Eat More Whole Foods For A Healthy Diet

‘Whole foods’ is not just the name of a grocery store chain, but an essential part of any healthy diet. This explains what they are, why you need them, and how to obtain them.

With the recent spotlight on healthy eating, there is a confusing array of so-called healthy foods, vitamins, and supplements available in conventional stores. There is also much bewilderment about what exactly is the healthiest food, with so much being described as `natural`, `organic`, `balanced`, `pure` and so on. Really, the healthiest things for humans to consume are whole foods; these being totally natural food items which have not been refined or processed and have no additives.

Whole foods are often thought of as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, herbs, and legumes. Other whole foods include fish, eggs, poultry, beef and pork. The idea with the latter categories being to make use of every part of the animal.

Whole grains are a wholesome choice for whole foods as they are among the absolute finest protectors against disease. One reason for this is their potential to delay digestion, therefore nutrients are more readily available for the body due to greater absorption rates. Throughout the digestive process they give rise to changes within the intestine which allows helpful bacteria production, resulting in a healthier immune system. Whole grains also are made up of phytoestrogens and other phytochemicals which are known to break down carcinogens.

Isolated nutrients that are found in many of today’s protein drinks and supplements are not whole foods as they have been deprived of their nutritional value by means of the refining and packaging processes. Some fragmented foods are easy to spot, like products made with refined sugar and white flour. Others are less noticeable; products made with hydrogenated oils, or canned vegetables that have been overly heated in processing, reducing their nutritional value.

Research has shown that the human body can distinguish the differences between whole and fragmented foods, even if the misplaced nutrients are taken separately in a supplement, and will benefit more from whole foods. This is why it is considered ideal for a human diet to contain a minimum of 70% whole foods, which maximizes the benefits of an intake of natural nutrients.

Even if 70% is not feasible, everybody takes responsibility for their own health when they make an effort to enhance their nutritional health by eating some whole foods every day. Dieticians propose the following on a daily basis: one serving of animal protein, one serving of beans, two portions of whole grains or nuts and a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.

A modern way to attain this 70% mark is to add concentrated whole foods and power packed juices to your diet. Concentrated formulas make it possible to obtain more valuable nutrients in fewer calories, with less time, money and energy.

Author Cliff Everett Smith is Managing Owner of http://www.besthealthfoodstore.net/index.html, the Internet’s fastest growing online health food store that offers concentrated whole foods and health drinks not sold in traditional stores. Get more health food and diet tips, or just browse the site and see the catalog.
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