Why Eat 'Whole Foods'?

Eating whole foods insures intake of the total amount of available nutrients in the proportion the food contains. A whole food diet has been suggested as good for our health and well-being, assuring that all nutrients available by nature in a natural way are consumed in their entirety.

Whole foods from vegetable sources include: fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.

Studies have revealed that it is possible to contract disease from refined foods with parts missing. Polished rice has been linked to beri-beri, and plain cornmeal has been linked to pellagra, both of which are vitamin B deficiencies.

Elements of nutrition are not all found spread throughout the foods. Juices and tofu generally considered healthful are all missing fiber. The typical separation of wheat grains removes vital nutrients, The germ contains fat and vitamin E, the endosperm contains proteins and carbohydrates, and the aleurone layer of the bran contains the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. When wheat is fragmented in processing, vital nutrients are removed. It is easy to see the reasoning behind the whole foods movement in nutritional health.

My family has moved to a diet the contains more whole foods, but that is difficult to do completely. We continue to work on different aspects of implementing whole foods. This weekend we intend to experiment with whole grain pizza crust, breads, dumplings and noodles, etc.

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