For years we’ve been discouraged from consuming processed foods in favour of whole or natural foods on the assumption that “all natural” is healthier, but that may be a little misleading.
Many “all natural” foods, are actually very heavily processed, and not all "0 trans-fat" or "made with real fruit" or "all natural" labels or claims are true.
Processed foods are foods whose chemical or physical state has been modified for various reasons, including improving taste, and product preservation. But not all processed food is bad for you, nor are some of the methods used to process them, unhealthy or harmful. These include, dehydration, irradiation, canning, and pasteurization.
Having said that, I need to also say that not ALL processed foods are healthy either; for the simple fact that a lot of them have high salt or sugar content, plus trans or saturated fats and a litany of other unpronounceable ingredients. Up to 7 out of 10 items at the supermarket may have ingredients that have been genetically modified.
When you pick up natural or whole foods on the other hand, (especially organically produced foods) you assume it has had minimal exposure to chemicals like pesticides, as opposed to processed foods which may have THOUSANDS of chemicals added to them, including stabilizers, colouring, softeners, emulsifiers, and preservatives. A lot of the contents or ingredients in these processed foods are not even listed on the food packaging, because manufacturers are not required to state more than that they have artificial colouring or flavouring.
Because of this belief that ALL processed foods are unhealthy, many people are eliminating otherwise nutritious food from their diet. They may even be spending more money on supposedly natural or whole foods, which may not be that nutritious after all.
When we buy natural foods, we expect that they have gone through minimal processing, contain no artificial ingredients or flavourings. Not so. The truth is that all foods are processed in some form or another, mostly to remove disease causing micro-organisms and to increase shelf life.
Fruit and vegetables unfortunately don’t come with labels but they do have stickers on them which will tell you whether the fruit was organically grown, genetically modified, or produced with chemical fertilizers, herbicides or fungicides. Learn what the numbers on the stickers mean and ask questions, because just because its fruit or vegetable, doesn’t mean its “natural” or healthy.
Even in the case of “natural foods,” some of the practices employed by producers or growers may affect the nutritional value of the foods. For example foods produced using fertilizers may have their vitamin C content altered or reduced. Even the way we prepare our food at home can further reduce its nutritional value. This is important to note, because it is food nutrients which help to keep our immune systems strong and keep us disease free.
The point of all of this is not to confuse you, but to encourage you to be more discerning when shopping and choosing between whole or processed foods. Read labels and make healthier choices. Try to get food that is as close to its natural state as possible, with all their vitamins, minerals and nutrients, phytochemicals and fibre intact. Many of these are removed through processing. Be weary of foods loaded with salt, fats and sugar because foods with those will pack the calories and pounds on. Eating healthier food options may actually help you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight while keeping you disease free.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kendal Burton is a Certified Personal Trainer, Yoga Instructor, Sports Nutrition Specialist.
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