What Does Unhealthy Food Do To Your Body?

Do you remember the food pyramid from school? It was a great tool to teach young students about eating health and unhealthy food. If you recall, it had grains at the bottom, vegetables, dairy, then meat at the pinnacle. I remember my health teachers’ saying how important it was to eat a “well balanced” meal.

But one thing we didn’t discuss at length was how unhealthy food affect your body. It appears there was a big focus on weight. However, for 36 years, I never had a weight issue. As a result, the consequences from my actions didn’t seem large enough to change my behavior ( craving junk foods).

On the outside I looked great, but on the inside, I was tired, had bad skin, and was constantly bloated, constipated, and uncomfortable in my own body.

From many years of eating unhealthily, I can tell you that consistently eating unhealthily doesn’t create many problems in the short-term. However, in the long-term, it can cause serious chronic diseases to develop.

So, what do unhealthy foods do to your body? Unhealthy food can cause leaky gut syndrome which has been associated with over 20 chronic diseases. Here is a list of the diseases caused by a leaky gut:

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Obesity
Type 2 diabetes
Eczema
Rosacea
Psoriasis
Dermatitis
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
Graves’ disease
Type 1 diabetes
Lupus erythematosus
Multiple sclerosis
Allergies
Osteoarthritis
Bloating
Constipation
Gas
Alzheimer’s Disease
Gallstones

How does eating unhealthy food lead to a leaky gut?

I often think of this because at the end of the day, it’s all just food, right? So how does an unhealthy diet lead to a leaky gut? Well, here’s what we know.

According to the National Library of Medicine, “The American diet is deficient in antioxidants and phytochemicals that are needed for normal immune function, for maximizing brain health, protecting against dementia, chronic illness, cancer, and premature aging.”

Immune function, brain health, dementia, chronic illness, etc. are all symptoms of a leaky gut. So, what is happening inside your body when you eat an unhealthy diet, also coined as the “American Diet”?

Wikipedia states that, The American diet “is a modern dietary pattern that is generally characterized by high intakes of”:

Pre-packaged foods
Refined grains
Red meat
Processed meat
High-sugar drinks
Candy and sweets
Fried foods
Conventionally-raised animal products
Butter and other high-fat dairy products
Eggs
Potatoes
Corn (and high-fructose corn syrup),
Low intakes of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, pasture-raised animal products, fish, nuts, and seeds.

The American Diet's Impact on Health & Gut Health

According to the Washington Post, another effect of just a couple of days of junk food is poor digestion. Because junk food lacks fiber, eating too much of it could lead to constipation. Constipation is known to be a symptom of a leaky gut.

These are just a few examples of how lacking vital nutrients such as antioxidants, phytochemicals, fiber, etc. are some of the causes of leaky gut syndrome. Why? Because these nutrients aid in the restoration of your health.

As a result, I share with my clients that the best way they can make sure that they are consuming what their bodies need to be healthy is to supplement. I recommend that they consume 90 essential nutrients on a daily basis.

You are probably wondering, what are the 90 essential nutrients? The 90 essential nutrients consist of 60 minerals, 16 vitamins, 12 amino acids, 2 essential fatty acids. Without these, it’s just a matter of time before things start to “break” in your body in the form of chronic diseases.

Understanding the Link Between an Unhealthy Diet and Leaky Gut Syndrome

Let me share my own struggle with reversing a leaky gut. I grew up on the American diet, which was mostly fueled by fast food. Fast food was a daily part of my life. Over time, I developed a really bad case of chronic constipation.

After reading how effective fermented foods are for reversing a leaky gut, I decided to try it on. My stomach was bloated, and I hadn’t gone to the bathroom in 2 days ( the usual for me). I decided to go to the local Korean Tofu Soup restaurant. I ordered the beef and seafood soup, which also came with a variety of side dishes. 2 of the side dishes were kimchi based.

Kimchi is an excellent fermented food to help with digestion. Why? According to WebMD, “The bacteria that help ferment kimchi have been connected to improved immune function and lower levels of inflammation triggered by disease.

The vitamin C found in kimchi can also help boost your immune health.” So, I made sure to eat both ( I even asked for 2nds!). Within 30mins, I could feel a massive amount of rumbling in my stomach. I felt the need to go to the bathroom fast.

Afterward, I felt so relieved. Having that bowel movement reduced my bloated tummy and lifted my mood in the process.

Here is a list of some of my favorite fermented foods:

· Sauerkraut

· Kimchi

· Kombucha

· Kefir

· Apple Cider Vinegar

· Sourdough Bread

· Miso

I highly encourage my clients to consume fermented foods on a daily basis, especially if they are suffering from chronic constipation.

What does unhealthy food do to your brain?

How does an unhealthy diet affect your brain? According to the National Library of Medicine, refined carbohydrates may not just lead to being overweight and diabetic but also contribute to dementia, mental illness.

There is a term for this. It’s called the “gut brain axis”. Your gut sends signals to your brain, and vice versa. There is emerging data which shows your gut can influence anxiety, stress reactivity, memory dysfunction, depression, and even autism.

Studies referenced by the National Library of Medicine, confirm that your gut influences brain neurochemistry. So, the balance of good bacteria to bad gut bacteria is extremely important. Remember, the best good bacteria to bad bacteria ratio is 80:20 ( 80% good, 20% bad bacteria).

So how do you balance your gut bacteria? Through food and supplementation. You will need to cut certain foods from your diet, such as fast food, prepackaged, processed foods, etc. Adding prebiotics and probiotics is also extremely important.

To make this process easy, I host a 20-day Gut Cleanse in my Facebook group. I hold your hand throughout the entire process by providing you with detailed instructions, and direct access to me for any questions you may have. I also recommend the prebiotics and probiotics you should use.

If you are interested in learning more, click here: 20-Day Gut Cleanse

What do unhealthy foods do to you during exercise?

Have you ever gotten so stressed that you started craving unhealthy foods such as burgers, fries, cake, cookies, ice cream, etc.? I think we all can relate to a greater or lesser degree. But how do these foods affect the quality of your exercise regimen?

Eating unhealthy foods, aka junk food increases your belly fat. Good luck trying to get six pack abs when hot dogs, burgers , and fries, are a staple in your diet.

Weight gain while eating unhealthy foods like processed meats, salty & sugary snack, etc., will ruin your exercise program. If your goal is to lose weight, then you are being counterproductive.

Junk foods also deplete your energy stores making it more difficult for you to perform at your best. On the flip side, eating junk foods leads to a lack of motivation.

Now you have a lack of motivation, which affects your performance in the gym. If you haven’t made the connection yet, stop eating unhealthy/junk foods, or at the very least, limit it a bit.

The Hidden Dangers of Unhealthy Food: What’s Really Inside?