Processed-Free America

06/02/2026

The curse of processed food...
Not enough: fiber, omega-3 fatty acids (wild fish), micronutrients.
Too much: trans-fats, branched chain amino acids, omega-6 fatty acids, alcohol, sugar.

05/31/2026

What Happens to Your Liver When You Eat High-Sugar Foods Every Day?

Eating too much added sugar may increase liver fat and raise the risk of fatty liver disease. Talk to your healthcare provider about appropriate diet changes.

05/30/2026

Dee's Sugar-Free Blackberry Lemonade

Ice-cold lemonade is a thirst quencher for those hot summer days. This variation makes it even more enticing with the heart-protective power of blackberry juice. Compounds in blackberry
juice called anthocyanins increase the juice’s antioxidant activity and protect your cardiovascular system from the damage caused by free radicals. Sweet!

Makes 4 (16-ounce) servings
Ingredients:
2 quarts (8 cups) water
8 lemons
¾ cup blackberries
1 teaspoon liquid stevia extract, or more to taste

Method:
Fill a 2-quart pitcher with the water. Squeeze the juice from the lemons into the water. Add the stevia.
Set aside 8 blackberries for garnish. Mash or purée the remaining blackberries, add them to the pitcher and stir to mix thoroughly. Serve over ice. Garnish each glass with a couple fresh blackberries. Enjoy!

05/28/2026

In California, the war on ultraprocessed foods moves to the supermarket

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/24/in-california-the-war-on-ultraprocessed-foods-moves-to-the-supermarket-00843320?fbclid=IwY2xjawSFrdxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeBsCRYfYYlZZFzXnXpq5mcV_QuAaBx6jA2diswuWiT777BENtUDLnnTJK0Sg_aem_jMNNKvrSq2xSkpMslTN5uQ

05/26/2026

Large Review Shows What Sugary Diets May Be Doing to Your Memory

https://www.sciencealert.com/large-review-shows-what-sugary-diets-may-be-doing-to-your-memory?fbclid=IwY2xjawSDAVdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeHjqHHq78CKETzUo6FRNSPsqwiAowjDawpdyVYVnj5S8MOpkZhz3vcVWK5ls_aem_wJW8YULZpc4_JmsMSG_ETg

Our love of sugar once helped our foraging ancestors get more bang for their buck from rare, high-energy foods.

05/25/2026

Dee's Gelatin Fruit Salad

https://processedfreeamerica.org/gelatin-fruit-salad/

05/23/2026

Don't forget your water!
To prevent dehydration all living land animals and humans have a physiological warning system that keeps us updated on the body's need for water. Thirst! Without water, humans can only survive for a few days. Our bodies are made of about 75% water and is essential in cellular function and vitality. Often people prefer to pick up a sugary or energy rich drink to satisfy a craving. These drinks contain water, but may prohibit us from getting enough pure water to cleanse, hydrate, and provide cellular homeostasis for the body. If the body does not get enough water, the brain tells the kidneys to not produce as much water excretion but still allow the waste to eliminate. This causes excessive wear and tear on the kidneys.
Drinking clean, pure, filtered water hydrates the whole body and also acts as a magnet, picking up any unwanted and unusable minerals deposited in the body. We should be drinking anywhere from 8 glasses of water to 1 gallon of water a day to keep the kidneys flushing, the blood and lymph systems moving, and our cells processing with ease. Don't forget your water! It can heal and save your life!

05/22/2026

Dee's Sunday GF Buckwheat Pancakes

makes 12 medium pancakes

Ingredients:
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (I use Trader Joe's oven toasted oats)
1/2 cup organic cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 ripe banana
2 tablespoons ACV
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons maple syrup (optional)(I use pumpkin spice maple syrup)
1 cup or more unsweetened oat, almond or soy milk

Method:
Mix buckwheat flour, oats, cornmeal, baking powder ,baking soda and sea salt in a bowl. Mash the banana in another bowl and add vinegar, maple syrup, vanilla extract and milk. Stir and add to the flour mixture. Mix thoroughly. Let batter rest for 5-10 minutes.

Heat a nonstick pan or griddle on medium high. When water sizzles on the pan, it's ready! Pour out the pancake batter and cook until bubbles form. Flip and cook for a few minutes on the other side.

Enjoy them plain, with maple syrup or fruit.

Note: If you like thinner pancakes, use more milk.

Bonus: You can also make these into muffins! Just add raisins or chopped dates and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

05/22/2026

If a food has an ingredient label, it’s a warning label....

05/20/2026

This popular fermented food may help flush microplastics from the body!

Scientists in South Korea have discovered that a probiotic bacterium found in kimchi may help the body flush out tiny plastic particles before they can build up in organs. In lab tests, the kimchi-derived microbe clung tightly to nanoplastics even under conditions designed to mimic the human intesti...