Why Whole Foods FAQ

 

A Power House of Nutrition

 

Within minutes of  eating a whole raw plant-based meal, I literally feel energized.  With every meal I receive a powerhouse of  life-essential vitamins and minerals.   I lose none of the nutrient value through the degenerative process of cooking and retain the vital life force from the foods that I eat.

A balanced diet of whole plant-based foods has an abundance of enzymes, probiotics, amino acids, essential fatty acids, vitamins and trace minerals to help replenish your body’s cells, tissues and organs by assisting to fight free radicals.

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

What are Nature’s superfoods?

All of Nature’s plants provide a wealth of nutrients.  Fruits are the number one source of vitamins while green leafy vegetables are the number two source.  The number one source of all minerals are green leafy vegetables and the number two source are fruits.  Eating a variety of fresh whole raw plants throughout the year will provide you with all the nutrients you need to thrive.  Calorie for calorie, fruits meet the U.S. RDA guidelines for protein intake while green leafy vegetables provide five times the protein recommended by the U. S. RDA guidelines.

That being said, there are remarkable health benefits derived from hyper-potent purple plants due to the unusually high antioxidant concentration and potency found in fruits with purple, blue and/or red pigments.   Fruits such as acai, Gogi, cranberry, passion fruit and cherry are especially rich in polyphenols such as anthocyanins.  Anthocyanins are robust antioxidants; the darker the fruit, the higher the anthocyanin value and the more effective the antioxidant power.

 

Are Gogi berries and acai fruits everything they are built up to be?

Gogi berry, native to the Himalayan mountain region, contains 19 of the 20 amino acids known to man, 21 trace minerals, a full spectrum of antioxidant carotenoids and is one of the most concentrated sources of vitamin C, calcium and beta-carotene in the entire plant kingdom.

Acai, on the other hand, is the chosen super food of the Amazon rainforest.  Acai fruit has high protein, is rich in essential fatty acids (Omegas 3, 6, and 9), vitamins B and C, minerals, antioxidants and anthocyanins (25 times that found in red wine).

Keeping in mind, natives in these regions have the luxury of eating these fruits fresh to retain all of their amazing nutritional value.  Whenever a product is prepared for shipping, it is compromised in the process.  Whether it is dehydration, freezing, or chemically treated to avoid molding or pulverizing in to a powder form, the inherent nutrition is greatly devalued and is not ideal for human performance.

 

What are phytonutrients?

Phytonutrients are found in plants and are essential for optimum health and longevity protecting us from bacteria, viruses and fungi by supporting the immune system.  Research has shown that phytonutrients (carotenoids, flavonoids, isothiocyanates and polyphenols) all may protect against certain health issues.

 

Why are minerals important?

Your body is able to manufacture some vitamins but cannot produce a single mineral, yet your body cannot function without them.  A lack of minerals will cause your health to fail; even trace minerals act as building blocks for your body.  Trace minerals are akin to the many teeny nails, nuts and bolts that hold a house together.  At first glance, a home is made of much more.  However, if minerals are slowly removed and never replaced the building will sag and ultimately collapse.

Minerals assist with the transfer of nourishment to the cells, are important to the proper functioning of enzyme systems, nerve conduction and muscle function and provide the framework for tissues and the regulation of organ functions.  Without a constant and adequate supply of minerals, these functions will fail and subsequently will cause your body to crash.

The highest concentration of minerals are found in green leafy vegetables, in fact they are the number one source of all minerals on Earth.

 

What are the benefits of mineralized sea salts?

One of the first recommendations any doctor, health care practitioner, or any other health advocate will make for a terminally ill patient is to reduce the intake of sodium.   There is good reason for this.  Consider that if a person drinks sea water, it will kill them in a matter of days.  Sea water is essentially salt diluted by water.  Salt is poisonous to the human body and is dehydrating in its very nature.  Using salt accelerates the disease and aging process in the human body by slowly poisoning the organism.  High sodium has been linked to all kinds of heart disease, kidney disease, obesity, and even pre-mature death. Mineralized sea salt producers make elaborate claims that the minerals found in their products are essential for the body, hence the salt is good for health.   However, these same minerals are readily available in a variety of vegetables and fruits.  In fact, naturally occurring non-toxic sodium is easily derived from a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, including celery, Swiss chard, beet, collard, dandelion, mustard and turnip greens, spinach, beans, tomatoes and lower quantities occur in most fruits and vegetables. Would you not much rather receive the bounty of minerals delivered by a healthful whole food rather than via a poisonous substance?  For optimal mineral absorption, it is best to consume fresh raw whole plants to avoid the natural nutritional degradation that occurs with cooking.

