If you work very long hours then you may be tempted to eat a ton of processed foods. After all, they are really convenient and they are also very easy to heat up. You don’t have to spend hours on end making a meal, and you also don’t have to worry about using any pots or pans either. If you eat too many processed meals however then this can have a huge impact on your health. You may find that you get tired easily and that you are constantly thirsty. If you want to find out more about that then you can take a look below.
Packaged foods tend to be absolutely loaded with sodium. This is designed to improve taste and it is also designed to boost the shelf-life as well. All of that salt can make you thirsty and this is because it pulls water away from where your body needs it. Keep in mind that if you are really active or if it is very hot outside, you will have to drink even more. If you are not careful you may even end up being dehydrated, and this is the last thing that you need when you work all day or if you have a very active job. The only way for you to eliminate this would be for you to lower the amount of processed foods you eat, so this is very important for you to keep in mind.
All of that excess salt will lead to a ton of water retention. You may feel bloated and you may even experience swelling. This can pool in your hands, your ankles and your feet. Sodium removes water from cells as mentioned above, and when this happens it collects in other areas. If you want to try and combat this then you need to try and replace your electrolytes and your potassium. This can be found in foods such as sweet potatoes, plain yoghurt and even bananas. Potassium and sodium work in a balance with one another so if you feel as though you have had way too much salt then you can easily use foods like this to try and combat the negative effects. You may see benefits in as little as three days, and you will feel much lighter and less swollen as well!
Dehydration can be a really common cause of headaches. Foods that are aged, fermented or even canned can also contain preservatives and additives. This can include tyramine, which is an amino acid. Some people have a sensitivity to this, and it can cause chronic headaches. If you are not sure if you are having too much sodium or not, then look out for the mg of salt on the box or packet. Anything over 5g should be a red flag and needs to be avoided.
If you get regular heartburn then this can cause major issues for you. You may find it difficult to try and control your stomach acid and this can also come with its own health implications. If you are struggling with heartburn then there are products that you can look into, such as Zantac. Of course, another way for you to try and combat this would be for you to avoid processed foods. Processed foods tend to cause way more heartburn when compared to standard, home-prepared foods. This is also a sign that your body cannot cope with the food you are eating as well, so it is worth taking this into consideration.
If your diet mainstays include cookies and even burgers then there is a high chance that you are eating way too many calories. A lot of processed foods don’t come with the nutrients that make your stomach feel full. It also doesn’t come with lean protein, fibre or even healthy fat. For this reason, if you eat a cupcake because you are hungry then there is a high chance that you are going to feel hungry again much faster than if you ate a yoghurt with some berries. If you don’t focus on things like this then you will be sabotaging your own weight loss goals and you will also find it much harder to keep the weight off as well, so this is one major point that you really do need to keep in consideration. Of course, if you need some help losing weight then your doctor or practitioner may be able to help.
