Junk Food Feels Good Now — But Here's What Processed & Refined Foods Are Really Doing to Your Body (And What TCM Can Do About It)

What Is Junk Food?

Let’s be honest — most of us enjoy chips, soda, sweet bread, or fast food now and then. But when those things become part of your everyday diet, your body can start to feel the damage.

Junk food includes processed and refined foods. These are foods made in factories, usually packaged in bags, boxes, or cans.

But what do those words really mean?

• Processed foods are anything that’s been altered from its original state — often for taste, convenience, or shelf life.

• Refined foods have had nutrients stripped away during production. Think of white bread vs. whole grain bread. White bread has been refined to look and taste a certain way, but it’s lost much of its natural fiber and nutrients.

They're often high in:

• Added sugar

• Too much salt

• Bad fats (like trans fats)

• Artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives

Some popular examples:

• Chips like Hot Cheetos and Takis

• White bread or store-bought flour tortillas

• Soda, energy drinks, sweet teas

• Instant noodles, frozen burritos, or fast-food burgers

They might taste good, but your body sees them as fake fuel.

What Happens Inside Your Body?

Junk food doesn’t just affect your weight — it changes how your whole body works.

1. Blood Sugar Spikes

Sugary and starchy foods make your blood sugar rise fast, then crash. That leaves you feeling tired, moody, or hungry again soon. Over time, it can lead to serious conditions like type 2 diabetes.

2. Brain Fog and Low Energy

Junk food doesn’t give your brain the nutrients it needs. You might feel sleepy during the day, have trouble focusing, or feel down without knowing why.

3. Weak Digestion

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), your digestion is like a fire that cooks your food and gives you energy. Junk food puts out that fire. That can lead to bloating, gas, constipation, or stomach pain.

4. Lower Immunity

Processed foods can cause inflammation, making your body feel heavy, tired, or sick more often. It can also lead to acne, allergies, and even long-term health problems.

What Traditional Chinese Medicine Says About Food

In TCM, and in many traditional cultures, food isn’t just something to fill your stomach — it’s a way to care for your body and soul.

TCM teaches that processed foods can cause:

• “Dampness” – a heavy, tired feeling in the body

• “Heat” – leading to things like acne, irritability, and stomach issues

• “Phlegm” – not just mucus, but energy that gets stuck and slows you down

TCM focuses on warm, cooked, simple foods — seasonal, fresh, & natural. Things that were grown, not made in a lab.

How To Start Feeling Better — Step by Step

You don’t have to give up all your favorite foods. Just start making small changes. Your body will thank you.

Choose More Real Food

Try cutting back on:

• Chips, cookies, candy

• Soda and energy drinks

• Fast food and instant meals

Add more:

• Fresh fruits and vegetables

• Whole grains like quinoa, amaranth, or corn tortillas

• Beans, lentils, eggs, and fish

• Healthy fats like avocados, nuts & seeds

• Water, herbal teas, or low-sugar drinks

-Homemade soups, stews, and simple meals are easier on your digestion.

Try Traditional Healing Tools

TCM has some gentle but powerful ways to support your health:

• Ginger tea to help digestion

• Acupuncture to balance cravings, stress, or stomach problems

• Herbal medicine to support energy and gut health

These methods work with your body — not against it.

Support Your Body with TCM Habits

It’s not just about food — it’s also about how you live. In TCM, your energy comes from daily habits too.

✅ Eat at regular times — no skipping meals

✅ Avoid eating late at night — it weakens digestion

✅ Chew slowly — it helps your body break down food

✅ Rest, but move — don’t stay sitting all day

Healthy Mexican Foods That Support Qi:

• Frijoles de la olla (not refried) – builds energy and nourishes digestion

• Sopa de verduras (vegetable soup) – warms the body and is easy to digest

• Nopales – great for clearing heat and removing dampness

• Calabacitas (zucchini) – supports digestion and cools internal heat

• Atole with minimal sugar – warming and comforting, especially when made with cinnamon

• Homemade corn tortillas – better than flour, supports digestion without heavy oils

• Chia - supports heart & brain health and reduces inflammation

Drink more:

• Warm water or herbal teas like cinnamon, mint, or chamomile

• Natural agua fresca (like cucumber or lime) with little or no sugar

Remember:

“La comida puede ser tu medicina, o tu veneno.”(Food can be your medicine or your poison.)

Start small. One healthy meal. One better snack. One less soda. Your body — and your future — will thank you.