Ultra-Processed Foods and Intuitive Eating...Can they Co-Exist?

After munching on salty potato chips, your brain is like, “Oh my god, we need another bite of that,” even if your stomach is like, “Oh please don’t do that; we are so full.”

I am a big believer in intuitive eating, but continuing to consume ultra-processed foods isn’t intuitive.

I hear from clients that they can't stop eating once they've had something salty or sweet, but it doesn't seem to occur when they eat baby carrots.

So what is going on with our brains?

I recently read about hyper-palatability, a term coined by Dr. Fazzino, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Kansas.

So, what are hyper-palatable foods?

Combinations of enticing nutrients—like fats, sugars, sodium, and carbohydrates—may trigger the brain’s reward system in a way that makes people want to eat a lot of them. Because they can be less filling than unprocessed foods, one might consume more without thinking in order to feel satisfied.

Why might this be harmful to the body?

Ultra-processed foods can cause inflammation in the body. Inflammation is a natural response to injury or infection that helps the body heal and fight off harmful substances. In other words, it is the process by which the immune system recognizes and removes harmful and foreign stimuli and begins the healing process.

Experts sometimes describe inflammation as a necessary evil. On the one hand, this essential immune system response helps you stay safe and heal from illnesses, though it isn’t always pleasant, often causing symptoms like redness, swelling, and soreness. But when inflammation levels in the body remain high for months or years at a time - even in the absence of a threat - it can create health risks of its own.

Chronic inflammation occurs with a diet of highly processed and sugary foods, while consuming certain healthy foods - fresh fruits, vegetables, fiber and some fats - have been shown to help tamp it down.

Intuitive eating can be very difficult when the brain is hijacked by processed foods. For some clients, stopping after a few bites is doable but for others, the brain is not only hijacked, but certain beliefs and past experiences come into play.

If you find yourself not being able to eat intuitively, please ​reach out to me​ so we can discuss it further.

Watch for my post that will focus on how to handle candy during Halloween in a more intuitive way.

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