Even though complex carbohydrates are a vital component of our overall food intake, refined carbohydrates serve no nutritional purpose whatsoever. When food is mass-produced and processed, it is stripped of fiber and nutrients.

For example, when flour and sugar are turned from brown to white in order to make them look more appealing, they become nutritionally redundant. Processing flour and sugar removes magnesium, zinc and chromium, the three minerals the body needs to metabolize carbohydrates effectively. It also drastically reduces the presence of vitamins B1, B2, B3, calcium and iron.

Junk foods are mostly made up of refined flour and sugar, as well as processed fats, colorings, flavorings and preservatives, which are equally devoid of nutrients. Worryingly, these foods make up 75 per cent of many people's diets.