How Removing 3 Common Foods Transformed Health
How Removing 3 Common Foods Transformed Health
Many of us are born free of illness. Our bodies are designed to thrive—to move with ease and function optimally. But somewhere between birth and adulthood, something shifts. Instead of maintaining vitality, we become weighed down—by fatigue, illness, and cycles of poor health. What should be a state of balance turns into dysfunction.
This decline didn’t happen overnight. There was a time when food was simple. In the 1960s, meals were built around whole ingredients: fresh produce, home-cooked dishes, and minimal processing. Families gathered for dinner. Obesity, type 2 diabetes, and chronic illness were rare.
Then, convenience took over.
Processed ingredients replaced real nutrition. Fast food became a lifestyle. By the 2000s, ultra-processed foods dominated the modern diet—and chronic disease rates skyrocketed.
But it wasn’t just food that changed. Movement changed too.
There was a time when walking was part of everyday life—commuting, shopping, social visits. Now, walking has been replaced by scrolling. We no longer stroll through neighborhoods; we scroll through feeds. We no longer stand in kitchens preparing meals; we sit, clicking through content. Movement, once woven into survival, has become optional—sometimes even inconvenient.
Fasting changed, too.
Historically, fasting was a normal part of life. People fasted due to seasonal limitations, religious traditions, and natural rhythms. The body was designed to handle these pauses—to use stored energy, repair itself, and reset.
Today, we fast from screens, social media, alcohol, or negativity—but rarely from food. We’re told skipping meals is dangerous. We’re taught to eat every few hours to “keep metabolism high.” Hunger is feared instead of understood. Rather than giving our bodies time to recover, we snack constantly, often out of habit rather than need.
We fast from the wrong things, while indulging in what may be hurting us the most.
And still, the hunger remains—not just physical, but emotional and psychological. We eat more but feel less satisfied. We consume more information but feel less connected. We move less but feel more exhausted.
Maybe the body is trying to send a message.
This isn’t about blame. The way we eat is shaped by what we’ve been taught, what we’ve inherited, and what has been marketed to us as normal. But once we see clearly, we can make better choices.
Here’s how removing just three common foods changed everything for countless people.
1. Artificial Food Dyes: The Silent Disruptor
Artificial dyes are used to make processed foods look more appealing. These petroleum-based chemicals are found in cereals, yogurts, drinks, candies, and even medications. They serve no nutritional purpose.
Concerns about food dyes date back to the 1960s. Red 3 was linked to thyroid tumors in animal studies. Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 have been associated with allergic reactions and behavioral issues. While some countries banned or restricted them, others—like the U.S.—continued wide use.
Because the effects aren’t immediate, many people overlook them. But studies link food dyes to hyperactivity, mood instability, and inflammation. For many, removing artificial colors has led to noticeable improvements in focus, emotional regulation, and overall well-being.
2. Processed Sugar: The Hidden Addiction
The Sugar Study That Changed Everything
In 2015, researchers at UCSF conducted a study on 43 children with metabolic issues. They removed added sugar from their diets for just 10 days—without reducing calories or changing macronutrients.
The results were dramatic:
Liver fat dropped by 20%
Triglycerides fell by 33%
Insulin resistance and blood pressure both improved significantly
And all of this happened without calorie restriction, exercise, or supplements. It showed that sugar doesn’t just add calories—it disrupts the body’s internal systems.
The Rise of Sugar in the Modern Diet
In the early 1900s, sugar was rare. By the 1960s, it was common. By the 1980s, it was everywhere—especially in the form of high-fructose corn syrup. Sugar hid in everything from bread to salad dressing to “health” foods.
Most people don’t realize how much sugar they consume because it appears under names like dextrose, maltodextrin, cane syrup, or fruit juice concentrate. These hidden sugars create a vicious cycle of spikes, crashes, and cravings.
When processed sugar is removed, people often report more stable energy, fewer cravings, and improved mood.
3. Unhealthy Fats: The Hidden Saboteurs
The Rise of Fried Chicken and Fast-Food Burgers
Before the 1950s, fried foods were occasional treats—made at home with butter or lard. That changed with the rise of fast food.
In 1952, KFC made fried chicken a commercial hit, but it wasn’t just the food—it was the oil. Cheap industrial seed oils like soybean and canola became standard. These oils, now linked to inflammation and heart disease, replaced traditional fats.
Meanwhile, McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s industrialized the hamburger. What was once a fresh, homemade meal became mass-produced, full of preservatives and additives. Even the buns were altered—now packed with sugar and chemicals to extend shelf life.
By the 1980s, fried chicken and burgers were everyday foods. But they weren’t the same. The combination of refined sugars, bad fats, and preservatives turned once-nourishing meals into daily health risks.
The Power of Saying “No”
Health didn't decline overnight. It changed one bite at a time—through sugar, artificial dyes, bad oils, and ultra-processed convenience.
But the body remembers what real nourishment feels like.
Removing just three harmful ingredients—food dyes, processed sugar, and industrial oils—can lead to real, measurable change.
We often ask what we need to start doing.
But maybe the better question is:
What do we need to stop?
Feeling better starts with a single choice.
