3 Chemicals In Food Making Us Put On Weight.

We know that if we consume too much energy from food that we will store it as fat. We may also know that consuming the wrong type of energy on a regular basis, such as by eating too much sugar or hydrolysed oils can also make us fat and unhealthy and more prone to disease.What we may not realise is that in this era of packet foods, added chemicals that go into them are also promoting our obesity levels  as well and obesity - and death relating to obesity -  is rising at unprecedented rates.ObesogensObesogens are foreign chemical compounds that disrupt normal development and balance of lipid metabolism, which in some cases, can lead to obesity. Even if somebody is eating a diet designed to help them lose weight, if their food is filled with these chemicals then the body is going to attempt to hang on to any fat that it can. Some of these Obesogens can actually increase the number of fat cells within the body, some can increase the size of the fat cells that we already have and others can actually increase the appetite.Obesogens are also known to increase cravings, increase anxiety and mood swings and even increase the chance of depression.So even if we feel like we're doing a good thing for our health and our weight, ingesting these chemical compounds may be doing the complete opposite.Where are they found? These obesogens are found in many foods today. These three are the most common.#1: Artificial SweetenersArtificial sweeteners such as sucralose, aspartame, acesulfame potassium and saccharin should all be avoided. This means saying no to diet fizzy-drinks and nearly every single 'sugar-free' sweet you'll find in the supermarket. They are NOT healthy and that fact they can give you diarrhoea within an hour of eating a handful is a telling sign.Artificial sweeteners are found in so many foods today including savoury foods like tomato sauce and stiy-fry sauces. Companies who want to 'health-wash' their food will use marketing on the label 'sugar-free' and yet they can be filled with chemicals and there is no legislation against this.Many people will eat foods labelled 'sugar-free' thinking that they are making a better choice and one that supports their weight loss, yet eating foods packed with artificial sweeteners can cause a severely unbalanced gut microbiome, leading to digestive and metabolic issues and causing weight gain. Aspartame has also been linked with depression, anxiety and mood swings.Choose instead: Date paste, raw honey or pure maple syrup and limit your overall sugar intake#2: Hormones & Antibiotics In 'modern' faming systems, steroids, growth hormones, antibiotics and other drugs are given to the animals whose meat we eventually eat. This happens so the animals grow faster and get fatter even while not eating their natural diet. Being fed grains and corn instead of grass.Anybody who is not conscious of eating free-range or biodynamic meat is without a doubt ingesting some components of these hormones, drugs, antibiotics and steroids. They are poorly regulated in the USA and in Australian imports.Choose instead: Choose organic, grass-fed meats or biodynamic meats. Choose organic or biodynamic dairy products and go for local dairy products where possible.  Reduce meat intake to a maximum 3-4 meals per week.#3: Artificial (& Natural) FlavoursProcessed, packaged and fast foods are packed with chemicals to make the food taste good be more addictive. The key culprit being monosodium glutamate (MSG). The artificial flavours and natural flavours are amplifying the taste, making you crave more and eat more than you would in a sitting. You know how 'once you pop you can't stop'? That's because you can't stop.These foods are addictive and terrible for your weight stability.Companies are able to get away with placing the terms 'natural flavours' onto packaging, making the food seem more healthy than it is or more close to its natural state than it is even though the natural flavour isn't natural to that particular food. Many of these natural flavours are bi-products of chemicals, known as exitotoxins. It's these exitotoxins that helps make your packaged and processed foods so hard to put down and so addictive.Look for ingredients like hydrolysed protein, glutamic acid, glutamate, monosodium glutamate and autolysed years extract.Choose instead: Eat real food. Un-adulterated. Cut and cook your food from scratch and don't eat food with colourings and flavourings. Eat a whole, real food diet. Just eat real food! (#JERF)