 

Why are vitamins important?

Our bodies need vitamins to function normally. They play essential roles in every body system including growth, development, maintenance and function. Without enough vitamins we can develop a wide variety of health problems including life threatening conditions. Vitamins can only enter our bloodstream through the foods we eat, hence the importance of proper nutrition.

Types of Vitamins:

(1) Fat-soluble vitamins are capable of being stored in the fat tissues and in your liver for when you need them.   Fat-soluble vitamins include vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E and vitamin K.  All of these vitamins are readily available in fresh fruits and vegetables.

(2) Water-soluble vitamins cannot be stored in body tissues. These vitamins must be used as soon as they are present in the bloodstream, and any unused amounts of the vitamin are excreted by the body.  Because water-soluble vitamins aren’t stored, they must be constantly replaced through the foods you eat.  Water-soluble vitamins include vitamin B3, folate, biotin, vitamin B1, pantothenic acid, vitamin C and vitamin B12.  While fruits are the number one best source for vitamins, vitamin B12 is more readily found in the soil that plants grow in.

Eating a wide variety of raw fresh  fruit and vegetables ensures that you are maximizing your intake of the essential vitamins and their benefits.  Please keep in mind that cooking any food compromises its nutrient value.

 

How much caffeine and alcohol is safe to consume?

Both caffeine and alcohol can inhibit vitamin absorption.  Alcohol is a virtual poison to the human body; an intoxicant.  Polyphenols, found in red wine, provide far greater benefits when not delivered through the toxic medium of alcohol.  Caffeine also acts as a drug, taxing the central nervous system and constricting blood flow in the body increasing blood pressure.  These substances should be limited at the very least and are best to completely eliminate.

 

Is it okay to eat sugar?

Refined sugar plays havoc on the human body and contributes to many long term degenerative diseases.  Refined sugar suppresses the immune system and promotes inflammation in the body contributing to premature aging.  Natural sugar, found in fresh whole fruits with the fiber completely in tact, is very healthful.  Many of the disorders that arise from imbalanced blood sugar levels often attributed to an excess of fruit sugar actually result from an over consumption of fat.  Excess fat prevents natural sugars from being absorbed by the cells where they can be used as immediate fuel.  Excess fat lines the cellular walls preventing nutrient absorption and trapping sugar in the blood stream which spikes blood sugar levels and causes a chain reaction where the pancreas produces insulin to stabilize blood sugar levels.  Likewise, candida growth is stimulated, another effort of the body’s self regulating mechanism to balance the blood sugar levels.  A diet high in fat will, in the long term, cause the pancreas to dysfunction resulting in diabetes, create problems with candida overgrowth and negatively impacts the cardiovascular system resulting in any number of heart conditions.

 

What are processed and refined foods?

Any food that has been altered from its natural live state is considered “processed.”  Dehydration, cooking and freezing (the best form of long term storage), are all considered to be processed foods.   Refined foods are foods which have been further altered from their natural state and additionally compromised.  Refined foods have undergone so much processing that they are virtually devoid of any vitamins, minerals and fiber.  For instance white flour, white sugar and corn syrup disguise themselves in many pre-packaged cereals and/or baked goods, spuds (dehydrated pulverized powdered potatoes) lacks many important nutrients, canned fruits and vegetables are lacking in nutrition and fiber and are  high in calories compared to fresh fruits and vegies.  Consuming foods that are processed or refined  burdens  the digestion system and causes fatigue rather than energy that naturally comes from eating whole fresh ripe raw plant foods.  Eating a diet high in refined foods can lead to undernourishment, weight gain and obesity, constipation, fatigue and a host of other diseases.

 

Why is a whole foods diet important?

