A whole foods diet is so much more nutritious than a diet of processed foods. Processed foods, for the most part, are just pure junk. Many of the health conditions we encounter are a direct result of a processed foods or junk food diet. By eating healthy whole foods, we give our bodies the nutrients needed to build a strong immune system and stay healthy.
If we can go back to eating the simple diets that people age a century ago we would be much healthier. People a century ago worked the land, grew their own fruits, vegetables and meat. They ate fresh whole foods and canned foods without using harsh preservatives and excessive sugar and processed flours. It was when people started eating more processed and refined foods that people’s health started declining. By avoiding these junk foods we are better able to stay on top of having good health. A whole grains diet is a healthy lifestyle and one that should be adopted permanently.
Eating whole foods means replacing processed grains (refined grains) for whole grains. It means including fresh fruits, vegetables, beans, and “good” fats instead of swallowing vitamin and mineral supplements. Deriving the nutrients from the foods is the best way to give the body a good dose of these vital vitamins and minerals. Eating a whole food diet means you will replace things like processed chicken nuggets with your own whole chicken breast, seasoned with real herbs. Replace “chips” with the healthy counterparts. Whole potatoes should replace potato chips, etc. No more eating quick and convenient foods like toaster pastries, instead you will eat whole grain bread and 100% fruit spreads.
A diet of whole foods sets the body up for improved health and a stronger immune system. A stronger immune system will help to treat and prevent illnesses. Whole foods come from nature and are healthy and complete in their natural form. Whole foods are packed with healthy nutrients, fiber, minerals, and phytochemicals. Processed foods are depleted of most of these nutrients.
Whole foods are becoming a very popular “trend” these days with the “whole foods” grocery stores springing up all over the country. Farmer’s markets, health food stores and even regular grocery’ stores now carry more choices with fresh wThole foods making it easier to go on and stay on a whole foods diet. People are once again recognizing the virtues of eating a diet of the very foods the earth produces naturally.
Whole foods groceries and grocery sections are the fastest growing and most popular type of grocery stores, offering a “farmer’s market” type of experience in places where farmer’s markets may not exist. There is even a grocery store chain in the USA aptly named “Whole Foods.”
Nutrition experts claim that eating whole foods is better because…
- Whole foods are absent of the ingredients that make processed foods so harmful. Ingredients like excessive refined sugars and flours, and added fats are the very ingredients that cause us so many health issues like weight gain, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure not to mention the added calories. Whole foods are absent of these nasty ingredients and therefore are a much healthier choice in our diets.
- Whole foods are high in fiber, which processed foods are not. High fiber helps the body to function better. The digestive system needs the fiber to help keep it clean and keep it moving along, as it should, without the fiber the digestive tract becomes gunked and this gunk can become toxic. Eating foods high in fiber helps with weight maintenance because fiber helps the stomach to feel full faster and keeps us from over eating. Fiber is good for the cardiovascular system and helps to treat illnesses such as diabetes.
While you can take fiber in supplements it is much better that the body receives the fiber straight from the sources with whole foods. Most whole foods contain both types of beneficial fiber – both insoluble and soluble – to help cleanse the entire body and help it to rid of toxins.
- Whole foods contain good fats that are vital to our health. Processed foods contain saturated and trans fats, which can clog arteries and make us fat. Good fast found in plants and fish are healthy for the brain and for the immune system. The brain functions better when good fats are consumed. Good fats are found in olives, avocados, flax seeds, and fish.
- The diets of today, which includes an abundance of processed “convenient” foods, are very short in the amount of nutrients the body needs in order to be healthy. Unless people take supplements with their junk food diets they are at risk for deficiency in certain vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, and even fiber. Rather than taking supplements, it is better to eat whole foods and get just the amount of each of these nutrients the natural way.
- Phytochemicals, also called phytonutrients, are plant food components that are biologically active. Lycopene is such a nutrient that is a very strong anti-oxidant found in tomatoes. Blueberries and other berries have anthocyanin’s and pterostilbene, which helps to lower cholesterol naturally.
It is better to receive the phytochemicals direct from the foods you eat. There may be other phytochemicals that are yet discovered in plants that are not found in supplements. This makes a solid case for eating a whole food diet where you can be sure your body is receiving all the nutrients it needs.
