Whole Foods

I have gone in my life from not caring much what I put inside myself as long as it tasted good, to eating and drinking things I actually could not stand, just because they were healthy. I learned to actually LIKE whole grain foods (a challenge since I do not like the flavor of red wheat), and to prefer the fresh flavor of more natural foods. And if I can learn that, anyone can.

The benefit of whole foods is simply whole nutrition. Refined foods are labeled as "fortified" with specific nutrients, but that label is highly misleading. Many nutrients have been stripped out, and then just a handful added back in, in higher than normal doses. We are so used to consumption of refined foods that some health guides even list some foods that do not naturally contain certain elements as good sources of them because they are so commonly added.

The nutrients that have been added to foods are only the ones that scientists consider to be the most important. There are many other nutrients which may only occur in trace amounts in whole or fresh foods, that have not been identified as being all that important (because absence does not cause a rapid health crisis). Many of them are important for balancing appetite, blood sugar, blood pressure, reducing aging effects, and other factors that only show up after long and consistent depravation from those elements.

Now, I am NOT a radical... I do NOT believe that every ill that ever was can be corrected if people would just eat the right stuff! Nothing is that simple. But I DO believe that cancer rates, diabetes rates, heart disease statistics, obesity numbers, and many other ills that are increasing in our day, would decline significantly if we would return to a more natural diet. And no matter the condition you face, your body can better handle it if you give it the best nutrients with which to combat illness and maintain health.

So, there are two things that are important:

1. Wholeness. When you eat foods that are more whole, and less cooked, with skins on when possible, you get more nutrients. The less refined the food, the healthier it is. And whole foods not only have more nutrients, they also generally have fewer preservatives and additives.

2. Freshness. Fresher foods have more nutrients also. Sometimes freshness and wholeness overlap. Wheat pretty much has to be either sprouted or cooked to be digestible, so fresh wheat is either newly sprouted wheat, or freshly milled flour. See more about wheat in the Wheat section. Whole grains, which have been freshly cracked, rolled, or milled, have more nutrients than aged grain products. Veggies that have been cooked as little as possible are healthier. Frozen beats canned, and dried is a good alternative for a high nutrient preserved food also. Fresh produce is of course best by a long shot, but frozen and dried are close enough to use on a regular basis.

We have found that when we use whole foods, we eat less, have more energy, and have less illness. Our blood sugar balances better, and we have fewer aches and pains. You get full faster, and I think it is because your body simply gets what it needs faster, and signals you that it is satisfied sooner.

It is very hard to find good whole foods in the stores though. Many foods masquerading as "whole grain" or "nutritious" or "natural", are a long way from it. They may have started that way, and been adulterated with preservatives and additives, or they may have started as the same old refined food, and just had a sprinkle of bran added. Read the labels carefully, because "wheat flour" means white flour. It has to say "WHOLE wheat flour" to actually BE whole wheat, and even then, if it is not a significant amount of the total flour used, it is not very healthy food.

Decide what your goals are, and then choose foods that meet those goals. Fix as much yourself as you can, and use fresh foods in abundance when possible. You'll find that your body will react differently to them than it does to refined foods, and the results are usually very persuasive.

Tips on preparing and using whole foods more practically are in the Diet Tips and Strategies section, and recipes may be found on the Recipes page.

Written by Laura Wheeler, Owner of Firelight Business Enterprises, Inc.