It’s called bioavailability and it refers to your body’s ability to digest and absorb nutrients.  Multi-vitamins in the form of pills and capsules are believed by many experts to have a 10 -20% rate of absorption compared to cooked whole foods with a 30-70% retention value, as opposed to whole fresh raw plants that have a 100% absorption rate.  Bioavailability is the key to deriving the ultimate benefit from potent food allowing the body to work efficiently. This means your body will receive the full power of Nature’s  nutrients.

What is the most important component of food?

Protein, Fats and Carbohydrates are all immensely important for the development, growth and maintenance of the human body.  A diet rich in plant-based foods will provide all of the essential building blocks for optimal vitality and health.  Nutritional scientists have known for more than 70 years that the most natural diet that best supports the human body is one comprised of 80%  or more of carbohydrates, 10% or less of protein and 10% or less of fat.  Fruit, which is full of essential vitamins and nutrients, provides the body with the nutritional equivalent of mother’s milk and green leafy vegetables not only surpass our protein and fat requirements but contain a rich array of vital minerals.

What is food combining and why is is important?

Improper food combinations prevent the absorption of vital nutrients.  Proper food combining allows nutrients to be utilized by the body.  When the body can’t unlock the nutrients in food, it merely gains only calories leaving the person malnourished.  These individuals often become overweight in spite of eating  sufficient quantities of food.   One common example of improper food combining is peanut butter and jelly.  Fruit is always best to eat alone.  When fruits mix with grains they ferment and alcohol is formed.  This is how beer is brewed.  This alcohol harms the body and suppresses the immune system.  Breakfast is a wonderful time to enjoy simple fruit for breakfast as the body is literally breaking a fast.  Fruit is the simplest of all foods to break down and supplies instant energy virtually eliminating the need to reach for a stimulant such as tea or coffee first thing in the morning.  You might create a delicious fruit smoothie or a fruit salad.  Another example of improper food combining would be to mix predominantly protein rich foods (meats, nuts, seeds)  with predominantly carbohydrate rich foods (starches such as pasta, grains or potatoes).   The nutrients in these foods are much more readily available when they are consumed separately at different meals.  Lunch time is an excellent time to eat carbohydrates with vegetables, perhaps a baked potato with salad or pasta with vegetables, etc.  Dinner, on the other hand, is an excellent time to consume a predominantly protein based food as it takes the longest to break down.  You might enjoy a green salad with a strip of protein, or a walnut loaf served over a bed of vegetables substituting any starches such as rice or potatoes for more vegetables.  Adopting these food combining principles in to your life will help you unlock the nutrients found in foods.  You will find you will no longer suffer indigestion and that your hunger is satisfied by simple proper food combining.

Are supplements necessary?

Though it may be tempting to try to gain greater health benefits by increasing your intake of certain vitamins with vitamin supplements, the New York Times Health Guide warns against substituting supplements for fresh, healthy, naturally vitamin-rich food.  Not only is food always the best source of vitamins, too much of particular vitamins can become toxic.  There is increasing research and evidence that documents the ill and even lethal effects of consuming supplements.  Nothing is as good for you as food in its natural state delivered from Mother Nature.

 

Are organic foods beneficial?

Foods that are commercially grown are treated with any number of pesticides and herbicides that may be very toxic to humans.  Many of these toxins accumulate in the body and cause debilitating health issues over time.   When selecting foods that are certified as organically grown, you reduce your exposure to these environmental toxins and benefit in receiving greater nutritional value from a food that is not “poisoned.”  For more information on the toxins found in various foods, visit the Environmental Working Group’s website by clicking here.

 

I am confused by all of the conflicting information I read and see.  Where can I get sound nutritional information?

Please click here to view a graduate presentation of T. Colin Campbell’s Center for Nutrition Studies (CNS) at Cornell University.  To access a plethora of  respectable research, click here for more than 200 articles written on the subject of nutrition and its relationship to disease.

Center for Nutrtion Studies Graduate Badge

 

“Our lives are not in the lap of the God’s but in the lap of our chefs.”
– Lin Yutang

 

 

Disclaimer:

These statements have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 
All information is provided for the purpose of education only. 
Foods are not drugs and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

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