Whole Foods

The simple definition of Whole Foods is they are food that has not been processed or refined before consumption. The primary benefit of Whole Foods is that they retain important fiber, nutrients, minerals and water that are generally lost within food that has been processed or refined.
Many consumers understanding of Whole Foods is that they need to be Organic which is not the case at all. Organic food products are not necessarily always complete whole foods. In general Organic food products are as close to their natural form as possible and any that require manufacturing for consumers prior to purchase and consumption are minimally altered during that process.

Minimally processed Whole Foods can retain the majority of their nutritional benefits as minimal processing without the addition of salt, sugar, oil, chemicals and preservatives and on many occasions adding berries, fruits, nuts etc. can improve the taste, nutritional benefit and also create a more caloric (calorie) dense food.
Nutritional Dense foods are just starting to become known by some consumers and this is the new frontier for consumers. In general peoples thinking has to shift from the paradigm of what diet is. Diet is anything you consume. The world has been consumed by the word DIETING for too long when there is no such action or technical basis for the word DIETING. Your diet is anything you eat or drink and the key aspect is not so much how many Calories or High GI or Low GI but simply a matter of the nutritional benefit of what you consume, how much you consume, the timing of when you consume and what you consume etc.
The most important factor for your diet moving forwards is to increase your knowledge of what you are consuming and the times of day you are consuming certain foods. Whether you want to lose weight (fat), have better health etc then move towards a higher ratio of Whole Foods and specifically any Whole Food that is Nutrient Dense. While daily Caloric Intake still retains some importance in one’s diet, self education in the area of Nutrient Dense foods and incorporating those foods into your diet is the key step and will promote long term results in relation to health, wellness and longevity.

Whole Foods primarily include:
• Plant-based foods i.e. Vegetables, Fruits, Nuts, Whole Grains, Legumes
• Animal foods i.e. Eggs, Meat, Fish, Poultry, Non-Homogenised Dairy Products

Whole foods supply us with high nutrient levels and the smallest number of calories. Our body runs most efficiently on food that is in its natural form, or very close to it.

Examples of the benefits of Whole Foods

• Rich in vitamins and minerals.

• Only contain fats that are beneficial and required by our bodies for physiological function. They include Triglycerides like omega-3 fatty acids which our body can’t produce and must come from our diet.

• High levels of fiber which assist the functioning and health of our gastrointestinal tract.

• They make us feel full faster which promotes eating smaller portions and decreases the urge to over eat.

• Non-starchy vegetables are the densest source of fiber, which means that they provide a lot of fiber for very few calories.

• Whole Grains enhance the balance in our intestines by promoting the function of healthy bacteria to keep the level of disease producing bacteria in check.

• They assist in areas from weight loss to heart disease and diabetes. Recent research shows a link between Grain Whole Foods and lower levels of blood glucose and insulin after meals. Whole Grains fiber content also regulates blood sugar by slowing down the conversion of starches into glycogen (glucose).

• Contain high concentrations of antioxidant phenolics, fibers and numerous other phyto-chemicals that can assist in protecting against chronic disease by breaking down carcinogenic substances.

• Phyto-chemicals also have antioxidant properties to protect the body against free radicals e.g. flavonoid’s.

• Plant based Whole Foods e.g. Soybeans, Flaxseeds and Berries contain Phytoestrogens, a special class of phyto-nutrients, are beneficial to our health and wellness. Studies reflect that populations who consume high levels of soy foods, which contain isoflavones, have lower levels of breast, ovarian and endometrial cancers.

Examples of Whole Food Awareness

• It’s better to check out the ingredient list on the package so you know what you’re eating.

• As soon as a food is plucked from tree or taken out of soil it begins to deteriorate. So, consuming them within a day or so of picking them or buying them will yield the most nutritional benefits. If possible purchase from farmers markets or farm stands.

• Consume a variety of whole foods throughout the day to adequately meet your body’s nutrient needs.

• Use minimal amount of cooking (steam cook when possible) to retain the nutrients.

• Cook chicken, meat or fish with greens.

• Bake foods rather than frying.

• Fresh berries and nuts instead of pastries or breakfast bars.

• Homemade over buying packaged food e.g. Smoothie made with berries, yogurt / milk and banana.

• Replace refined flour with whole-grain flour for baking and cooking.

• Include beans in your meals and snacks more often.

• Consume frozen yoghurt rather than ice-cream.

• Some plant-based foods contain Gluten e.g. wheat, kamut, barley, rye and oats.

• Following a strict plant-based diet can lead to a higher consumption of gluten and can create gluten intolerance or celiac disease.

• Plant-based foods contain lectins and phytic acid which have properties that interfere with the digestion of protein and absorption of many minerals, especially calcium, zinc, iron and magnesium.

• Our bodies protein requirements can’t be met by strict diets e.g. plant-based, grains, soy or nuts as the protein found in these food types is incomplete and can lead to malnutrition.

• Our body requires a certain balance between all the essential and non-essential amino acids to function optimally.

Our guest blogger is Paul Barry an Elite International High Performance Sports and Conditioning Coach from Brisbane, Australia. He is qualified in diverse fields including Advanced Nutrition, Sports Supplementation, Massage, Anatomy and Sports Physiology. His email address is pbelitecoach@gmail.com. and his Web address is http://paulbarry.net.au/