Better Living With Whole Foods

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The following is an excerpt of chapter 3 from the book: Better Living With Whole Foods.

PROCESSED & REFINED FOODS

What you will learn in this section:

• What are processed and refined foods?
• Why are foods processed and refined?
• Why are they bad?

WHAT IS ALL THE FUSS ABOUT?

Processed and refined foods are one of the great mysteries of our modern culture. We’ve all heard at one time or another that we need to stay away from these “bad” foods, but few of us know why. Really, what’s all the fuss about?

Processed & refined foods are dead foods devoid of all beneficial nutrition. They are basically a “Non-Food”, a poison to your body. It’s imperative that you know what the dangers are of processed foods. You need to learn how to recognize and avoid these non-foods at all costs.

Processed and refined foods are the major culprits in today’s battle with the bulge. Dr Joseph Mercola in his book Dr. Mercola’s Total Health Program says:

“Today over 90% of grains are processed, making the negative consequences of grains far worse. The physiology of contemporary humans has not changed much from our distant ancestors, and our bodies have never adapted to the excessive amount of carbohydrates from grains and sweets in our present day diet. In fact, in a nation whose diet is still largely based on the severely misguided USDA Food Pyramid, which recommends an atrocious 6-11 servings of breads, cereals, rice, and pasta per day, this surplus of insulin-spiking carbohydrates is the main reason for the overweight epidemic and the scourge of related chronic diseases like diabetes.”

OUR GRANDPARENTS DIDN’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THIS

You hear a lot of stories from people who will tell you that their grandparents ate whatever they wanted to and they lived long healthy lives. Well, the fact of the matter is that our grandparents were not exposed to the kinds of foods that we are exposed to today. Our grandparents ate healthy whole foods by default because that is what was available to them. They didn’t have access to Twinkies, Pop Tarts, Captain Crunch, and Lunchables.

FORGET ABOUT THE FADS

Many of the so called health and fitness experts tell you to count calories, count points, limit carbs, limit fat, check the glycemic index, and get into the zone, just to name a few. In fact, many weight loss centers will sell you pre-packaged highly processed non-food items as their solution. These so called convenience meals are nothing more than false hope in a box.

Well, you can forget about all of these gimmicks and concentrate on three things:

1. Eat whole foods.
2. Avoid all processed & refined foods.
3. Perform a moderate amount of effective exercise.

Most health and fitness programs tell you to “eat right and exercise”, but none show you exactly how this is accomplished, until now. Better Living With Whole Foods and the 16 Week Total Body Makeover are your step by step guides towards truly achieving vibrant health.

WHAT ARE PROCESSED & REFINED FOODS?

When talking about processed and refined foods we generally think of processed and refined flour, sugar, and salt (these are known as the “White Devils”). However, as you will soon discover, there are many other types of foods that undergo harmful refining processes. It’s estimated that more than 90% of all foods available today are processed.

When a food has been processed and refined it’s stripped of all of its vital nutrients including the vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that help your body break down and utilize them. In most cases, processed foods will also be treated with a variety of harmful chemicals. Processed and refined foods are basically a poison to your body.

WHY ARE FOODS PROCESSED & REFINED?

There are a variety of reasons that the big corporations process foods. On the top of the list is money. Take a look at the food advertisements that the media subjects us to. Almost all of these ads are promoting processed foods. Yes, there’s a ton of money being made off of processed and refined foods.

Other reasons for processing foods include:

• Longer Shelf Life
• Texture
• Flavor
• Color
• Odor

Longer Shelf Life: It’s interesting to note that whole foods will spoil much quicker than processed and refined foods. A loaf of sprouted whole grain bread will have a shelf life of approximately one week. A loaf of your typical processed and refined bread will have a shelf life of approximately two to three weeks or longer.

Texture & Flavor: The texture and flavor of processed and refined grains, sugars, and fats are very unique. The way these “foods” feel on your tongue and taste in your mouth light up pleasure centers in your brain. This makes them very addictive. The problem with this is the fact that the pleasure that these comfort foods give you is short lived. This causes a vicious cycle that leaves you unsatisfied and wanting more. Sound familiar?

Note: When you start eating healthy whole foods your tastebuds will change. Foods once thought of as delicious will start to taste strange. Your body will start to crave the nutrients contained in the whole foods you are giving it. At first it won’t seem like this is possible, but given a chance, the transformation always happens. When it does, you’ll be on your way to living a healthy vibrant life.

Color: Almost all processed and refined foods will have their color altered in order to make them more appealing to the human eye. These non-foods have an undesirable appearance after they have gone through their processing, so they are either bleached or treated with food coloring or both.

Odor: The processing of foods will often times cause them to turn rancid and foul smelling. These denatured foods must go through further deodorizing processes, such as bleaching, to give them a more pleasant odor.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN CULPRITS IN PROCESSED FOODS?

• Processed & Refined Grains
• Processed and Refined Sugars
• Processed & Refined Vegetable & Plant Oils
• Pasteurization
• Chemical Additives (Preservatives)

We’ll discuss each of these in detail throughout this course.

WILL YOU STILL NEED A MORTICIAN WHEN YOU DIE?

A friend of mine, who was going through mortician school at the time, told me that morticians today use very little, if any, embalming fluid on their deceased clients when preparing them for their funerals. Reason being: They’re already preserved from all of the chemical preservatives in the foods that they’ve eaten!

I don’t know about you, but the statement above is more than enough reason for me to avoid processed and refined foods at all costs.

Which leads us into our next discussion…

Book Excerpts

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