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About the Creator

Ace

I want to live in a moment but it is not easy and also like to educate masses about the experience and things that i know so that they should not make the mistake that i have made.I believe in learning from others mistakes as well.

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