Ultra-Processed Foods - Convenient and Unhealthy

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Hey Brothers, 

Welcome back to the LenDentonThrive Letter.

I write this newsletter to help busy 50+ Guys create lasting health and fitness transformations without crazy diets or grueling workouts. It's the smarter, not harder way to lose weight, get fit, and stay fit for life.

The Morning Ambush You Never See Coming

That innocent bowl of healthy cereal? That convenient granola bar? Your required daily Grande frappuccino. They're silently sabotaging your health and fitness. Every day, more 50+ Guys wonder why they can't lose weight despite trying to eat healthy. The answer lies in understanding what ultra-processed foods are doing inside your body.

Ultra-processed foods are manufactured foods such as pizzas, chips, soft drinks, and similar items that we typically buy at the grocery store or our favorite fast food place. These are packaged foods that usually have a box and a brand associated with them.

Think: Coca-Cola, Pop Tarts, Swanson frozen dinners, Oreos, and similar foods. They are cheap, convenient, tasty, and unhealthy! These are familiar brands that most of us grew up eating.

And today, they make up over 57% of the American diet, up from 53.5% just two decades ago. For men over 50, the numbers are particularly troubling, with studies showing males consuming about 53% of their daily calories from these industrial creations.

The Metabolic Storm They Create

When you eat ultra-processed food, you trigger a dangerous cascade:

• Your blood sugar spikes rapidly.

• Your pancreas floods your system with insulin to manage the glucose surge.

• This insulin shuttles nutrients away from being burned and toward being stored as fat.

• Your energy crashes, triggering hunger again – often within hours.

• You reach for another quick fix, and the cycle continues.

The Long-Term Damage

Research has linked ultra-processed foods to more than 30 health conditions. Men consuming the highest amounts face a 39% higher risk of developing high blood pressure and a significantly increased risk of heart disease.

The problem isn't just calories – it's what these foods do to your metabolic system. The highly refined carbohydrates alter your insulin response, making fat loss nearly impossible. Many of these foods contain additives that trigger inflammation and digestive issues.

The high-intensity flavoring agents override your natural satiety signals, causing you to eat more without feeling full.

A Smarter, Not Harder Solution

The key to sustainable weight loss isn’t to just eat less. The key is to Eat Smarter. 

Here are five quick tips to help you transform your nutrition without having to rely on crazy diets or starvation:

1 - Eliminate sugar from your diet. Excessive sugar consumption is likely overdriving your insulin production. Replace sugar with a healthy artificial sweetener. My sweetener of choice is sucralose (Splenda). 

2 - Increase the amount of protein you eat. Protein will help reduce hunger and can help prevent energy crashes caused by too much sugar.

3 - Choose farm foods over factory foods. This means to dump packaged convenience foods and replace them with healthy lean meats, poultry, and fish, along with fresh vegetables.

4 - Eliminate these five foods from your diet ASAP: 

1. White flour

2. White rice

3. White potatoes

4. Corn

5. High-fructose corn syrup. 

These foods have a high glycemic index, meaning our bodies quickly convert them to sugars that drive fat storage and weight gain.

5 - Read food labels carefully – look at the ingredients. If you can't pronounce it, your body probably can't process it properly.

Doing these five things will break the cycle of insulin resistance being driven by the consumption of ultra-processed foods. 

Food For Thought

Sustainable fitness isn't about willpower – it's about working with your metabolism, not against it. It’s about putting food to work for you, instead of working against you.

Start Eating Smarter today, and watch your body transform.

Remember…smarter, not harder!

When you’re ready for a real and sustainable fitness transformation, here are three ways I can help you:

#1 - Sign up for this newsletter. Every week, you’ll receive tested, actionable tips and strategies to help you build your own customized version of the ThriveLife that fits your needs, preferences, and personal style. And, it’s free!

#2 - For a Do-It-Yourself approach to the ThriveLife, download your free copy of my new ebook: 6 Smart Moves To Your ThriveLife. Just click the button below.

#3 - When you’re ready to join a community of other busy 50+ Guys building their ThriveLives together, check out my new ThriveLife Transformation course. The ThriveLife Transformation guides you through a 30-day transformation process which includes online video training and daily support and assistance through our online community. Join alone or bring your friends. To learn more about the ThriveLife Transformation, click the button below.

Do You Know Somebody?

Do you know a 50+ Guy who’s struggling with their weight and fitness?

Please consider sharing this information with them. Just forward your copy of this email to them. Or, give them a free copy of my 6 Smart Moves ebook!

It might change their life!

(And remember, this works for Under-50 Guys, too!)

Thanks for reading this week.

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