You always hear that processed/refined foods are bad and whole foods are the way to go. In a sense -  yes, this is true but don’t be confused, all foods are processed in some way or another unless you are the one hunting the chickens or spearing salmon in a running river fighting with bears. My point is what I mean by stay away from processed/refined foods is try and eat foods with the least amount of ingredients, ideally one. Whole foods refer to one ingredient foods; think of an apple or an ear of corn there is no ingredient list with names that look like a different language. Foods that are in their natural state still have all their nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Their chemical makeup is still intact, they have not been stripped of nutrients and processed to the point where they provide no health benefits. Let’s look a little more at why and how we can incorporate more whole foods into our diet…

• Whole foods are referred to as nutrient dense; they are lower in calories but higher in nutrient content. They contain high amounts of fiber, antioxidants, phytochemicals, vitamins, and minerals. These nutrients can help reduce risk of preventable diseases (heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers); they also aid our body in daily metabolic processes.
• Processed/refined foods are referred to as energy dense; they provide us with calories (usually high) but no abundance of nutrients. They are higher in saturated fat, trans fat, added sugar, sodium, and usually high in unnecessary chemicals (think added dyes and synthetic sweetener) that are body has to process and dispose of.
• Whole foods are found on the perimeter of the grocery store (produce section, deli, meat cooler, dairy cooler, bakery)
• The farmers market is a great place to find the freshest seasonal fruits and vegetables
• Processed foods are not evil, sometimes they are necessary but try to find those with the most natural and least amount of ingredients (the more ingredients you can pronounce the better)
• Whole foods have a shorter shelf life than their counterpart and that can be difficult for some people but here are a few tips
  • Buy frozen fruits and vegetables
  • Buy meat and freeze it until needed
  • Meal prep for the week and you can keep your meals frozen until needed
  • Nuts are a great snack and last much longer than other whole foods
  • Dried fruit is a good alternative (but usually have added preservatives and flavoring)

In a nutshell whole foods are better for our body and provide us with more of the nutrients we need. If we focus on making our diet mostly whole foods than we won’t need to worry about vitamin and mineral deficiencies, we won’t need to take vitamins because we are getting the natural form in the food we eat (natural is always better, our bodies were made to utilize the natural form). Diabetes and heart disease are linked to bad diets; high in saturated fat, high in trans fat, added sugar, high sodium intake, all of these are found in processed/refined foods that lack the nutrients are body needs to fight off these diseases and keep our body running properly. I will leave you with this...“Processed- to perform a series or mechanical or chemical operations on something in order to CHANGE or PRESERVE it”. Not something that I particularly want to happen to my food.