- Whole grains are another healthy food that gives more than just a natural source of fiber. Whole grains have a plethora of nutrients including anti oxidants, phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals, as well as healthy fiber. Diabetics have found that diets high in whole grains help them to control their blood glucose levels. Whole grains are a natural means to help lower cholesterol levels.
When going on a whole foods diet you want to include choices that offer whole grains. Try replacing white flours with whole wheat flour. Try using natural sweeteners over refined sugars. Choose your fruits and vegetables from the “farmer’s market” and “whole foods” section rather than in processed convenient packages. Fresh fruits and vegetables should be eaten every day. Choose fresh whole foods for snacks over junk food.
Do you realize how sick our society is because of the diets we consume? Eating too much processed foods is very unhealthy to our body and especially to our immune system. It is because processed foods or junk foods lack the proper and vital nutrients our body needs in order to be strong and healthy. Whole foods contain just the perfect amount of nutrients we need. If we eat well-balanced meals in moderation, we will gain all the vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals we need in order to be as healthy as possible.
You do not need to go to an over-priced ‘health foods’ store to purchase fresh whole foods. These foods are easily readily available at most grocer}’ stores and “super” stores. It depends on how you shop as much as what you choose to eat. Whole foods diet means just that, you eat the foods whole. Instead of processing the foods, like turning grains into flour, you choose to eat foods with whole grains. Instead of buying a box of instant mashed potatoes, you choose to buy whole potatoes and cook with these. Instead of drinking a juice cocktail, you choose to eat a piece of real fruit. It is all about choices.
By switching to a whole foods diet plan means you are developing a healthier lifestyle. If you wish to become healthier, the first thing you should change is your diet. Instead of trying to follow a complicated diet plan it helps to simplify it by choosing to eat whole foods, which are natural made. Whole foods are nature’s best remedy to building a healthy body.
Whole foods help to treat and prevent some of the biggest health issues people face, those of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, and type 2 diabetes. The diet helps to build a strong cardio vascular system by keeping the arteries clear and the blood pressure and cholesterol levels normal. It helps to fight and prevent certain cancers by strengthening the immune system. If the immune system is strong, it is able to fight the free radicals, which can cause cancer. The anti-oxidants in whole foods help with the immune system. Whole foods help to
stabilize and keep the blood glucose levels in check and at normal ranges.
Whole foods are packed with all the nutrients the body needs from fiber to vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and fiber. All these work together to help make the body healthier. Many of these can be taken in supplement form, but research has showTi that deriving the nutrients needed from the foods we eat is much better. The body knows how to pull the nutrients from the foods and it all works with the systems in our body to help us function at optimum capacity.
As stated above, whole foods are food in their natural state, without being processed. Food is better in the whole state than if it has been cut up and processed, and all the nutrients leached from it. Whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and even meat are better if left whole. The recipes in this book call for whole healthy foods that have not been processed. Eating a whole foods diet will help the body to maintain better weight level as well as maintaining a completely healthy lifestyle.
By eating whole foods you are gaining all the nutrients the body needs within one meal. This is better “synergy” for the body, to derive all the nutrients from the foods we eat rather than from swallowing it in supplement form.
There have been research that shows when supplements such as vitamin E and selenium are taken in supplement form they do not show as great results with health as they do when consumed within the foods we eat. Experts believe the reason the body responds better to nutrients derived from the foods we eat is that the nutrients work together. It could be that anti oxidants like vitamin E works with the phytochemicals and minerals with the same foods the vitamin E came from. This makes sense and makes it imperative that we eat healthier diets.
Your health care provider should approve any diet change. If you are on any medications or special regimen, they need to advise you on your dieting needs. While whole foods are the best foods that nature provides you will probably receive the go ahead to try such a diet. All the recipes within this book are healthy, each one calling for ingredients that includes healthy whole foods the way nature presents it. The side effects of a whole foods diet is a strong health immune system and the ability to wTard off germs and illnesses. Other side effects include improved health if you do have health issues such as better weight levels, normal cholesterol, and possibly normal blood pressure and blood glucose levels.