It's almost impossible to find anyone who will dispute the benefits of a diet that consists mostly of unprocessed foods. Simply put, unprocessed foods are food items that remain in their natural state. Fresh meats and fish, fresh vegetables and herbs, and raw nuts and fruit all fall into this category. Processed foods, on the other hand, are food items that have been either manufactured or "altered" by man. This category is somewhat unavoidable and can include things like cheeses, breads, canned foods, cereals, and so on.

But there's a third category, one that's highly important to discuss because of its potentially insidious effects on our health. This category is something we'll refer to as overly-processed foods. These are items like boxed dinner mixes, cheese in a spray can, soda, frozen dinners, and anything else that's been cooked and cooked, and then shoved into a can or box.

"But they're convenient," you say. "My kids love them." If that's the case, then let's examine what giving in to a child's whim or the idea of convenience may be doing to us as human beings.

The Food

For starters, processed foods are built to sit on shelves and stay fresh. This doesn't happen on its own because food in its natural state is prone to rot. This lengthening of shelf-life is accomplished in one of two ways. One way is through the use of preservatives. Preservatives are nothing more than various combinations of man-made chemicals and/or natural ingredients, placed in foods to slow down the process of spoiling.

The second way to preserve foods is through processes like refining, hydrogenating, and homogenizing them. These processes are all different, but the common denominators are that the food is either stripped of certain valuable nutrients or altered on a cellular level. The latter usually involves exposing food to intense levels of heat, thus eliminating certain bacteria, or subjecting the food's fat particles to what's known as artificial saturation, which also slows down spoilage.

Another problem with food sitting on a shelf or in a freezer is the loss of flavor. This is where MSG, sugar, and sodium come into play. MSG has gotten such a bad wrap that you don't see it as much as you did in the past. But, do yourself a favor and check out the sugar and sodium levels on packaged foods. It's scary.

There's a lot of mixed research on the subject of overly-processed food, but one thing is for sure. No one can predict the long-term effects of eating it. We know what saturated fats and trans-fatty acids do to our cholesterol levels. Other ailments that have already been linked to processed food range from migraine headaches and hyper-activity to high blood-pressure and obesity. The bottom line is, how much is too much?

The Facts

One would think that we would simply reject this stuff outright. Some of us do, but the sad fact is that our country runs on overly-processed food – and in more ways than one.

Let's first understand that our nation's economy utilizes the principle of supply and demand. Business within our economy wouldn't exist, otherwise. So it's not just the case that "someone" is buying this stuff. It's more like a lot of us are buying it.

As the years have passed, two indisputable things have taken place within our economy. One, it has gotten more expensive to live as the price of everything has gone up disproportionately compared to costs from the past. This fact, along with the idea that we have more dual-income households to compensate for the increase, leads to the following realization: our bodies are making serious sacrifices for the sake of both time and money.

An even harsher reality is that our country's obesity rate, along with its associated diseases, has grown at an amazing pace just like prices have. If you're skeptical, go to the website for the Centers for Disease Control and access the national data they've assembled. Morbid obesity, childhood obesity, hospital stays, and calorie intake have all increased significantly, and the list goes on. We are eating ourselves to death, and what's worse – we are paying good money to do it.

Processed foods on the surface may seem like a good deal, but meals prepared from whole foods can be even less expensive. Ever made a pot of lentil soup? You can feed an army for pennies. How about a vegetable stir fry? That's also cheap and quick! These inexpensive options are endless; but the point is we've gotten overly busy in our professional lives, and our personal lives are suffering. Maybe it's time for a change.

The Fix

We live in a post-industrial society, complete with financial pressures as well as a whole mess of others. So what are we going to do to temper these pressures, yet eat a little healthier? One step is to reevaluate our priorities.

The next time you are around your loved ones, take a good look at them. Ask yourself, what do they deserve? Do they deserve a healthy spouse or a healthy parent? Do they deserve to have a healthy life themselves? Then, think about what a poor diet will do to them (and you) over the course of time.

Don't buy into the notion you're too busy to cook. You're never too busy. Don't buy into the notion that you're saving money with pre-made foods. You're not. And, don't think you're doing your kids any favors by handing them food they want but you know is bad for them.

The next thing on the list is don't throw the baby out with the bath water. There are, believe it or not, processed foods that are known to be good products. Canned organic tomatoes, artisan cheeses, whole grain breads, and cereals are just a few of them. Do a little research, read a few labels, and increase your understanding of what types of processing a product went through. One important thing to keep in mind is if the product sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Remember, it's really hard to avoid processed foods completely. Overly-processed food, however, you can smell (literally and figuratively) from a mile away. It's what you should really avoid. How? Here are a few tips to get you started.

Discard ALL soda (this includes diet), and replace it with spring water and natural or freshly squeezed juices.

This one step will save you a ton when it comes to empty calories, sugars, and cell-threatening chemicals. Besides, over-consumption of carbonated beverages is rough on the esophagus and the stomach. Invest in a juicer, and have some fun coming up with healthy and tasty combinations.

Relegate sweets and processed desserts to weekends and special occasions. On a daily basis, replace them with fruit and natural yogurt with low sugar content.

Fruit has essential vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber. Sugary desserts, on the other hand, have nothing but empty calories.

Set weekly goals for dinners and lunches made at home.

If you are a major offender when it comes to eating overly-processed food or eating out, this is a great way to turn it around. Start with a realistic goal, and see if you can better it every week.

Set daily goals for FRESH vegetable consumption.

The government recommends five servings a day. See how close you can get.

Take a trip to your local health foods or organic foods store and stock up on healthy snacks.

You'd be surprised at some of the options now available in the snack department. Having this stuff on hand will keep you from making really bad choices.

Go with organics

When possible, choose organically raised meats, vegetables, and fruit. Certified organic means no chemicals have been used in their processing or packaging.

In the coming months, YOU Magazine will be providing Your Kitchen articles with recipes and tips on how you can prepare delicious food that's also good for you.