10 things that happen when you stop eating processed foods

Simply picking a blueberry is technically “food processing,” says nutritionist and dietitian, Malina Linkas Malkani. “Food processing has been happening for thousands of years, and virtually everything we eat has undergone some form of processing, so it’s impossible to say that processed foods don’t belong in a healthy diet,” she says. “That said, the level of food processing falls on a spectrum from minimally to heavily processed.” Processing is an issue when it alters a food so much that the nutritional content, quality and value of the food changes, Malkani says. Minimally processed foods have recognisable ingredients, while the heavily processed variety typically include hard-to-pronounce names. Malkani suggests people weigh the pros and cons of any food while taking into account convenience, safety and nutrition.

Are all processed foods bad? Read on to find out.

The body has to get used to the lack of sugar, salt and other added ingredients before reaping the benefits of eating fewer processed foods, according to nutritionist and dietitian, Deborah Malkoff-Cohen. Typical symptoms at first might include anxiety, bloating, cravings and headaches, among others. “These are the typical symptoms we can feel when we cut out processed foods mostly from sugar withdrawals,” she says. “How severe and how many of these you are likely to experience will depend on how processed your diet currently is and how sugar-addicted you are.” After a few days, the sugar metabolism normalises again, and those awful symptoms and cravings go away if you don’t give in and start the vicious cycle all over again, Malkoff-Cohen says.

Eating fewer processed food leads to a better mood. The digestive tract generally absorbs heavily processed, refined carbohydrates and sugary foods rapidly post-meal, Malkani says. So it’s common to experience spikes and dips in blood sugar if you don’t also eat fibre or a balance of other nutrients to help slow the rate of absorption, according to Malkani. Skipping out on these other nutrients causes poor energy levels and irritability. There’s also a link between dopamine, serotonin and processed sugar that shows fewer processed foods in your diet could be better for your mood, too, says dietitian Carol Aguirre. “High fructose corn syrup, sugar and artificial ingredients stimulate the release of a mood-boosting neurotransmitter called serotonin,” she says. “This wouldn’t be so bad if your brain’s serotonin stores weren’t in limited supply; constantly depleting serotonin levels can mimic depression symptoms.”

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Heavily processed foods usually have lots of sugar and or high fructose corn syrup. Although the human body does need some sugar for the brain to function properly, these sugars are best found naturally in fruits and vegetables, according to Aguirre. Too much sugar-laden processed foods, on the other hand, can throw your brain off balance and make it harder to concentrate, she says. “Having low blood sugar – common after a sugar crash – can cause anxiety, heart palpitations and fatigue, which can all make it next to impossible to focus and complete tasks,” Aguirre says. “Avoiding large amounts of processed foods can keep your head clear.”

Sodium ingredients are mostly used in processed foods to help keep them fresh, according to HuffPost. Cutting out these high-sodium ingredients has a positive impact on belly bloat. “Most highly processed foods are high in sodium, which can cause water retention,” says dietitian Andy Bellatti. Poor hydration levels and lots of sodium make the body retain water. Your body holds onto any and all water causing bloating, puffiness or swelling, Healthline reports.

Check out how to eat your way to a bloat-free belly.

Cutting down on processed foods could change how strongly you taste certain flavours, according to Harvard Medical School. One study on salt found that people on low-sodium diets ended up eventually preferring the taste of salt-less foods the longer they were on low-sodium diets. After their diet, they taste tested regularly salted foods and found them to be too salty. Some studies show a similar pattern for people on low-fat diets.

Read on for the clear signs you’re eating too much salt.

Processed foods can disrupt your sleep cycle for a few reasons. One is the effect that eating these foods has on blood sugar. Keeping blood sugar steady – by avoiding refined and processed foods – helps you sleep normally, according to Swinburne University of Technology. They also report that the more sugar you eat during the day, the more often you’re going to wake up in the middle of the night.  Heavily processed foods also tend to be higher in fat which – if eating them near bedtime – can contribute to indigestion or heartburn that often disrupts sleep too, Malkani says.

Don’t miss these sleep routine tweaks to transform your health.

The natural fibre in whole grains isn’t in processed foods, Malkani says. The body needs this fibre to have a healthy digestion system. “Fibre helps bulk up stool and keep it travelling through the intestines, preventing constipation,” she says. “It also acts as food for the ‘good’ bacteria that help improve overall digestive health.” So eating more whole foods instead of the processed kind could help your digestive health.

Limiting or cutting out processed foods could cause weight loss, according to Aguirre. These foods tend to carry lots of extra, ‘empty’ kilojoules, she says. “Processed foods lack nutrients and fibre that helps fill you up, which can lead to bingeing later,” Aguirre says. A recent study published in JAMA also found that people who cut out highly processed foods, as well as added sugar and refined grains, lost significant amounts of weight throughout a year. The patients didn’t limit kilojoules or portion sizes, and they focused on eating plenty of vegetables and whole foods, the New York Times reports. Aguirre also suggests choosing whole foods to nourish and fuel your body efficiently.

Recent studies point to a strong link between diet and skin health. In a published review of some of these dermatology studies, researchers found that diets emphasising foods “in their natural state” over highly processed ones have a positive impact on the skin in terms of acne and inflammation.

Read on for the worst foods for skin that dermatologists avoid.