It’s taken me over 10 years to understand the concept of ingredients over everything. This simple phrase can transform your body and the way you look at food forever.
When I first began my journey into health and fitness I was like most people. I fell for most of the hype food companies threw around.
I used to love “sugar-free”, “fat-free”, and “low calorie” foods just as much as the next person. But there came a time where I started to realize that these words were just that.
Words.
Labels that mislead me into buying products that in actuality were, pardon my french, shit.
It has taken me years to understand what my body needs for a healthy lifestyle. And there’s nothing I want more than to help you understand where I’m coming from.
Unfortunately for most people the ingredients list is something that isn’t of much importance. They jump right to the nutritional facts on the back and decide whether to buy the product from those facts alone.
People don’t think to look at the ingredients first. And that’s exactly what the food industry wants.
Why else would they add the ingredient list to the bottom of the package in tiny ass letters?
My main focus with this article is to hone in on the importance of looking at the ingredient list of every product you buy.
Why is this important?
Well, first of all, this allows you to know exactly what you’re putting into your body.
If you go back to some of my first posts you’ll notice that I write a lot about ingredients that are harmful to the human body.
These ingredients range from vegetable oils, sugars, high fructose corn syrup, and even the type of meat you buy.
It’s important to know the source of your food before you consume it.
In doing so, you have full control of how your body looks and feels. Which is the ultimate F.U. to the type of society we live in today.
It’s sad to say, but we live in a society that produces dumb, unhappy, uncreative, and depressed people.
And I truly believe from the bottom of my heart that we as human beings are meant for so much more.
But the moment we allowed someone else to come in and tell us what to eat without question, that’s where we fucked up. Generations later and we’re in some deep shit.
Let me explain.
Food is our fuel. The type of fuel that literally rebuilds us, and allows us to run at an optimum level and helps us reach greatness.
Yes, you are meant to be great. Amazing.
But unfortunately with the type of foods that has become readily available to us, we can no longer fuel our bodies for greatness.
The types of ingredients that are added into the food like products that you see on the shelves of the supermarket has downgraded to scary proportions.
For example, we no longer use healthy grass-fed fats from animals in our foods. We use hydrogenated oils that increases shelf life but negatively impacts our heart health.
For those of you who don’t know what hydrogenated oils are, they’re trans fats, which are known to increase your chances of obesity, plaque build up in your arteries, and ultimately getting heart disease.
Another example is sugar.
Not that we should be eating a lot of sugar, but food manufacturers have created a cheaper sweetener that has become widespread in a lot of food products.
High fructose corn syrup.
This sweetening agent is one of the main causes for a lot of the health problems we face today. And according to Dr. Mercola, consumption of high fructose corn syrup sets us up for diabetes, metabolic syndrome, damage to our immune system, as well as speeding up the aging process.
The part that amazes me the most is that food companies are now using a marketing method of “throwbacks” to show how they used to make their products. Claiming right on the package that they’re using “REAL SUGAR!”
Like what the hell were you using before?
These are just a few examples of how bad it has gotten. Everything has become about saving money, to the point where the consumers health isn’t even thought about.
I get a lot of questions regarding body re-composition. Whether you want to lose body fat or gain muscle, the first rule of thumb is always to increase the quality of the foods you eat.
This all starts with becoming conscious of the ingredients list and what you put into your mouth.
Next time you go to the grocery store take a look at the ingredients. If there’s over 5 ingredients listed then put that shit back.
It’s time for you to take responsibility of your health and this is where it starts.
Here’s are a few things to look out for:
Hydrogenated oils
Partially hydrogenated oils
Sugars (dextrose, beet sugar, cane sugar, evaporated cane juice, molasses, etc)
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Salt (this is usually white table salt)
Color Dyes
And words you can’t even pronounce
Now I’m not saying to never eat these ingredients. Everything in moderation, but by knowing what you’re looking for, moderation can actually take place.
Remember, don’t let food manufacturers take advantage of your ignorance. Learn the important stuff, like what constitutes a healthy lifestyle, and you’ll be on your way to a healthier and happier you.
Stay Strong,