Natural/Whole Foods

This type of eating dates back to our origins, prior to the industrial age. The foods that nature has provided for us can be used to feed everyone around the world. If we learn to use the land, like we once did, in harmony with our resources; productively we can still create the best possible diet. This type of healthy diet is without food additives and refined foods with added sugar, salt, artificial flavorings and chemicals to increase the shelf life or taste. Our change in rural to urban life has created a need for food to be transported to locations that cannot provide the necessary resources for local eating. These foods have been created for convenience and altered to appeal to the addicted taste buds that the industrial-age consumer has inherited. Altering the original make-up of theses foods can and have contributed to the onset of many chronic diseases.

Eating foods that have been processed, are synthetic or are chemically altered are likely to be poor in essential vitamins and minerals. This insufficient amount is causing behavioral problems in children and depression in adults. Not only do the foods lack in value they also contain high amounts of high-fructose corn syrup, salt, sugar, MSG, saturated fat and trans-fatty acids. All of which are proven to contribute to obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems and cancer. Eating a large amount of refined foods has become a staple for many families. The nutritional content of these foods creates an imbalance in the body, and since the nutritional requirements have not been met, there is not enough supply for optimal functioning. The body then experiences cravings as well as a roller coaster of energy and moods. This vicious cycle creates a need for more food in an attempt to fill the void and then the risk of acquiring type 2 Diabetes is right around the corner.

Some additives to watch out for include:

Artificial food colorings
Nitrates (found in luncheon meats, hot dogs, bacon, sausage, ham and are formed when meat is charbroiled or fish is smoked)
Sulfites (used as a preservative in wine, fast food and some restaurant foods)
MSG (used in Chinese food, chips, canned soups, frozen dinners, salad dressings, bouillon cubes, steak sauce and is widely used by many chain restaurants and fast food)
Plastic Packaging
Heat-processed Soy
Genetically Modified Foods (found in more than 80% of soy ingredients)

Now that we know what to look for, do your best to reduce or eliminate these additives and buy fresh, local and natural foods whenever possible. But when the need arises for a packaged food please read the label, skip out on the foods with the scary ingredients. Your body will thank you and you will be contributing less to all the wasted resources that goes into the packaging of these foods and then dumped into our enormous over-flowing land-fills. All in all it is an excellent decision for your health and the respectable thing to do for your mother earth.

~Alisha Welch is a yoga teacher and a student at Clayton College of Natural Health pursuing a master’s degree in Holistic Nutrition

To learn more about natural/whole foods see the article titled Why Eat Organic