You have been robbed! If you’re eating foods that have been processed and refined, you’ve been ripped off all the good things about food.

It’s a terrible development, but it’s true. We take the nutritious stuff out of food, leaving our shelves full of foods that are void of nutrition.

As nutritionists and whole food researchers Sally Fallon and Mary Enig, Ph D, explain at the beginning of their cookbook, Nourishing Traditions“At no time in our history as a nation have Americans been so preoccupied with the issue of diet and nutrition. Yet…at no time in our history as a nation have Americans eaten so poorly.”[1]

Despite being a rich nation, we are literally starving. Even though our waistlines are growing, our nutrition has diminished.

And the easiest way to explain this paradox is to understand more about the whole foods we’ve given up over generations in favor of weak, empty, processed foods. Ironically, historically people gave up whole foods as they gained wealth. Unprocessed whole foods were associated with poverty, while refined foods were associated with privilege.

However, we are now learning that we got the raw part of the deal when we swapped whole foods for refined ones. We literally give away the gold in food. Because when we give up these “primitive” forms of food, we give up many nutrients that we needed to thrive.

What is a whole food?

What is whole food? Whole foods are minimally processed or refined foods. It has most of its edible parts intact. Whole foods include molasses or Rapidura sugar instead of white sugar…whole wheat flour instead of white flour…brown, black or pink rice instead of white rice.

When we refine food, it usually means that we are removing the parts of the food that are more complex in flavor, sometimes harder to digest but rich in nutrients. With grains like rice and wheat, it means removing the bran and outer germ. These parts of cereals provide us with vitamin E, healthy fats and proteins. When it’s removed, we lose up to 25 percent of the grain’s protein along with at least 17 nutrients, according to the Whole Grain Council. [2]

And while we usually think of whole foods in regards to grains, it happens throughout our entire food system.

Sugar processors bleach the iron in dehydrated cane sugar and molasses.

With fruits, we often settle for just the sugary juice, ditching the fiber-rich pulp. Also, many fruit juices are pasteurized at high temperatures, further stripping the nutrients from the fruit.

And even when we eat healthy vegetables, we often remove the edible skin that is loaded with nutrients. For example, most of the nutrition in the potato, such as vitamin C and protein, is found in the skin.

Now obviously a lot of foods that we can’t eat without any kind of processing. You have to peel bananas. The outer shells of the beans are completely inedible. And we can’t eat potatoes without cooking them.

However, while foods may require some processing to make them edible, by minimizing this as much as possible, you can ensure that you are getting as much nutrition as possible from your food.

Where can you get whole foods?

The best way to eat more whole foods is to take control of your food in its rawest form. Buy whole raw materials and prepare them yourself. This way, you can be sure you’re getting all the nutritious parts of your food and minimizing nutrient loss by cooking it carefully.

• Buy whole organic fruits where you know you’re getting the skin where much of the antioxidants and fiber are found, as well as the fibrous pulp. Ditch the fruit juices.
• Opt for whole grains like steel-cut oats, whole wheat, and brown rice. Be warned: By law, whole wheat products must be made from 100% whole wheat. But there are no such requirements for “multigrain” or “whole” products. The Whole Grains Council has created a 100% Whole Grains seal that verifies 100% whole grain in each serving. But without this stamp, “whole grain” on the label is open to interpretation. Check the ingredient list carefully.
• If you want a bit of sweetness, opt for unprocessed or minimally processed sweeteners like raw honey, quick sugar, and maple syrup. While these sweeteners can still spike your blood sugar and should therefore be eaten in moderation, you’ll still get a healthy dose of nutrients in every bite. And these nutrients can even help slow down the supply of sugar to the bloodstream.
• If you eat meat, look for minimally processed meats. Instead of ham, salami, or turkey breast, opt for grass-fed meats and wild-caught seafood that you cook and prepare yourself.

Some foods are difficult to prepare for consumption at home and require some form of industrial-level processing to make them edible.

For example, the indigestible outer cell wall of the chlorella alga makes it impossible for humans to access the full nutrition of chlorella. Chlorella manufacturers have to pulverize this cell wall to increase its bioavailability without sacrificing the whole food nutrition of the Chlorella. However, while they can break down the cell wall, quality manufacturers leave the cell wall fragments in the Chlorella mix for good fibrous nutrition.

Don’t get scammed by Whole Foods

Don’t get robbed nutritionally! Buy carefully. Read labels. Spend a little more time in the kitchen. Incorporate more whole foods into your diet and join the growing number of people who have rediscovered the truly rich nutrition in these simple foods.

You’ll soon discover just how well good nutrition pays off in the long run!

Sources:

[1] Fallon S. et al. Nutritional Traditions: The Cookbook That Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and Diet Dictocrats. Washington DC: New Trends Publishing, 2001, p. 1

[2] What is a whole grain? Whole Grains Council website.